Kalaimanuia
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Kalaʻimanuia was the 12th Alii Aimoku of Oahu. She reign as the titluar chieftain or Queen of the island of Oahu and all its territories it may of claim at the time. She was Oahu's last queen regnant until Liliuokalani, the last queen of all of the Hawaiian Islands. Sometimes reffered to as Kalanimanuia.
She was the daughter of Kukaniloko, the first Moi Wahine, and her husband a Maui chief named Luaia, grandson of Kukaalaneo and was of very high rank and traced his lineage to Moi of Maui. She was born at Kukaniloko Birthstone, that famous birthplace of Hawaiian royalty, and Kalanimanuia spent her early childhood living mauka (toward the mountains) of Wahiawā. Later, she moved to Kalauao in Waipahu and remained there until she became ruler of the kingdom. [1] She resided most of her time at Kalauao, in the Ewa district, where the foundations of her residences are still pointed out at Kukiiahu and at Paaiau.
Kalaimanuia followed her mother, Kukaniloko, as Moi of Oahu. Kalanimanuia was acknowledged to have been an excellent chiefess. The chiefs and commoners lived in comfort on the island. The lands were fertile and were productive enough to sustain a comfortable life for the people. No taxes were levied on the people. No foreign or domestic wars appear to have troubled her reign, and little is known of her history in detail. She built many heiau and rebuilt those in disrepair. Among the heiau she built must have been one or mor heiau Kūʻula (fish-god) which were constructed near the ocean's edge for worshipping praying, learning and even for protecting and storing fishing gear. Peace prevailed over the island of Oahu. As part of her management style, she frequently traveled around the island inspecting her lands. [2]She was especially noted for building fishponds; three of which she had built for herself. To her is attributed the building of the great fishpond of Kapaakea, Opu, and Paaiau on Oahu.
She married the High Chief Lupekapukeahomakalii. Lupe Kapukeahomakalii, was a son of High Chief Kalanuili and High Chiefess Naluehiloikeahomakalii. He was known for his fishing skills, called a lawai'a nui or master fisherman. Lupe knew every fish, plant, wave and current in the ocean. He was extremely skilled in handling fine fishlines and the snells of tiny fishooks. (A snell is the fine short line by whihc a fishook is attached to a longer line.) Lupe was praised for his benevolence and generosity for sharing his profits from the sea. This is a pervasive theme in Hawaiian morality and legend. He no doubt offered his first catch to the gods, then shared the remaining catch with his helpers, relatives and even strangers. Indeed, if a stranger happened to be on the beach when a catch was being unloaded, he was allowed to walk up to the pile of fish and take one, as long as it was for his own use. In Lupe's descendant, Kualii's time, this practice of feeding strangers would be made into a kanawai (law of the land). So proficient was he that his companions called him Lupe-kapu-ke-aho-makalaiʻi (Sacred Lupe of fine fishlines) and henceforth his name. [3] Although his wife was ruler of the kingdom, he assisted with the administration of the government. The couple encouraged the people to build "men's chapels" (actually the hale mua or men's eating house) where the men could worship and eat alone. Lupe is highly spoken of in the ancient legends as a wise and kind man, who frequently accompanied his royal spouse on the customary circuits of inspection of the island, and assisted her in the government and administration of justice. An instance of Lupekapu s mildness of disposition has been preserved in the legends. Once a native stole a hog from the chief. When the theft was found out, Lupekapu goes to the house of the thief and asks, " Did you steal my hog?" The native answered trembling, "Yes." Lupekapu then ordered the thief to prepare an oven and bake the hog. When that was done, he was told to sit down and eat. The thief fell to with a light heart, but on attempting to rise, when his natural appetite was satisfied, he was sternly told to continue eating until he was told to desist. When nearly suffocated with food, the poor wretch was told to get up, and Lupekapu told him, " Next time that you steal your neighbour's hogs, the law of the land that Mailekukahi established - will punish you, viz., you will be sacrificed as a malefactor, and your bones will be scraped to make fish-hooks and arrow-heads of." Because of the humaneness of his actions, the people trusted Lupe and followed the laws he set forth.[4]
Kalaimanuia and Lupekapu had four children, three sons and one daughter. The first were Ku-a-Manuia, Kaihikapu-a-Manuia, and Hao; the latter was Kekela. According to ancient custom the sons were given over to their several Kahus or guardians, chiefs of high rank and generally related to the parents, to be by them brought up and educated. Thus Kuamanuia, was brought up at Waikiki, Kaihikapuamanuia, at Waimanalo, Koolaupoko, and Hao at Waikele, Ewa; but the daughter, Kekela, was brought up with her parents. Before her death Kalaimanuia made the following dispositions of the government and the land. She appointed her eldest son, Ku-a-M., to succeed her as Moi of Oahu, and she gave him the Kona and Koolaupoko districts for his maintenance. To Kaihikapu-a-Manuia, she confided the charge of the kapu, the religious culte, and her family gods, " Kukalani" and " Kuhooneenuu;" and for his maintenance she gave him the lands of Kalauao, Aiea, Halawa, and Moanalua. To Hao she gave the districts of Ewa and Waianae, subject in authority, however, to his two elder brothers. And to her daughter, Kekela, she gave the districts of Waialua and Koolauloa.
Thus, the kingdom was left in good hands when Kalaimanuia died at the age of ninety-one. She died during the sixty-fifth year of her reign. The length of her reign as ruler of O‘ahu indicate that she was just and compassionate and cared for the people. She exemplified the traits of a benevolent and trustful ali‘i which afforded her full support from the chiefs and commoners alike. Had she not shown the traits of a good ali‘i, she would have been quickly replaced as ruler of the kingdom by her followers.[5]
[edit] Reference
- Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page 91, 272-276
| Preceded by Kukaniloko |
Alii Aimoku of Oahu | Succeeded by Kuamanuia |
