On June 11th, Hawaii honors King Kamehameha I — the leader responsible for unifying the Hawaiian islands, and with local significance to Kona.
If you’ve never heard of Hawaii’s most famous ruler, keep reading to learn why this shrewd businessman, powerful conqueror, and stuff of literal legend is known to history as Kamehameha the Great.
Who Was King Kamehameha?
Originally named Paiea, meaning “Hard-Shelled Crab,” Kamehameha descended from Hawaiian leaders. His father was a high chief and his mother was the daughter of former king Alapai.
Traditional Hawaiian legend claims that a bright star, Kokoiki, appeared in the sky shortly before baby Paiea was born. Historians believe that his birth occurred in 1758 and that Kokoiki was Halley’s Comet, which appeared in the same year.
Mystic seers prophesied that the star indicated the birth of a great ruler, one who would defeat his rivals and reign over all the islands. Upon hearing this prophecy, Alapai ordered the death of infant Paiea.
Paiea was raised in secret and grew to manhood, at which point he took the name Kamehameha which means “The One Set Apart.”
King Kamehameha's Legacy
Kamehameha is best known as the monarch responsible for establishing the Kingdom of Hawai’i and resisting encroaching pressures from European explorers.
By 1795, Kamehameha had successfully conquered all of the islands apart from Niihau and Kauai. Kamehameha received both of these islands through peaceful negotiations in 1810, making him the undisputed ruler of all of the islands.
Kamehameha established the Hawaiian Kingdom’s capital in our very own Kailua-Kona.
During his autocratic but open-minded reign, Kamehameha outlawed human sacrifice, established governors on each island, and amassed a fortune for the islands — money made primarily from the sandalwood trade.
Unlike his successors, King Kamehameha successfully defended Hawaiian independence during an intense period of European exploration of the islands.
Kamehameha died on May 8, 1819. His grandson, Kamehameha V, proclaimed the first King Kamehameha Day in 1871.
On the Big Island, you can visit a statue dedicated to Kamehameha in North Kohala and Hilo.
How to Celebrate
Shortly after Hawaii became America’s 50th state in 1959, the Governor of Hawaii proclaimed King Kamehameha 1 Day an official state holiday. Now the day is a chance to celebrate the rich cultural traditions of ancient Hawai’i.
A variety of celebrations will occur on each of the Hawaiian islands.Here in Kona, we’ll be celebrating with a King Kamehameha Day Parade and Celebration this Saturday beginning at 9am.
During the parade, pa’u riders will represent ‘each of the eight islands’. Like any good parade, ours will include marching bands, classic cars, equestrian units, decorative floats… and also hula halau. This is a celebration of Hawaiian heritage after all!
After the parade, head over to historic Hulihe’e Palace to enjoy a festival featuring food, local vendors, hula, and concerts by top Hawaiian recording artists.
Want to celebrate with the locals and then become a local yourself? Contact me and we’ll find you a property fit for a king.
Aloha, and welcome to Hawaii.