In Honour of Hawaii: Queen Lili’uokalani’s Songs
Lydia Kamakaʻeha Pākī, the future Queen Liliuokalani, in her youth possibly at the Royal School (the day school ran by Edward G. Beckwith), ca. 1850s. Hawaii State Archives. Wikimedia Commons.
During the month of August, the world watched in horror as wildfires spread over the paradisiacal Hawaiian island Maui, devouring its capital Lahaina. In the nineteenth century, Maui had been full of natural wetlands. Food and water were plentiful: there were breadfruit trees, fishponds and fields of taro, an ancient root vegetable. But by the late nineteenth century, American and European colonists were greedily exploiting the island’s natural resources for their sugar and pineapple plantations. Plantation owners were felling trees and diverting enormous amounts of water for their crops. The idyllic landscape was turned into rows and rows of sugar cane and pineapples, starting a process that would make the island vulnerable to the wildfires of August 2023. Let’s hope for a better future for the island by taking comfort in the songs written by Hawaii’s last monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani.
Little Lydia’s Gift for Song
Queen Lili’uokalani (1838-1917) was the first woman to rule over the kingdom of Hawaii, and its last monarch before America annexed the island. The annexation of Hawaii was the first time America took over a sovereign nation. The future queen was born Lydia Lili’u Kamaka’eha at the base of an extinct volcano in 1838. Her family were high chiefs and advisers to the current king. It was Hawaiian custom at the time to have your children raised by a couple of higher rank than your own parents, so immediately following her birth, she was taken to the house of another chief and adopted. The baby girl with the dark, intelligent eyes became part of the king’s court and was educated at an English-language school for children of the court run by American missionaries.
Little Lydia was unusually musical. She had reportedly perfect pitch and played several musical instruments. In the 1860s, she wrote a song that became Hawaii’s national hymn. She went on to compose the song “Aloha ‘Oe,” still the most famous Hawaiian song today. Queen Lili’uokalani would later write: “To compose was as natural to me as to breathe. My ancestors were particularly gifted as lovers of poetry and music, and yet there are few, if any, written compositions of the music of Hawaii except for those published by me.” Throughout her life, she wrote over 160 songs and chants. Lydia cared deeply about her nation and about women’s opportunities. As a young woman, she collected money to build Hawaii’s first hospital, and later founded a bank for women and supported the education of Hawaiian girls.
"Land Snail Shell Lei." This lei made from the shells of pupu kuahiwi was received from Curtis P. Iaukea in August 1921 and once belonged to Queen Liliʻuokalani. Photo by David Eickhoff. Wikimedia Commons.
Song of Imprisonment
In 1887, the Hawaiian League (a secret group of white businessmen led by Americans) forced King Kalākaua, Lili’uokalani’s brother, to sign a new constitution obliging him to give up most of his powers to foreign interests and taking away the right to vote from native Hawaiians. The king had already named Lili’uokalani crown princess, and the future queen strongly opposed the so-called “Bayonet Constitution.” When she became queen in 1891, she immediately tried to overturn the Bayonet Constitution. The Hawaiian League considered her a danger and organised a coup in 1893, putting a Provisional Government of white businessmen in power. The Queen was ready to risk anything for the independence of her nation and travelled to Washington to demand justice, but to no avail. In 1894, American businessman Sanford Dole declared himself president of Hawaii and ordered the arrest of the queen in Honolulu. Queen Lili’uokalani was marched from her home to Iolani Palace, imprisoned in a bedroom suite for eight months, and forced to abdicate. To pass the time, she sowed a colourful quilt telling the story of her life and composed songs. She was forbidden to read any political newspapers, but one of her supporters regularly brought her flowers from her garden wrapped in very special paper - the newspapers she was forbidden to read. During her imprisonment, she eternalized these special flowers in the song “Ku’u Pua I Paokalani.” She also translated the Hawaiian creation chant Kumulipo into English.
An Inspiration Until Today
After her release in 1895, the former queen dedicated her life to native Hawaiian rights and culture, passing away in 1917. Hawaii was annexed by the USA in 1898, becoming a full state in 1959. By that time, English had become the main language spoken in Hawaii. Hawaiian had turned into an endangered language, but popular Hawaiian songs like those written by Queen Lili’uokalani helped to keep the language alive. In today’s Hawaii, activists working for native rights and seeking to bring Hawaiian culture back still take inspiration from their fierce last queen, who once said: “Never cease to act because you fear you may fail. The true secret is to know your own worth. It will carry you through many dangers.” Just listen to Lili’uokalani’s songs: their special sound immediately transports you to a happier, better place full of hope.
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