John Papa Ii
John Papa Ii, born in 1800 in the Kingdom of Hawaii, is a significant historical figure known for his contributions to politics, education, and cultural documentation in Hawaii. He grew up during the kapu system, a strict set of religious and societal rules, and served as an attendant to Liholiho, later King Kamehameha II. A notable incident from his youth involved a precarious moment with the royal spittoon that showcased the high stakes of his position. As Hawaii transitioned from the kapu system to Christianity in 1819, Ii became fluent in English and played an active role in the royal court, serving in various governmental capacities, including acting governor of Oahu and a Superior Court justice.
Ii was instrumental in drafting the Constitution of 1852, which abolished slavery and established important civil rights. He also contributed to education in Hawaii as a general superintendent in the Oahu school system. His published works, particularly "Fragments of Hawaiian History," offer valuable insights into Hawaiian culture and society during his lifetime, making him a respected figure among historians and scholars. Additionally, Ii is recognized in Hawaiian culture, particularly for his writings on surfing, which resonate with both the surfing community and broader Hawaiian heritage.
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Subject Terms
John Papa Ii
Hawaiian-born politician, historian, and educator
- Born: August 3, 1800
- Place of Birth: Waipio, Oahu, Hawaii
- Died: May 2, 1870
- Place of Death: Waipio, Oahu, Hawaii
While young Hawaiians identify John Papa Ii as the boy who prevented the royal spittoon from falling to the ground, he is mostly honored for his political contributions and historical accounts of the Kamehameha monarchies.
Areas of achievement: Government and politics, education
Early Life
John Papa Ii was born in 1800 in the Kingdom of Hawaii at a time when Hawaiian society was characterized by kapu (taboo), a system of religious rituals and prohibited behavior. A descendant of Hawaiian chiefs, Ii had a privileged upbringing, during which he was an attendant for Liholiho (later King Kamehameha II). One of his responsibilities was to carry Liholiho’s spittoon. The duty came with great risk, for if the attendant dropped the spittoon he would be killed. One day Ii carelessly let the spittoon slip from his hands, and were it not for his knee reflexively breaking the fall, he would have found himself facing the same demise as his older stepbrother.
Life’s Work
In 1819, the Kingdom of Hawaii began its shift from the kapu system to Christianity. Ii attended a missionary school and became one of the first Hawaiians to become fluent in English and practice Christianity. He preached and translated the Bible while also serving as an administrator in the royal court.
Ii then moved into several key advisory roles, serving in the House of Nobles for nearly three decades. He served as an acting governor of Oahu and a Superior Court justice. Under King Kamehameha III, he was one of three justices who drafted the Constitution of 1852, which abolished slavery and granted free speech and the right to a jury trial. He later served as a general superintendent in the Oahu school system.
During the late 1860s, Ii published a historical column for the Ka Nupepa Kuokoa newspaper, which related his personal experiences under the kapu system.The articles were later collected and published by Bishop Museum Press as Fragments of Hawaiian History (1959).
Ii and his first wife, Sarai Hiwauli, were the guardians of Princess Victoria Kamamalu (1838–1866), who later coruled the Hawaiian kingdom. Later, with another wife, Maraea, he fathered a daughter named Irene.
The University of Hawaii Press published a biography, Facing the Spears of Change: The Life and Legacy of John Papa `Ī`ī by Marie Alohalani Brown, in 2016.
Significance
While Ii was one of Hawaii’s most prominent Christians, politicians, and educators, he is best known for Fragments of Hawaiian History. These rare, firsthand descriptions of culture and society during the kapu system and afterward—including information on taxes, marriages, and human sacrifices, as well as details about the personal lives of the monarchs—are revered by anthropologists, genealogists, historians, and other scholars. Ii is also a popular cultural figurehead, and his descriptions of olo surfing are often quoted by surfers.
Bibliography
Brown, Marie Alohalani. Facing the Spears of Change: The Life and Legacy of John Papa `Ī`ī. U of Hawaii P, 2016.
"1866–1870: Excerpt from ‘Fragments of Hawaiian History,’ by John Papa Ī`ī." EOS Surf, 23 July 2020, www.eos.surf/feature/1866-1870-activities-in-court-circles-john-papa-ii. Accessed 20 Aug. 20204.
Garraty, John A., ed. “John Papa Ii.” American National Biography. Vol. 11. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
Ii, John Papa. Fragments of Hawaiian History. Trans. Mary Kawena Pukui. Ed. Dorothy B. Barrère. 2nd rev. ed. Honolulu: Bishop Museum P, 1993. Print.
Spoehr, Anne Harding. The Royal Lineages of Hawaii. Honolulu: Bishop Museum P, 1989. Print.