Adam Kinau Manalo-CampHawaiian History and Culture I think that one of the most fascinating women in post-unification Hawaiian history is Kaahumanu. Most think of her as Kamehamehas favorite wife without understanding why she was supposedly his favorite wife. Kaahumanu and Keopuolani orchestrated the coup that brought down the centuries old kapu system. Kaahumanus power was probably greater than Kamehameha II and Kamehameha IIIs. We know that in during the Battle of Kuamoo, she was directing the troops against her cousin, Chiefess Manono, and Kamehamehas nephew, Prince-High Priest Kekuaokalani while Kamehameha II was on his yacht entertaining friends. The true power however of Kaahumanus influence that begin with Kamehameha was that she understood politics. Despite being in a conjugal union with Kamehameha at a very young age (probably around 13 or 14 years old while he was in his late 20s), she proved herself to be very cunning and sharp. She was willing to punish her own family if they disobeyed the will of the king and those who were loyal to the new order, she appreciated their loyalty. She did not have a very high opinion of makaainana though her opinions would later change. But according to the Comte de Laperouse, Vancouver and other European explorers, she was a shrewd negotiator with the foreigners. With her dealings in foreigners, she proved to be useful to the new order established by Kamehameha by her language skills. She quickly caught onto languages and missionaries that arrived in 1820 were surprised that Kaahumanu understood English quite well. When Kamehameha wrote to King George III, it was Kaahumanu who made corrections to letter. How much she could really read and write is not really known but she knew enough to make transactions and missionaries did comment that she had a knowledge of several European languages and could read transactions and logs. She also was very good at poker and other card games, again, showing she had knowledge about writing and numerical systems. When Kamehameha died in 1819, she had the day of his death tattoo on body. When the Hawaiian alphabet was finally put together in the Latin script in the early 1820s, she instructed all the chiefs to learn to read and write and then to teach all tenants and commoners in their districts to do the same. A chief from Kauai inquired why should the commoners learn to read and write? She retorted in a very Hawaiian yet Protestant way. She responded that every Christian should be able to read the Bible and to interpret it in their own naau and that writing itself is mana. Writing is mana and that mana is what helped the Europeans advance and that Hawaiians must advance and adopt this new mana of writing. She believed that she was the mother of the Hawaiian nation and this mana of writing, this new Hawaiian alphabet, would be her last gift, her last duty, her legacy, to her children and to the newly unified country. I think that one of the most fascinating women in post-unification Hawaiian history is Kaahumanu. Most think of her as Kamehamehas favorite wife without understanding why she was supposedly his favorite wife. Kaahumanu and Keopuolani orchestrated the coup that brought down the centuries old kapu system. Kaahumanus power was probably greater than Kamehameha II and Kamehameha IIIs. We know that in during the Battle of Kuamoo, she was directing the troops against her cousin, Chiefess Manono, and Kamehamehas nephew, Prince-High Priest Kekuaokalani while Kamehameha II was on his yacht entertaining friends. The true power however of Kaahumanus influence that begin with Kamehameha was that she understood politics. Despite being in a conjugal union with Kamehameha at a very young age (probably around 13 or 14 years old while he was in his late 20s), she proved herself to be very cunning and sharp. She was willing to punish her own family if they disobeyed the will of the king and those who were loyal to the new order, she appreciated their loyalty. She did not have a very high opinion of makaainana though her opinions would later change. But according to the Comte de Laperouse, Vancouver and other European explorers, she was a shrewd negotiator with the foreigners. With her dealings in foreigners, she proved to be useful to the new order established by Kamehameha by her language skills. She quickly caught onto languages and missionaries that arrived in 1820 were surprised that Kaahumanu understood English quite well. When Kamehameha wrote to King George III, it was Kaahumanu who made corrections to letter. How much she could really read and write is not really known but she knew enough to make transactions and missionaries did comment that she had a knowledge of several European languages and could read transactions and logs. She also was very good at poker and other card games, again, showing she had knowledge about writing and numerical systems. When Kamehameha died in 1819, she had the day of his death tattoo on body. When the Hawaiian alphabet was finally put together in the Latin script in the early 1820s, she instructed all the chiefs to learn to read and write and then to teach all tenants and commoners in their districts to do the same. A chief from Kauai inquired why should the commoners learn to read and write? She retorted in a very Hawaiian yet Protestant way. She responded that every Christian should be able to read the Bible and to interpret it in their own naau and that writing itself is mana. Writing is mana and that mana is what helped the Europeans advance and that Hawaiians must advance and adopt this new mana of writing. She believed that she was the mother of the Hawaiian nation and this mana of writing, this new Hawaiian alphabet, would be her last gift, her last duty, her legacy, to her children and to the newly unified country.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:24:39 +0000
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