A tradition nearly 100 years old continued to honor Hawaii’s greatest king.
This day is set aside to take pride in the accomplishments of King Kamehameha the Great.
The annual ceremony held at the King Kamehameha statue is a step back in time. Different organizations pay tribute in full regalia to the king they’ve dubbed as the Napoleon of the Pacific. Among the groups that started this tradition, the Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors, also known as Mamakakaua.
"Since June 11 of 1914 the Makakaua has stood at this very location, come rain or shine, without fail,” Said Colin Kalama-Malani.
It’s a fairly brief ceremony that’s witnessed only by a few onlookers. Mainly by tourists looking to get a few snapshots of the statue. But none of that matters to those who participate.
"They do it because their uhani, their spirit tells them to, there’s a draw and we don’t go out to profess ourselves. Basically it’s gonna be something that’s passed on to your ohana,” said Kalama-Malani.
King Kamehameha ruled the islands from 1795 until he died in 1819.
He was known as a great warrior as well as a visionary.
"With the onset of foreign invaders coming to Hawaii, Kamehameha saw the need to amass what arms he could in order to bring all this turmoil and fighting under control,” said Kalama-Malani.
Those participating in the ceremony do so with great pride honor the king’s resounding strength.
See the original article at: KHON2 Developing Stories
