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The Honourable John Mahi'ai Kāneakua (born John Mahi'ai Miller, September 9, 1860-January 26, 1936) was a noble of the non-ruling elite of the Kingdom of Hawaii, an attorney and politician. He was re-elected to the position of County Clerk of Kaua‘i for 28 years until his retirement at the age of 74.
He opposed the
On January 17, 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in a coup d'état by a militia group known as the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety. As part of the response to the overthrow, the Hui Hawaiian Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian Patriotic League) formed a convention of delegates with petitions against annexation and created a committee of members, selected to present a memorial to U.S. Special Commissioner, James Blount during the investigation for what became
provisional government
A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or ...
/ republic after overthrow by European Americans. He was elected during the territorial period. He supported Queen Lili‘uokalani after the overthrow in 1893 by actively participating in attempts to restore the monarchy.
He had attended the Royal School, graduating in 1877. He began practicing law in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1886 and was a member of the Queen's OWN, (part of the volunteer military forces of the Kingdom) from 1886 to 1887.
Early life and education
He was born John Mahiai Miller in Honuaula, Maui to father, Alexander (Alika) P. Miller, son ofMela (Miller) Mela (Miller) was the name Native Hawaiians called Alexander (Alika) Miller Sr., the foreign mason of Kamehameha I and chief builder of the Brick Palace who was on Oahu before the Battle of Nuʻuanu in 1795.
Brick Palace
Before the Battle of Nuu ...
and mother, Kapuailohiawahine Kanuha (Kaialiilii) Miller on October 9, 1860. Kapuailohiawahine Miller, a notable hakumele (Hawaiian for composer of music) and his sister Isabella Hale'ala Miller taught hula in secret when the dance was banned. He also had a brother, Samuel Kalimahana Miller, born in 1868.State of Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Certificate of Marriage, May 2, 1903 and other siblings. He would be hānai
''Hānai'' is a term used in the Hawaiian culture that refers to the informal adoption of one person by another. It can be used as an adjective, such as "''hānai'' child", or as a verb to ''hānai'' someone into the family.
In the Hawaiian cultu ...
adopted by James Kāneakua who, it is believed, had no children of his own.
John attended the Royal school, graduating in 1877 and then began studying law with Edward Preston
Edward Preston (17 February 1831 – 17 January 1890) was a lawyer and judge originally from England who served in the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Early life
Edward Preston was born 17 February 1831 in London, England.
In 1852 he sailed to Melbourne, A ...
, working as a clerk for the judge while Preston was still in the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom () was the bicameral (later unicameral) legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term Legisl ...
in the House of Nobles. He was admitted to practice law within the Kingdom in 1884, a year before Preston would be named to the Supreme Court of Hawaii
The Supreme Court of Hawaii is the highest court of the State of Hawaii in the United States. Its decisions are binding on all other courts of the Hawaii State Judiciary. The principal purpose of the Supreme Court is to review the decisions of ...
. Newspaper ads from the attorney were prevalent in Hawaii where he was considered well known.
Military service and organizations
The Kingdom of Hawaii's military was divided into several branches with one permanent King's Guard and several volunteer companies including the King's Own, The Queen's Own and the Prince's Own. John volunteered starting out as a Second Lieutenant of the Queen's Own on October 3, 1885 soon making First Lieutenant of Company A, and serving until 1887. He helped found the Kamehameha Rifle Association with Robert W. Wilcox, Sam Nowlein, and S. K. Kane and was a member of numerous organizations and associations including the Royal Order of Kamehameha, Kauaʻi Chamber of Commerce, Republican Central Committee, Ka Hale of Nā Aliʻi o Hawaiʻi, and the Kauaʻi Historical Society. He was also a member of Hui Hawaiian Aloha ʻĀina, which opposed the annexation of Hawaii.After overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
On January 17, 1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown in a coup d'état by a militia group known as the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety. As part of the response to the overthrow, the Hui Hawaiian Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian Patriotic League) formed a convention of delegates with petitions against annexation and created a committee of members, selected to present a memorial to U.S. Special Commissioner, James Blount during the investigation for what became Blount Report
The Blount Report is the popular name given to the part of the 1893 United States House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee Report regarding the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The report was conducted by U.S. Commissioner James H ...
for then President, Grover Cleveland. Kāneakua's name appears last on the list of the 19 committee member signatures. Part of the document read:
Personal life, marriages and death
John married Esther Kamakolu in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi on July 5, 1903. They adopted two children named Esther Nuihaku and James Neenee. After Esther's death, Kāneakua remarried again at age 64 to Lucy Kaʻumealani Cummings. This union produced 10 children. Helped translate the Book of Mormon from English to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi for theReorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The churc ...
in 1898 even though not of that faith.
Kāneakua's home was in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi. Puaikaena and her husband granted John interest in land in Honomāʻele, Hāna, Maui by deed on May 30, 1900. On January 11, 1901, he was granted additional land in Waiakoa, Kula, Maui by Mrs. Inoaole Ahulii. John died in his home on the island of Kauaʻi on January 26, 1936.
Family tree
References