Hoapili
Encyclopedia
Ulumāheihei Hoapili was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii
. He was a trusted military and political advisor to King Kamehameha I
, known as "Kamehameha the Great". Although trusted with one of the last symbolic rites of the Hawaiian religion
, he later became a supporter of Christian
missionaries.
His father was High Chief Kameeiamoku, known as one of the "royal twins" who helped Kamehameha I
come to power. After his father's death, he inherited his father's counselor position in Kamehameha's court.
In his youth he was athletic, standing about 6.5 feet (2 m) tall. A story was told of how he once wrestled down an attacking bull by its horns.
A few years after the 1795 battle of Nuuanu when Kamehameha conquered Oahu and Maui, Hoapili was left in charge of the island of Oahu
and the royal court settled at Kamakahonu
in present-day Kailua-Kona.
His first marriage was to Chiefess Kalilikauoha (daughter of King Kahekili II
of Maui
island). From her his daughter Kuini Liliha
was born in 1802 or 1803, about the same time his father Kameeiamoku died. Other sources give Liliha as an adopive daughter in the ancient Hawaii
an tradition of hānai. He would definitely later become a respected foster parent for royal children.
In 1810 the King of the island of Kauai
agreed to become a vassal
, and Kamehameha had united all the Hawaiian islands
.
By 1815, Kamehameha had established succession with two sons, and entrusted Ulumāheihei with the care of their mother, Queen Keōpūolani
, Kamehameha's wife with the best royal family background. This made Hoapili stepfather to Princess Nāhienaena
.
He became known as hoa pili which means "close personal friend" in the Hawaiian language
because of his trusted relationship with Kamehameha.
A saying of the time was O Ulu-maheihei wale no, ia ia oloko, ia ia owaho, meaning roughly "Ulumāheihei knows everything inside and out."
Hoapili was with Kamehameha when he died on May 8, 1819 at Kamakahonu. The dying king whispered his last wishes into Hoapili's ear.
He and his half-brother Hoolulu
were selected to hide the bones of Kamehameha in a secret place, according to ancient rituals.
To add to the secrecy, they waited for a night of a new moon. Theories are a cave was found along the shore that was covered at high tides, in the area known as Kaloko.
This would be the last monarch
of Hawaii to have all the traditional funeral rites of the Hawaiian religion
.
When his nephew Keaoua Kekuaokalani
organized an uprising, Hoapili was sent with chief orator Naihe
to negotiate a peaceful settlement. Kekuaokalani refused, so Hoapii and military leader Kalanimoku
led Kingdom troops to the battle of Kuamoo
where the rebels were routed.
Hoapili also led troops to suppress another brief uprising in the northern part of the island near Waimea.
In 1820 the first company of Christian missionaries arrived to Hawaii. Although Kamehameha II
was officially King, real power was held by Hoapili's half-cousin Queen Kaahumanu, who welcomed them.
On April 11, 1822, some translators from Tahiti
arrived with English missionary William Ellis. The Hawaiian language was close enough to Tahitian that the pace of education improved.
In February 1823, Keōpūolani renounced the practice of multiple spouses for royalty, and made Hoapili her only husband. Previously she had been "shared" with another former Kamehameha military leader, Kalanimōkū
.
On April 23, 1823, William Richards
and Charles Stewart arrived in the second company of missionaries and taught reading and writing to the royal court using the newly devised writing system for the Hawaiian language.
In March 1823 he and Keōpūolani moved to Lahaina on the island of Maui, and asked for books and a chaplain so they could continue their studies. Hoapili served as Royal Governor of Maui from May 1823.
Keōpūolani died September 16, 1823 after being a baptism
by Ellis. Her funeral was a mix of Hawaiian and Christian traditions.
On October 19, 1823 Hoapili married Kalākua Kaheiheimālie (c. 1780–1842) who became known as "Hoapili-wahine", roughly meaning "Mrs. Hoapili". It was one of the first Christian wedding ceremony for Hawaiian nobility. Hoapili would then often be known as "Hoapili-kane" ("Mr. Hoapili") to distinguish the two. This made him stepfather to Kekāuluohi, who was Queen Consort of two kings and mother of another.
They adopted and helped raise Prince Lot Kapuāiwa
(Kalākua's grandson, who would later come to the throne as King Kamehameha V) in the Hawaiian tradition known as hānai.
In August 1824, Hoapili led troops from Maui to suppress an uprising by "George Prince" Kaumualii
on Kauai
.
During the 1820s, Lahaina became a popular port for whaling
ships. This led to conflicts between the sailors who liked to enjoy their time ashore with grog and women, and the conservative missionaries. Hoapili ordered cannon to defend the town after an irate captain of the English whaler John Palmer had opened fire on the mission station.
By 1826, he ruled that all marriages on Maui should follow the Christian tradition.
After the thatched house used as a church blew down, in 1828 he ordered the first stone church to be built adjacent to Mokuula which was a royal residence and burial site on a small island within a sacred pond.
His daughter Kuini Liliha
married High Chief Boki, and inherited Boki's position of Royal Governor of Oahu after Boki's disappearance at sea in 1829. Liliha was suspected of organizing a rebellion in 1830, and Hoapili was sent to peacefully relieve her of her duties.
In 1831 he donated land to be used for the Lanhainaluna seminary founded by Lorrin Andrews
. This school would produce some of the important historians of the time, such as Samuel Kamakau
and David Malo
. Hoapili was consulted as an expert in astronomy and ancient Hawaiian mythology
for the first book published on Hawaiian history.
Hoapili selected a promising assistant to become educated as a teacher for Hawaii island
.
As more companies of missionaries arrived, Hoapili awarded them additional grants of land, sometimes to the consternation of the people who lived there.
Dwight Baldwin
arrived in 1836, and would help Hoapili deal with the health problems of alcoholism
and epidemic diseases carried on the whaling ships.
Hoapili died January 3, 1840, and was buried at Waiola Church
cemetery, then known as "Wainee Church".
(at the site of the Lanhainaluna seminary) was named for him.
The area where he lived on Oahu was given to his daughter Liliha and son-in-law Boki. It was then donated to the mission and became home of the Punahou School
in 1841.
Historian Sheldon Dibble
called Hoapili "a meek and quiet disciple of Jesus and a firm supporter of the Christian Religion".
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
. He was a trusted military and political advisor to King Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
, known as "Kamehameha the Great". Although trusted with one of the last symbolic rites of the Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion is the term used to describe the folk religious beliefs and practises of the Hawaiian people. It is unrelated to, though commonly confused with, the philosophy of Huna....
, he later became a supporter of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionaries.
Life
Ulumāheihei (his original name) was born around 1775, during the reign of King Kalaniʻōpuʻu.His father was High Chief Kameeiamoku, known as one of the "royal twins" who helped Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
come to power. After his father's death, he inherited his father's counselor position in Kamehameha's court.
In his youth he was athletic, standing about 6.5 feet (2 m) tall. A story was told of how he once wrestled down an attacking bull by its horns.
A few years after the 1795 battle of Nuuanu when Kamehameha conquered Oahu and Maui, Hoapili was left in charge of the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
and the royal court settled at Kamakahonu
Kamakahonu
Kamakahonu, the residence of Kamehameha I, was located at the North end of Kailua Bay in Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Island.-History:Kamehameha I , who unified the Hawaiian Islands, lived out the last years of his life and instituted some of the most constructive measures of his reign here...
in present-day Kailua-Kona.
His first marriage was to Chiefess Kalilikauoha (daughter of King Kahekili II
Kahekili II
Kahekili II, full name Kahekilinuiahumanu, was the twenty fifth King of Maui. His name was short for Kāne-Hekili after the Hawaiian god of thunder. Because Kāne-Hekili was believed to be black on one side, Kahekili tattooed one side of his body from head to foot.-Family:He was born about...
of Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
island). From her his daughter Kuini Liliha
Kuini Liliha
Kuini Liliha was a High Chiefess in the ancient Hawaiian tradition and served the Kingdom of Hawaii as royal governor of Oahu island. She administered the island from 1829 to 1831 following the death of her first husband.-Early life:...
was born in 1802 or 1803, about the same time his father Kameeiamoku died. Other sources give Liliha as an adopive daughter in the ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
an tradition of hānai. He would definitely later become a respected foster parent for royal children.
In 1810 the King of the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
agreed to become a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
, and Kamehameha had united all the Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
.
By 1815, Kamehameha had established succession with two sons, and entrusted Ulumāheihei with the care of their mother, Queen Keōpūolani
Keopuolani
Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I.-Early life:...
, Kamehameha's wife with the best royal family background. This made Hoapili stepfather to Princess Nāhienaena
Nahienaena
Harriet or Harrieta Keōpūolani Nāhienaena was a high ranking princess during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the conversion of its royalty to Christianity.-Life:...
.
He became known as hoa pili which means "close personal friend" in the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
because of his trusted relationship with Kamehameha.
A saying of the time was O Ulu-maheihei wale no, ia ia oloko, ia ia owaho, meaning roughly "Ulumāheihei knows everything inside and out."
Hoapili was with Kamehameha when he died on May 8, 1819 at Kamakahonu. The dying king whispered his last wishes into Hoapili's ear.
He and his half-brother Hoolulu
Hoolulu
Hoolulu was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted advisor to King Kamehameha I, known as "Kamehameha the Great". He was one of a select few to know the secret resting place of Kamehameha, and his descendants continue the tradition of guarding...
were selected to hide the bones of Kamehameha in a secret place, according to ancient rituals.
To add to the secrecy, they waited for a night of a new moon. Theories are a cave was found along the shore that was covered at high tides, in the area known as Kaloko.
This would be the last monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of Hawaii to have all the traditional funeral rites of the Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion is the term used to describe the folk religious beliefs and practises of the Hawaiian people. It is unrelated to, though commonly confused with, the philosophy of Huna....
.
When his nephew Keaoua Kekuaokalani
Keaoua Kekuaokalani
Keaoua Kekua-o-kalani was a nephew of Kamehameha I, the chief from the Big Island of Hawaii who had unified the Hawaiian islands. He was the son of Kamehameha's half brother Kealiimaikai and Kamehameha's half-sister Kiilaweau. After Kamehameha died in 1819, Keaoua rebelled against Kamehameha's...
organized an uprising, Hoapili was sent with chief orator Naihe
Naihe
Naihe was the chief orator and councilor during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A champion athlete in his youth, he negotiated for peace at several critical times, and helped preserve the remains of several ancient leaders.-Early life:...
to negotiate a peaceful settlement. Kekuaokalani refused, so Hoapii and military leader Kalanimoku
Kalanimoku
William Pitt Kalanimoku was a High Chief who functioned similar to a prime minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reigns of Kamehameha I, Kamehameha II and the beginning of the reign of Kamehameha III. He was called The Iron Cable of Hawaii because of his abilities.-Life:Kalanimoku was born ...
led Kingdom troops to the battle of Kuamoo
Kuamoo Burials
The Kuamoo Burials is an historic Hawaiian burial site for warriors killed during a major battle in 1819...
where the rebels were routed.
Hoapili also led troops to suppress another brief uprising in the northern part of the island near Waimea.
In 1820 the first company of Christian missionaries arrived to Hawaii. Although Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
was officially King, real power was held by Hoapili's half-cousin Queen Kaahumanu, who welcomed them.
On April 11, 1822, some translators from Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
arrived with English missionary William Ellis. The Hawaiian language was close enough to Tahitian that the pace of education improved.
In February 1823, Keōpūolani renounced the practice of multiple spouses for royalty, and made Hoapili her only husband. Previously she had been "shared" with another former Kamehameha military leader, Kalanimōkū
Kalanimoku
William Pitt Kalanimoku was a High Chief who functioned similar to a prime minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reigns of Kamehameha I, Kamehameha II and the beginning of the reign of Kamehameha III. He was called The Iron Cable of Hawaii because of his abilities.-Life:Kalanimoku was born ...
.
On April 23, 1823, William Richards
William Richards (Hawaii)
William Richards was a missionary and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Family life:William Richards was born in Plainfield, Massachusetts on August 22, 1793. His father was James Richards and mother was Lydia Shaw. He was schooled under Moses Hallock in Plainfield, attended Williams College...
and Charles Stewart arrived in the second company of missionaries and taught reading and writing to the royal court using the newly devised writing system for the Hawaiian language.
In March 1823 he and Keōpūolani moved to Lahaina on the island of Maui, and asked for books and a chaplain so they could continue their studies. Hoapili served as Royal Governor of Maui from May 1823.
Keōpūolani died September 16, 1823 after being a baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
by Ellis. Her funeral was a mix of Hawaiian and Christian traditions.
On October 19, 1823 Hoapili married Kalākua Kaheiheimālie (c. 1780–1842) who became known as "Hoapili-wahine", roughly meaning "Mrs. Hoapili". It was one of the first Christian wedding ceremony for Hawaiian nobility. Hoapili would then often be known as "Hoapili-kane" ("Mr. Hoapili") to distinguish the two. This made him stepfather to Kekāuluohi, who was Queen Consort of two kings and mother of another.
They adopted and helped raise Prince Lot Kapuāiwa
Kamehameha V
aloghaKamehameha V , born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great traditional chief...
(Kalākua's grandson, who would later come to the throne as King Kamehameha V) in the Hawaiian tradition known as hānai.
In August 1824, Hoapili led troops from Maui to suppress an uprising by "George Prince" Kaumualii
Humehume
Humehume , known by many different names during his time, such as George Prince, George Prince Kaumualii, Tamoree or Kumoree by American writers, was a son of the king of part of the Hawaiian Islands. He traveled widely, served in the U.S...
on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
.
During the 1820s, Lahaina became a popular port for whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
ships. This led to conflicts between the sailors who liked to enjoy their time ashore with grog and women, and the conservative missionaries. Hoapili ordered cannon to defend the town after an irate captain of the English whaler John Palmer had opened fire on the mission station.
By 1826, he ruled that all marriages on Maui should follow the Christian tradition.
After the thatched house used as a church blew down, in 1828 he ordered the first stone church to be built adjacent to Mokuula which was a royal residence and burial site on a small island within a sacred pond.
His daughter Kuini Liliha
Kuini Liliha
Kuini Liliha was a High Chiefess in the ancient Hawaiian tradition and served the Kingdom of Hawaii as royal governor of Oahu island. She administered the island from 1829 to 1831 following the death of her first husband.-Early life:...
married High Chief Boki, and inherited Boki's position of Royal Governor of Oahu after Boki's disappearance at sea in 1829. Liliha was suspected of organizing a rebellion in 1830, and Hoapili was sent to peacefully relieve her of her duties.
In 1831 he donated land to be used for the Lanhainaluna seminary founded by Lorrin Andrews
Lorrin Andrews
Lorrin Andrews was an early American missionary to Hawaii and judge. He opened the first post-secondary school for Hawaiians called Lahainaluna Seminary, prepared a Hawaiian dictionary and several works on the literature and antiquities of the Hawaiians. His students published the first newspaper,...
. This school would produce some of the important historians of the time, such as Samuel Kamakau
Samuel Kamakau
Samuel Manaiākalani Kamakau was a Hawaiian historian and scholar. His work appeared in local newspapers and was later compiled into books, becoming an invaluable resource on the Hawaiian people, Hawaiian culture, and Hawaiian language during a time when they were disappearing.Along with David Malo...
and David Malo
David Malo
David Malo or Davida Malo was a leading Native Hawaiian historian of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He became a Christian minister and founded a church.-Life:...
. Hoapili was consulted as an expert in astronomy and ancient Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology
Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...
for the first book published on Hawaiian history.
Hoapili selected a promising assistant to become educated as a teacher for Hawaii island
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
.
As more companies of missionaries arrived, Hoapili awarded them additional grants of land, sometimes to the consternation of the people who lived there.
Dwight Baldwin
Dwight Baldwin (missionary)
Dwight Baldwin was an American Christian missionary and physician on Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands, during the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was patriarch of a family that founded some of the largest businesses in the islands.-Life:...
arrived in 1836, and would help Hoapili deal with the health problems of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and epidemic diseases carried on the whaling ships.
Hoapili died January 3, 1840, and was buried at Waiola Church
Waiola Church
Waiola Church is the site of a historic mission established in 1823 on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Originally called Wainee Church till 1953, the cemetery is the final resting place for early members of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii....
cemetery, then known as "Wainee Church".
Legacy
The Girls' dormitory at Lahainaluna High SchoolLahainaluna High School
Lahainaluna High School is a grade 9-12 school located in Lahaina , Hawaii. It is the oldest post-secondary school west of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1831 as a Protestant missionary school, originally named Lahainaluna Seminary...
(at the site of the Lanhainaluna seminary) was named for him.
The area where he lived on Oahu was given to his daughter Liliha and son-in-law Boki. It was then donated to the mission and became home of the Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
in 1841.
Historian Sheldon Dibble
Sheldon Dibble
Sheldon Dibble was a missionary to Hawaii who organized one of the first books on Hawaiian history, and inspired students to write more.-Early life:...
called Hoapili "a meek and quiet disciple of Jesus and a firm supporter of the Christian Religion".