Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Heirs Of Hawaii: The Ruling House is Kauai - Maoliworld

The Heirs Of Hawaii: The Ruling House is Kauai - Maoliworld

This is a blogpost I wrote in answer to some stuff on Maoliworld, that I just joined yesterday.
Feel free to coment. Just dont swear or get stupid. ALoha.

With all of the bickering over who is who and what is what, tearing apart geneologies and screaming about who was hanai here and who was hanai there, one fact remains glaringly clear.

That the lines of succession clearly stand with the Mokupuni o Kauaimanokalanipo. I think everyone can pretty much agree on this fact.

My hope of coming to Maoliworld, was to intelligently discuss how we can all come TOGETHER, and pull together all of the threads that keep unraveling among alot of the different groups and claims.

Yet what happens 24 hours after i sign up for Maoliworld? Without even knowing me someone left a foul hewa haole insulting word on my post.

Its pretty aka'aka, considering I have a pic up of me at a "fake state" protest on Kaua'i. Its pretty obvious I am for Hawaii returning toi the people.

It is this sort of bickering and internal warfare that will absolutely kill any chance for cohesion and unity, and really tear apart the movement. In my opinion, there is a kernal of truth to EVERY SINGLE CLAIM of persons, groups and individual "Royal Persons", of which there are many around.

To me, this just proves the facts that the Hawaiian Alii are alive and well, and that no one is gone, erased, or removed from time. That everything is alive, well and kicking and ready to fight.

For me, I find it very disingenuous to put up information, and then silence those who wish to comment and debate. When individuals claiming to be Mois, wether Wahine or Kane, silence debate, and then say "Oh no, those other guys claims are false, hewa. It is only us that rules, and no one else everyone else is a liar", that is where I have some serious problems.

Am I guilty of doing this? Of course i am. I have pride in my own position. Which usually clashes with what others beleive. But it doesn't mean I am not for sovreignty as much as anyone else! I am. It is just that each is loyal to different lines. Is this any different then what has been around for hundreds of years? No. Is this the way of Polynesia? Yes. Will different lineages and geneologies grumble among themselves who is false claim and who is real? Yes. Ae. Ae. Ae. Ae.

HOWEVER: In the situation that we are currently in, it is my fervent hope, that all sides can sit down and discuss all of this is a rational manner. I beleive that the first thing everyone must agree, is that there is SO MUCH Alii Moi, and Alii Nui lines still left and around in Hawaii Nei, that everyone has a claim, in some part and portion. I beleive this wholeheartedly.

But when I look at everything together, and the geneologies, of which I have been working on now for well more then 10 years now, I realize that to me, it is Kauai that stands out among all others. The reason for this is historical, geneologically.

All Pio lines only came from Kauai. When u look at the Kookalani lists of Cheifs, which is the one I usually look to for its intense authenticity, and of course the Kalakaua and Liliuokalani Dynastic lines, Kaumualii and Kapule lines, and especially Kamakahelei lines, it just seems blatently clear that any way u slice it, the lines from Kauai predominate.

Therefore, with several claimants to the Throne, Princess Abigail, and Prince Quentin, and then of course Prince Kuhios line, to me, I would be happy with either, although my hanai side supports Princess Abigail, that is becasue Kauai seems split in its allegience. Further, the Kaauwai's are alive and well on Kauai, and the ohana is supported of both Abigail and Kuhio, since both bring Kauai to the forefront.

If truth be told, I would be as happy with a lineal descendent of Prince Kuhios rising to the throne as I would be with Princess Abigail, or Prince Quentin. The difference for me, is that I have actually met Princess Abigail, and her brother when he was still alive. I wonder sometimes if some of you have ever met her, or actually ever seen her., or spoken to her They are both very tall, very stately, very so obviously alii. There is something inherent in the manner of all true alii. Prince Kuhio was also a wonderful example of true alii and conducted himself accordingly. I support all of these claims, including the claims of Kuhios line. What i do not support is the insulting personally of any individual alii, wether you agree that they are the hiers or not, insulting words and claims are just not pono and very hewa to me. Although it is true, sometimes the alii themselves were perhaps at times scathing to each other in their rhetoric, to me, the aliis that took the higher roads, and did not engage back in that rhetoric, had the higher and more cheifly status in my assessment.

If we all think for the truth, we all know that to be an alii by koko is only part of the equation. We must also look at the actions of each alii and how they conduct themselves, and what their deportment is like. TO any of you feel that swearing four letter words is the action of a true alii? Why would a true alii stoop so low as to use such foul and profane words? If you want to insult someone in the old way, then use the proper poetic kaona to do so. Please do not stoop to the foulness of the English language. You cheapen yourself and the alii.

Dress nicely, as befits an alii nui. Conduct yourself with dignity and class. Do not engage yourself in screaming matches or pissing contests. Sit down intelligently with each other and calmly discuss everything in a rational manner. DO you think this is the haole way to do things? By sitting down and discussing things in this way you are somehow doing things the haole way? It is not.

In precontact there was a clear system that was in place. Do you honestly think everyone was running around with war clubs bashing each others heads in, and not discussing matters first>? Most warfare was diverted through partnerships with different lines, through councils of cheifs, rational discussions, alliances and decisions, and hoikes and contests that substituted for warfare., including oli, lua, konane, and hula kahiko and riddling contests. Amazingly enough it was not seen as the best option to conduct warfare, because the idea was to transfer loyal people ALIVE. Our King, Kaumualii, and his mother, Cheifess Kamakahelei beleived in peaceful trading to avoid warfare, and certain alliances through partnerships, thus much warfare on Kauai was diverted for many generations. Well, that and Cheifess Kamakahelei's chanting. That worked pretty good too.

W
hHat good was a dead person, for beefing up your own lands and people? Think people..And the aliis could always use a bunch of kauwas as well, if they did not want to swear loyalty or fealty to that Cheif or Cheifess. You see, loyalty was a very valuable asset, precontact. If u ask me its a pretty valuable asset right now. This is the actions of a high civilization. I have been attempting for over 20 years to put forth the idea, that this culture was one of the highest and most intelligent civilized culture on the face of this earth. All of this infighting is certainly not helping to advance that idea.

And on the subject of hanai. Oh I am so going to get very walaau about this. Most people today have no idea what true hanai was. I remember learning from Gramma Rachel Mahuiki about this. And anyone who disputes her knowlege, is a strauight up idiot, in my book. If you dont know who she was, then you know verty little about anything.

She 0once told me this moolelo, and I have never forgotten it. I was very upset one day, at my hanai status, because I didn't have koko. She took me aside, and had this to tell me, of which she has told to many people since that time, and I remember her telling it to the whole ohana in the backyard once as well.

The mo'olelo goes like this:

In the day, when there was warfare, and many had been killed, when cheifs and cheifesses went on their tours of the mokupuni, they would enter each district. It would become known that a child was wanted and perhaps would be blessed and hanai'd. TO be hana'id, gave exactly equal status to that person as koko. In fact it was a COMMON practice, if your OWN HIERS were not considered suitable, to name the HANAI your heir!! This is seen time and time again in the chants, geneologies, documents ect. This is a fact. This cannot be denied. Such was the importance and level of being hanai before, by the cheifly classes.

This is how it was done, according to Gramma Rachel.

The alii would come into the district, and all of the people would bring their hokupu. Many children were brought to the alii. The child, if chosen, and selected, was placed on the aliis lap, until it mimi'd. (shi shi, or urinated) on the aliis lap. Then, a great cry was heard, and this child was taken into the household, and hanai'd, and given high status. So all of this bickering over who is who and who is hanai, as you can see in the documents, and the palapala, many hanai were given status sometimes over the eigitimate koko hiers due to ATTITUDE and DEPORTMENT.

According to Gramma Rachel, alii looked for certain signs, and certain attitudes, intelligence and deportment in hanai children. They as aliis were wise, and chose well. Many times children would try to usurp their own parents rule. A hanai was considered to be more loyal to the Chief/cheifess because of the fact that they were elevated by them. Therefore they would defend the cheifs claims, sometimes far better then their own issue.

So, Gramma Rachel concluded by saying that is why, in Haena, the old way is to hema the diaper, and let the children mimi on you. Was this done with my own keiki? absolutely. And it was always a moment for great joy, lots of laughter, and it is always the tradition there. No one gets upset when the children mimi on you. That is yours, you can claim them, have a special bond, hanai. True Hanai has nothing to do with the English version of hanai.

Why do I speak so strongly of Hanai, and this old way> Because that is my situation., I was hanai in the old way, for what Gramma said is the same reason the cheifs gave. Because of loyalty, support and defense of the lines and the ohana. That is what I have done my whole life. As a hanai i am grateful and loyal and defend. I know what it means. It is a heavy and enduring responsibility and never to be taken lightly. I have inherited much and been given much, and have tried, I beleive to honor my hanai status as best as I can with my whole heart and soul. So enough about hanai. I do not want to see any more of this arguing about who the alii hanaid, and how they cannot have claims over legitimate koko. I have explained this to you now, directly from the mouth of Gramma Rachel Illalaole O Kamehameha Mahuiki (her true inoa). DO not dispute my hanai's words. Hewa.

Why do I support Kauais claim to the throne? Well, first of all, Pricess Abigail was supported by my hanai ohana. SO I support Princess Abigail. That is logical, if it happened to you, you would support as well. But there is another reason. My hanai Uncle, Palu Hanohano Pa, the last documented person to leave Kalalau was adamant about the situation between Kamehamehas lines, and Kauai Lines. His grandmother was alive when all this was going on and he got it directly from his own parents, regarding the loyalty of Kauai's people to Kauai's alii. He clearly told me, weeping, in tears one day, that he was not under any circumstances of Kamehamehas lines. That the people of Kauai, here in the valleys of Na Pali and of the North Shore, were all Kaumualiis people, and the children of Manokalanipo. He made me swear, grabbing my hands in a vise grip that I would always defend that. Do you think I would say of course Uncle, and then turn around and betray that? Never. How hewa would that be? Uncle Palu gave me so much of his knowlege, and he expected me to follow his wishes on this to the letter. SO I do, to this day on. SO how can I support anything other then the claims of Kauais lines? I cant!!

On Royalty or being a Monarchist versus a constututional government without a monarchial head, I have a lot to say about this. I am a monarchist, but I also beleive in the Kalakaua constitution, which Queen Liliuokalani perpetuated. I beleive in a monarchial, head, the system of ALiis, and cheifs as frameworked by them, and I also beleive in a House of Nobles, a House of Commons, and in free elections to the house of commons. I beleive in the council of Cheifs/alii as the only body that can proclaim an Alii Moi of ka moku pae aina o Hawaii nei. I beleive in a true country and kingdom that has citizens of all races and nationalities within it as Kingdom Nationals. I beleive in all rightful land claims being restored. I beleive in equality for the citizens of Hawaii nei. These are the things I beleive in.

Is this wrong? Is this hewa? No one will ever convince me that it is.

Please, feel free to comment. I am happy to debate, discuss and learn. But if u leave haole swear words on my comment section, I will remove your comment. If you want to swear and cuss at me, do it in the old poetic way. Or not at all. I will not suffer that kind of pilau stuff here. So please, say what you feel. Aole pilikia.
Aloha
Anne Punohu .