Kuleana, Persistence, Resilience and Governance

By Davianna Pōmaika‘i McGregor

Jonah Kūhiō’s birthday is a good time to reflect upon and honor the legacy of Prince Kūhiō and the institutions that he established in his lifetime to empower Native Hawaiians to govern as Hawaiians, for Hawaiians. He was born on Kaua‘i to High Chief Kahalepouli and High Chiefess Kinoiki Kekaulike, the sister of Queen Kapi‘olani. At age 13, Jonah KūhiōKalaniana‘ole was declared to be a successor to the Hawaiian throne by his aunt’s husband, King David Kalākaua. He assumed the kuleana to be a prince for his people as he pursued his education in Hawai‘i, California, England and Japan. When the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893, Prince Kūhiō joined the movement to restore the Queen in 1895, was arrested, and imprisoned. Upon his release, he married Chiefess Elizabeth Kahanu Ka‘auwai, toured the world and returned home ready to contend with the haole oligarchy over the governance of Hawai‘i.

Returning in 1902, Prince Kūhiō joined the Homerule Party, but after a falling out with the old guard leadership, he ran as a Republican and was elected as Hawai‘i’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. Other young Hawaiian leaders rallied around his leadership, and with the encouragement of Queen Lili‘uokalani, they sought positions of leadership in the governance of Hawai‘i, as mayors, legislators and county officials.