“Places Here are So Familiar to Me”
by Christina Kaleiwahea, Finance major
We are in London, and I can hardly realize the fact. It seems like a dream, and, what seems more strange, the names of streets and places here are so familiar to me—having heard and read of them from my childhood. It seems as if I had been away for years, and had come back to renew my acquaintance with them.
Bernice Pauahi, 1875
These were the words of Aliʻi Bernice Pauahi during her European travels that took place between 1875-1876. For over one year, she and her husband, Charles Bishop, jaunted across several countries and were hosted by many influential figures of Europe’s elitist classes. Such confidence and competence that Aliʻi Pauahi—and many other kānaka who have come before us—radiated in the international arena has been lost within kānaka of today as evidenced in the low study abroad participation of Hawaiian haumāna at university. This is due to the systematic shaming and minimizing of our role as Hawaiians in the world inflicted by the US empire. But as the Hawaiian Youths Abroad (HYA) of 2018 humbly retrace the journeys of the Hawaiian Youths of the late 1800’s, our experiences consistently demonstrate that by going “away” we are somehow getting closer to the legacy of our kūpuna, who have showed us, many times over, we are inherent global citizens.
On a very literal level, the city of London in the United Kingdom (UK) bears very many attributes that the HYA find akin to Hawaiʻi. Of course, English is the dominant language of the region, which has made interaction with local sites and people accessible. While the city is vast—with an area the size of all of Oʻahu Island—the building architecture is strikingly similar to that of the old Hotel Street establishments, ʻIolani Palace, or Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu. Victorian—as the style is called—refers to the 1800’s era of Queen Victoria. She had a long reign over the British Empire, which was the largest empire of all time. Combined with our continued struggle for liberation from US occupation, the strong presence of British influence in the islands may make kānaka feel like mere subjects of this empire that once ruled over one fifth of the world’s population. But by investigating further, the evidence shows Hawaiʻi and its royalty were regarded as partners by the Britain Empire (not to mention many other world powers). The HYA cohort was able to visit the room of the Windsor Castle where Mōʻī Kalākaua personally met Queen Victoria. On a separate occasion, Aliʻi Pauahi also met Queen Victoria and journaled about the warm reception she received from her. During our visit to the Royal Archives, we were shown Queen Victoria’s journal (transcribed by her daughter, Princess Beatrice) with entries documenting her interactions with members of our Hawaiian monarchy. These recordings, described to us by the Royal Archivist as “formal but very personal”, reveal to us that kānaka are worldly contributors and received as such.
Another figure prominently recalled in both Hawaiʻi and London is James Cook—albeit less harmoniously. He also chronicled his interactions with the people of Hawaiʻi in his personal journal that was on display at the British Library the HYA visited. While this particular exhibitionist explicitly states that it is working to edit the (traditionally neocolonial) retelling of his voyages by “includ[ing] responses from people of the communities Cook encountered”, this experience reminds us to continue to problematize dominant narratives. By doing so, we not only make way for our own decolonization but also the globe’s. In fact, Britain was on the receiving end of imperialism and cultural assimilation several times in its existence and can learn from our willingness to diversify history as it is told. While our kūpuna had favorable interstate relationships with foreign leaders and incorporated into Hawaiʻi desirable features of foreign societies, they always adapted them to create symbiosis with native principles. Aliʻi Pauahi, too, saw in London, a painting depicting the death of Captain Cook and wrote, “There was one picture which interested me much…It was a spirited scene, but doubtful, as being a true representation of the actual encounter with the natives”. Her education, lifestyle, and descendance from Kamaheameha I cultivated global mindedness, but this was not in lieu of putting an end to the erasure of the lāhui. Likewise, as the HYA explore foreign physical, social, political structures, we must bring back what is progressive and aligned for Hawaiʻi’s being in the future and resolutely reject what is not.
A Royal Acquaintance: Queen Emma & Queen Victoria
by Adrienne Keano Davis, Hawaiian Studies & Secondary Education major
As we continue to build our knowledge and seek to understand more about the relationships established by the aliʻi and nobles before, we paid a visit to the Royal archives the other day. The Royal Archives also known as the Queens Archives, was formally established in 1912 and takes up residency in the Round Tower of Windsor Castle. Established during the reign of George V, the need to house papers for the royal family was evident following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. Prior to establishing the archives, records were stored in trunks, cupboards, and random places in the royal residence. In Queen Victoria’s impressive reign of 63 years, she had built up a vast collection of private and official letters including some of which were between her and our very own Queen Emma Rooke.
Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleokalani Naʻea Rooke, later known as Kaleleonālani, had established a beautiful relationship with Queen Victoria and they often corresponded through letters from 1862 to 1882. In fact Queen Victoria was even the godmother of their son Prince Albert. The King on June 28, 1858 writes:
It is the warmest wish of my heart, that my son destined, in God’s good providence to succeed me, should be taught from his earliest years to hold Your Majesty’s name in especial regard…If Your Majesty would condescend to be Sponsor by Proxy . . . to the future Ruler of this Country, it would be such an honor…
Quote from “My Dear Friend”: Letters of Queen Victoria and Queen Emma
However tragedy struck soon after Price Alberts christening:
Palace of Honolulu
10th September 1862
Madam,
As a wife and fond mother, my heart overflows with gratitude to your Majesty, for the honour which you have been so graciously pleased to render to the King, my husband, and to our only son, in condescending to become his sponsor, at his baptism… But, alas! Your Majesty’s spiritual relation to my beloved child has been of short duration, for it pleased Almighty God, in his inscrutable Providence, to call him away from this world, on the 17th August, only a few days after his baptism…
Your Good & Grateful friend
Emma
As I reflect on this exchange between the royals, it is apparent that there was a level of comfort that been firmly established enough for the King to be the one to ask for this honor from the queen. We know of the relationship between the two queens, but what of the King and Victoria? At what point did they begin their own relationship and if the roles were reversed and if it was the queen who had passed, would this relationship have continued?
Unforeseen tragedy made Emma a young childless widow. The loss of the election in 1874 against Kalākaua added to the burden of her already heavy heart. During the time of this heated election, I wonder if Queen Victoria reached out to Queen Emma in any kind of way? Could her outside influence somehow have changed the results of the election and if so how would that have affected the Hawaiian Kingdom? We read of this closeness between the two queens but in their 20 year relationship was there ever a time they were not so close? And to that effect I also wonder what besides tragedy brought them together?
Queen Emma traveled abroad, for an extensive amount of time in hopes to gather support in England for the work of the Anglican Church in Hawai’i. Queen Victoria writes this about Queen Emma meeting for the first September 9, 1865
After luncheon I received Queen Emma, the widowed Queen of the Sandwich Islands or Hawaii, met her in the Corridor & nothing could be nicer or more dignified than her manner…. She was much moved when I spoke of her great misfortune in losing her husband & only child. ( September 9, 1865)
Two months later on November 27, she was invited to spend the night at the Esteemed Windsor castle leaving with a gift of jewelry we know now as the Hawaiian bracelet. A photograph of Queen Emma is in the Royal Archives photographed by John and Charles Watkins, the Court Photographers costing 7 shillings and 6 pence. I wonder what that translates to into dollars today? The bill also notates that “the profits” are to be “devoted to the Hawaiian Mission” Queen Emma also had the opportunity to meet with Prince and Princess of Wales at their London home, Marlborough House while traveling through London.
As we look at this close relationship between two who couldn’t be more opposite, I wonder if the relationship would be as close had their spouses and son survived? Where was Queen Victoria during the time of the overthrow and could she have prevented years of oppression?