Naihe
Encyclopedia
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.
, chief legal counselor of Kamehameha I.
His mother was High Chiefess Ululani of Hilo.
His sister Keohohiwa
would be great grandmother of two future monarchs.
Literally nā ihe can mean "many spears" in the Hawaiian language
,
or "to have authority with a calm and quieted spear".
His authority came because he could settle conflicts with appeals to justice that were sharper than physical weapons.
Some early writers spell his name "Nahi", or call him "Naihe-Haiha" or "Naihenui".
Naihe was known as a champion athlete and surfer
in his early life. Historical chants and stories describe his surfing skill at Kahaluu Bay
and Holualoa Bay
, and of a contest in Hilo when the other chiefs were envious of his abilities.
He took Kamehameha I
to his mother's district of Hilo to move the Pohaku Naha, an enormous sacred stone that demonstrated Kamheameha's strength and power. He probably traveled along with Kamehameha during his conquest of the other islands, learning from his father how to give inspiring speeches to the troops.
at Kaawaloa, at the north end of Kealakekua Bay
starting about 1809. He served as magistrate
of the south Kona district
.
The quiet was going to be interrupted with a year of great change in 1819 when King Kamehameha I died. Queen Kaahumanu declared the old traditions known as kapu
were no longer in effect.
In November 1819 Keaoua Kekuaokalani
gathered followers of the old ways to Kaawaloa and threatened a rebellion.
Hoapili
and Naihe were sent to negotiate. Although Naihe respected the old traditions, he urged peace. At first Keaoua sounded convinced, but the next morning the troops met in the battle of Kuamoo
, and the rebellion was violently put down.
suddenly ordered across the open sea to Kauai July 21, 1821. By spring of 1823 they moved back to Kaawaloa, along with the first misionaries to the island, Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
. By 1824 they would send a boat to Kailua for a preacher to hold Sunday services in a thatched house they built near their home.
In June 1823 British missionary William Ellis toured the island to survey for potential church sites. He was hosted by Naihe, and Kaawaloa was listed as one of the first places to establish a church. Naihe had an advisor or assistant named Kamakau (not to be confused with Samuel Kamakau
who was younger) who told the story of the death of Captain James Cook at Kaawaloa when he was a young boy in 1779.
Lord Byron
returned in 1825 on the with the bodies of Kamehameha II and his Queen Kamāmalu
who had died on a state visit to England
. Naihe traveled to Honolulu for a the royal funeral; this was the first Hawaiian King to have a Christian memorial service. Naihe helped convene a national convention to agree on succession and discuss updating the laws. Chief Boki advocating quickly moving to the Parliamentary system
he had seen in England. Naihe argued for a more moderate course; ensure stability by keeping existing laws, but adopt the more democratic system over time. Naihe lived among the people and knew the costs of social change. The official legislative body of the Kingdom
was not defined until the 1840 Constitution
.
Byron called Naihe's district "one of the most civilized of the Sandwich Islands." In July 1825 Naihe led the British to the ancient religious site called Puuhonua o Hōnaunau and let them remove most of the wooden carvings and other relics at the Hale o Keawe burial site. Byron considered them "pagan symbols". When the Blonde left Hawaii for the last time on July 18, 1825, Naihe and his wife were there to say goodbye, being called "hospitable friends".
On September 27, 1826 Naihe gave a speech at the dedication of the first wood-framed Mokuaikaua Church
in Kailua-Kona. In 1827 he decreed that all marriages in his district should be done by a minister. When the missionary Samuel Ruggles in 1828 wanted to move to a cooler higher elevation, Naihe allowed the missionaries to build on some of his farm land, which would eventually become a prime Kona coffee
area.
In 1829 Mrs. Gerit Judd visited the ruins of Hale o Keawe with Kapiolani and Naihe. After seeing the destruction, the remaining bones were put into two large coffins and hidden in a cave, until moved in 1858 to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
known as Mauna 'Ala. In November 1829 the arrived, on the first trip around the world by a ship of the U.S. Navy. The ship chaplin was Samuel Stewart, a former missionary to Hawaii. Naihe and Kapiolani welcomed them and served the officers tea in their home.
On April 1, 1831 Naihe was appointed Governor of Hawaii island while John Adams Kuakini
restored order on Oahu island after a rumored rebellion by Kuini Liliha
.
Naihe died in November or December 29, 1831, after a stroke of paralysis
forty-four hours before. Mrs. Lucy Thurston
described Naihe as:
Residents of the Kona district tell stories of Kai mimiki o Naihe, the "roiling sea of Naihe", which was probably the tsunami
after the 1868 Hawaii earthquake
, or another about this time, which caused damage to the area.
Various monuments to Captain Cook were constructed in front of Naihe's former home at the edge of the bay. The first was by Lord Byron in 1825, and a more permanent one in 1874. The village was abandoned, and the area is now on the National Register of Historic Places
as the Kealakekua Bay Historic District and a state historic park.
Stephanie N. Naihe Laxton of Kohala is said to be a direct descendant of Naihe. She is a member of the Royal Society of Ka'ahumanu, one of four royal societies which existed during the Kingdom of Hawai'i aka: 'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu, Chapter 7 in Kohala. She founded a non-profit group called Maika'i Kamakani 'O Kohala ("fine winds of Kohala, Hawaii
") to protect and preserve traditions and customs of the Hawaiian community. "John W. Naihe" was a member of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom from 1856 to 1873. This "Naihe of Kohala", a descendant of the ancient priest Paao is said be connected with "Naihe of Kaawaloa". The comtemporary naval commander and pilot Naihe Kukui Kapihe
, father of Kalama
the bride of King Kamehameha III
, also shared his name. There are also several people with the "Naihe" surname that live in the Kona area where this Naihe lived.
Naihe's estates and the magistrate position were inherited by Chiefess Kapiolani, who donated some of the land for the Kahikolu Church
. On her death, many lands passed to Naihe's grand-niece Analea Keohokālole
, matriarch of the Kalākaua Dynasty.
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...
. 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
His father was Keawe-a-HeuluKeawe-a-Heulu
Keaweaheulu Kaluaapana was a Hawaiian high chief and maternal great-grandfather of King Kalākaua and Queen Liliuokalani...
, chief legal counselor of Kamehameha I.
His mother was High Chiefess Ululani of Hilo.
His sister Keohohiwa
Keohohiwa
Keohohiwa was a Hawaiian chiefess during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Keohohiwa was born about 1775.Her father was Keawe-a-Heulu, the chief warrior and councillor of Kamehameha I, who assisted him to overthrow his cousin Kiwalao and unite the eight separate islands of Hawaii into...
would be great grandmother of two future monarchs.
Literally nā ihe can mean "many spears" 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...
,
or "to have authority with a calm and quieted spear".
His authority came because he could settle conflicts with appeals to justice that were sharper than physical weapons.
Some early writers spell his name "Nahi", or call him "Naihe-Haiha" or "Naihenui".
Naihe was known as a champion athlete and surfer
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
in his early life. Historical chants and stories describe his surfing skill at Kahaluu Bay
Kahaluu Bay
Kahaluu Bay is a historic district and popular recreation area on the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.-Early history:This area has been populated for about 500 years, and in the 18th and 19th centuries was an important royal residence....
and Holualoa Bay
Holualoa Bay
Hōlualoa Bay is a historic area between Kailua-Kona and Keauhou Bay in the Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii. The community now called Hōlualoa is uphill from this bay....
, and of a contest in Hilo when the other chiefs were envious of his abilities.
He took 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...
to his mother's district of Hilo to move the Pohaku Naha, an enormous sacred stone that demonstrated Kamheameha's strength and power. He probably traveled along with Kamehameha during his conquest of the other islands, learning from his father how to give inspiring speeches to the troops.
Kingdom established
After the successful campaign to establish the Kingdom by the beginning of the 19th century, he settled down to what he hoped would be a quiet life with his wife Chiefess KapiolaniChiefess Kapiolani
High Chiefess Kapiolani was an important member of the Hawaiian nobility at the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the arrival of Christian missionaries...
at Kaawaloa, at the north end of Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii about south of Kailua-Kona.Settled over a thousand years ago, the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites such as religious temples, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings on...
starting about 1809. He served as magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
of the south Kona district
Kona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
.
The quiet was going to be interrupted with a year of great change in 1819 when King Kamehameha I died. Queen Kaahumanu declared the old traditions known as kapu
Kapu
Kapu refers to the ancient Hawaiian code of conduct of laws and regulations. The kapu system was universal in lifestyle, gender roles, politics, religion, etc. An offense that was kapu was often a corporal offense, but also often denoted a threat to spiritual power, or theft of mana. Kapus were...
were no longer in effect.
In November 1819 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...
gathered followers of the old ways to Kaawaloa and threatened a rebellion.
Hoapili
Hoapili
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"...
and Naihe were sent to negotiate. Although Naihe respected the old traditions, he urged peace. At first Keaoua sounded convinced, but the next morning the troops met in the battle of Kuamoo
Kuamoo Burials
The Kuamoo Burials is an historic Hawaiian burial site for warriors killed during a major battle in 1819...
, and the rebellion was violently put down.
Great changes
At the end of 1820 he and Kapiolani followed the royal court to Lahaina and Honolulu. In Honolulu they learned to read and write with the system invented by missionaries. Previously Hawaiian only been an oral language, of which Naihe was an expert, so he quickly picked up the new skill. Naihe and Kapiolani happened to be on board a small boat that Kamehameha IIKamehameha 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...
suddenly ordered across the open sea to Kauai July 21, 1821. By spring of 1823 they moved back to Kaawaloa, along with the first misionaries to the island, Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
Asa Thurston and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.-Asa Thurston:...
. By 1824 they would send a boat to Kailua for a preacher to hold Sunday services in a thatched house they built near their home.
In June 1823 British missionary William Ellis toured the island to survey for potential church sites. He was hosted by Naihe, and Kaawaloa was listed as one of the first places to establish a church. Naihe had an advisor or assistant named Kamakau (not to be confused with 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...
who was younger) who told the story of the death of Captain James Cook at Kaawaloa when he was a young boy in 1779.
Lord Byron
George Byron, 7th Baron Byron
Admiral George Anson Byron, 7th Baron Byron was a British naval officer, and the seventh Baron Byron, in 1824 succeeding his cousin the poet George Gordon Byron in that peerage...
returned in 1825 on the with the bodies of Kamehameha II and his Queen Kamāmalu
Kamamalu
Kamāmalu Kalani-Kuaana-o-Kamehamalu-Kekuaiwa-o-kalani-Kealii-Hoopili-a-Walu was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii as the wife of King Kamehameha II. She is not to be confused with Princess Victoria Kamāmalu who was her niece...
who had died on a state visit to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Naihe traveled to Honolulu for a the royal funeral; this was the first Hawaiian King to have a Christian memorial service. Naihe helped convene a national convention to agree on succession and discuss updating the laws. Chief Boki advocating quickly moving to the Parliamentary system
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
he had seen in England. Naihe argued for a more moderate course; ensure stability by keeping existing laws, but adopt the more democratic system over time. Naihe lived among the people and knew the costs of social change. The official legislative body of the Kingdom
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
was not defined until the 1840 Constitution
1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii titled Ke Kumukānāwai a me nā Kānāwai o ko Hawai’i Pae ‘Āina, Honolulu, 1840 was the first fully written constitution for the Kingdom of Hawaii...
.
Byron called Naihe's district "one of the most civilized of the Sandwich Islands." In July 1825 Naihe led the British to the ancient religious site called Puuhonua o Hōnaunau and let them remove most of the wooden carvings and other relics at the Hale o Keawe burial site. Byron considered them "pagan symbols". When the Blonde left Hawaii for the last time on July 18, 1825, Naihe and his wife were there to say goodbye, being called "hospitable friends".
On September 27, 1826 Naihe gave a speech at the dedication of the first wood-framed Mokuaikaua Church
Mokuaikaua Church
Mokuaikaua Church is the oldest Christian church in the Hawaiian Islands.Its address is 75-5713 Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona, coordinates .-History:...
in Kailua-Kona. In 1827 he decreed that all marriages in his district should be done by a minister. When the missionary Samuel Ruggles in 1828 wanted to move to a cooler higher elevation, Naihe allowed the missionaries to build on some of his farm land, which would eventually become a prime Kona coffee
Kona coffee
Kona coffee is the market name for coffee cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be described as "Kona"...
area.
In 1829 Mrs. Gerit Judd visited the ruins of Hale o Keawe with Kapiolani and Naihe. After seeing the destruction, the remaining bones were put into two large coffins and hidden in a cave, until moved in 1858 to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna Ala in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.-Description:...
known as Mauna 'Ala. In November 1829 the arrived, on the first trip around the world by a ship of the U.S. Navy. The ship chaplin was Samuel Stewart, a former missionary to Hawaii. Naihe and Kapiolani welcomed them and served the officers tea in their home.
On April 1, 1831 Naihe was appointed Governor of Hawaii island while John Adams Kuakini
John Adams Kuakini
John Adams Kiiapalaoku Kuakini was an important adviser to Kamehameha I in the early stages of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was responsible for much building and other changes in the Kona District during this era.-Family life:...
restored order on Oahu island after a rumored rebellion by 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:...
.
Naihe died in November or December 29, 1831, after a stroke of paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
forty-four hours before. Mrs. Lucy Thurston
Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston
Asa Thurston and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.-Asa Thurston:...
described Naihe as:
"He was of commanding stature, and distinguished for refinement and polish of mind and manners. Such was his fluency and eloquence in speech that he was styled the national orator. ...As a magistrate he was as firm as he was affectionate, and in passing sentence upon offenders, the tears were often down his cheek seen chasing each other in quick succession down his cheeks."
Legacy
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
after the 1868 Hawaii earthquake
1868 Hawaii earthquake
The 1868 Hawaii earthquake is the largest recorded in the history of Hawaii island, causing a landslide and tsunami that led to 77 deaths. The earthquake occurred at 4 p.m. local time on April 2, 1868...
, or another about this time, which caused damage to the area.
Various monuments to Captain Cook were constructed in front of Naihe's former home at the edge of the bay. The first was by Lord Byron in 1825, and a more permanent one in 1874. The village was abandoned, and the area is now on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii
This is a list of properties and districts on the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The island is coterminous with Hawaii County, the state's only county that covers exactly one island...
as the Kealakekua Bay Historic District and a state historic park.
Stephanie N. Naihe Laxton of Kohala is said to be a direct descendant of Naihe. She is a member of the Royal Society of Ka'ahumanu, one of four royal societies which existed during the Kingdom of Hawai'i aka: 'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu, Chapter 7 in Kohala. She founded a non-profit group called Maika'i Kamakani 'O Kohala ("fine winds of Kohala, Hawaii
Kohala
Kohala may refer to:*Kohala, Hawaii, two districts on the island of Hawaii*Kohala , an extinct volcano in Hawaii*Kohala, Pakistan, a city*Kohala Bridge, a bridge*Kohala, Jalandhar a village in Punjab, India...
") to protect and preserve traditions and customs of the Hawaiian community. "John W. Naihe" was a member of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom from 1856 to 1873. This "Naihe of Kohala", a descendant of the ancient priest Paao is said be connected with "Naihe of Kaawaloa". The comtemporary naval commander and pilot Naihe Kukui Kapihe
Naihekukui
Naihe-Kukui Kapihe , known as "Captain Jack" or "Jack the Pilot" to visitors, served as Honolulu harbor master and admiral of the royal fleet in the early Kingdom of Hawaii. His daughter would become a Queen consort.-Life:...
, father of Kalama
Kalama
Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili, Queen Consort of Hawaii was Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii alongside her husband, Kauikeaouli, who reigned as King Kamehameha III.-Early life:...
the bride of King Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
, also shared his name. There are also several people with the "Naihe" surname that live in the Kona area where this Naihe lived.
Naihe's estates and the magistrate position were inherited by Chiefess Kapiolani, who donated some of the land for the Kahikolu Church
Kahikolu Church
Kahikolu Church is one of only two stone churches from the 19th century on the island of Hawaii. It was built from 1852–1855 on the site of an earlier building known as Kealakekua Church that was built around 1833 in the Kona district.-History:...
. On her death, many lands passed to Naihe's grand-niece Analea Keohokālole
Keohokalole
Analea, Ane or Annie Keohokālole was a Hawaiian chiefess and matriarch of the Kalākaua Dynasty that ruled Hawaii from 1874 to 1893.-Life:...
, matriarch of the Kalākaua Dynasty.