Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii
Prince Kuhio Day, celebrated annually in Hawaii on March 26, honors Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, a significant figure in Hawaiian history. Born into royal lineage in 1871, he faced profound challenges after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893. As a steadfast royalist, Kuhio initially resisted the new government, leading to his imprisonment. Upon his release, he shifted his focus to serving his community and became a prominent political leader after Hawaii became a U.S. territory.
Elected as the first delegate to represent Hawaii in Congress, Kuhio served for nearly two decades, advocating for the rights and welfare of the Hawaiian people. Notably, he championed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which aimed to provide housing for Native Hawaiians, and he played a crucial role in developing Pearl Harbor and preserving Hawaiian culture through the Hawaiian Civic Club. His legacy continues to resonate, as Prince Kuhio Day serves as a reminder of his commitment to his people and the preservation of Hawaiian heritage.
Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii
The Prince Kuhio festival held every year in Hawaii pays tribute to a man who represented the Hawaiian people during their struggle to maintain their old traditions while emerging as a modern republic. A full-blooded Hawaiian, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole was born of royal ancestry on March 26, 1871, on the island of Kauai. His mother and father, High Chief David Kahalepouli Piikoi and Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike, died when he and his two older brothers were very young. Their maternal aunt, Kapiolani, consort of King Kalakaua, the last reigning monarch of what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii, adopted the children. The king and queen began their reign in 1874, and the children were made princes by royal proclamation ten years later.
As a possible successor to the throne, Prince Kuhio was sent to private schools and colleges in Honolulu, California, and England to receive the best education possible. However, in 1893 the course of his future was suddenly altered. The Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, and the Republic of Hawaii was established. A steadfast royalist, Kuhio joined a group of revolutionaries engaged in acts to overthrow the new republic and restore the monarchy. Their acts quickly led to their arrest, and Prince Kuhio was sentenced to one year in prison. While in prison he was visited frequently by Elizabeth Kahanu Kaauwai, daughter of a chief of Maui, whom he married upon his release and pardon in 1895.
The following years were filled with inner struggle for Prince Kuhio. The abolition of the monarchy, and with it many of the old traditions, was something that the young prince had great difficulty coping with. He traveled abroad for several years and even contemplated taking up permanent residence in a foreign country. However, in 1901 he decided to return to his native land and serve his people within the new framework of government. While the prince had been abroad, Hawaii had become a territory of the United States, and upon his return he found many political parties vying for power. In 1902 he decided to join the Republican Party and was nominated as a candidate for election as the first delegate to represent the Territory of Hawaii in Congress. He was elected to his first term in 1903 and was reelected for the next ten consecutive terms until his death in 1921.
During his political career he worked tirelessly for the Hawaiian people. His concern for the diminishing numbers of his race prompted him to urge the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. This act, which was passed in 1921, provided homesteads for Hawaiians at nominal rents and for government loans to the settlers. Some of his other accomplishments were the development of Pearl Harbor as a strategic military base, the establishment in 1917 of the Hawaiian Civic Club to help preserve Hawaiian culture, and the designation of Kilauea volcano as a national park. Kuhio died on January 7, 1921, and his remains were entombed at the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu Valley on the island of Oahu.
"Prince Kuhio Day--2025." National Today, 2024, nationaltoday.com/prince-kuhio-day/. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Rousset, Benjamin. "Prince Kuhio Day--In Memory of 'The Citizen Prince.'" Homey Hawaii, 20 Feb. 2023, www.homeyhawaii.com/blog/culture/prince-kuhio-day/. Accessed 1 May 2024.