A Uniter Not Divider. Restoration.

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King Kamehameha Day was celebrated over the past weekend, with a Parade, crafts fair and entertainment in the park. Though a Highway that goes completely around the Island of Oahu is named after him, as well as a large prestigious school and a statue of him is erected in a prominent location downtown, I have to admit I know very little about him. We were really not taught much in schools in my days about his life, only that he united the Hawaiian Islands. Today however, I think Hawaiian history and subjects receive more exposure in schools.

From what I’ve read on my own, he was the only one able to lift a huge boulder, called the Naha Stone, thus earning his position as a chief. As mentioned, he is highly honored for the unity of all the Hawaiian Islands, but he was by no means a Mahatma Gandhi. He used weapons from the Europeans to help in his conquest of all the other chiefs. One book has it that his conquest and unifying of the islands, put an end to the warring among the different islands and chiefs. Perhaps somewhat like how WWI was supposing fought to end all wars. Also read that sometime war games were played instead of having actual wars to decide matters, in old Hawaii.

The parade on Sat. started at 8:30AM downtown and the ended 4-1/2 miles later at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki , after which there were entertainment by various groups/. It was a hot humid day and my hat goes of to all the marching, walking and dancing participants who made it to the end. I was able to see the beginning and later drive over to see the end. Most amazing were the Students from the Polynesian Cultural Center who did very lively dancing from beginning to end and also a band from Missouri who were dressed more for snowy weather than for the Hawaii sunshine.

My perennial favorite is also the main float which is floral as all the floats had to be. It depicts the Royal Court dressed in attire in what Captain Cook must have seen when he first landed here. I’ve seen Tahitian, Samoan and other Royal costumes, but the Hawaiian ones are quite unique in which they resemble more European style as opposed to the other Polynesians who’s costume resemble more of that as the Aztecs. One book theorized that the Spanish had land here 200 years prior to Capt. Cook, but there’s no hard evidence of this. The Hawaiian helmet resembles the Roman soldiers, though covered with feathers from small birds which the book said were trapped with a sticky gum, had their feathers pluck and then released. The Royalty also wore cloaks decked with thousands of small feathers.

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Photos

Amazing Polynesian Dancers.
They danced, jumped and hollared with high spirits all the way.