Kamānele
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Mele Kaʻauʻamokuokamānele or Kamānele (c. 1814 – May 7, 1834) was a high chiefess of the
Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...
and the betrothed bride of King
Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...
. Her early death prevented the marriage from occurring. Her Hawaiian
name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A person ...
Kamānele means "the sedan chair".


Life

Born around circa 1814, her parents were
John Adams Kuakini John Adams Kiiapalaoku Kuakini (1789–1844) was an important adviser to Kamehameha I in the early stages of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was responsible for contributing to the infrastructure among other changes in the Kona District during this era ...
and Kaniuʻopiohaʻaheo. The Governor of the Island of Hawaii, her father Kuakini was the younger brother of Queen
Kaʻahumanu Kaʻahumanu (March 17, 1768 – June 5, 1832) (''"the feathered mantle"'') was queen consort and acted as regent of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi as Kuhina Nui. She was the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I and also the most politically powe ...
, the favorite wife of
Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; to May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii ...
, who served as
kuhina nui Kuhina Nui was a powerful office in the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1819 to 1864. It was usually held by a relative of the king and was the rough equivalent of the 19th-century European office of Prime Minister or sometimes Regent. Origin of the offi ...
and regent for his successors King
Kamehameha II Kamehameha II (November 1797 – July 14, 1824) was the second king of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Kingdom of Hawaii from 1819 to 1824. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu ʻIolani. It was lengthened to Kala ...
and
Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...
. Her family descended from the
aliʻi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. Cognates of the word ''aliʻi'' have a similar meaning in other Polynesian languages; in Māori it is pronoun ...
of
Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...
and
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. In 1825, Kamānele and other chiefs attended the baptism of her aunt Queen Kaʻahumanu by
Hiram Bingham I Hiram Bingham, formally Hiram Bingham I (October 30, 1789 – November 11, 1869), was the leader of the first group of American Protestant missionaries to introduce Christianity to the Hawaiian Islands. Like most of the missionaries, he was fr ...
at the site where Kawaiahaʻo Church stands today. Kamānele most likely converted as well during this period and was christened with the name "Mele", the Hawaiian version of Mary. When her aunt died in 1832 Kamānele occupied the covered litter that brought her remains into the city of
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
for burial. On February 3, 1828, the Dutch Captain Jacobus Boelen met with Kamānele and her father aboard the ''Wilhelmina and Maria'' at
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 ( heiaus) an ...
. Boelen gave a description of the high chiefess whom he called "Princess Koakini":
Not long after we anchored, a large double canoe came alongside with Governor Adams' daughter, who, as Mr. French assured me, was to be the queen of the islands and was already betrothed to the present young king, Kauikeouli auikeaouli Princess Koakini uakini who appeared to me to be a girl about fourteen years old, could well pride herself on being one of the beauties of the island. She was dressed in the European fashion — that is, except for all those various accouterments which our ladies use to complete their toilet. But I must say that this did not detract from the splendor of the beautiful stature or the charming features of the young princess. We received Her Highness with as much pomp as the lack of preparation for her arrival made possible. The girl was very sweet and friendly indeed. She stayed on board to have breakfast with me and her father and two other gentlemen. We then went ashore.
In 1832, Kamānele was betrothed to King
Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...
having been chosen by the chiefs as the most suitable bride in terms of age, rank and education. Around the same time, Kamehameha III had developed an incestuous relationship with his sister Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena. This latter union was strongly opposed by the Christian chiefs and the American missionaries. Before their marriage took place, Kamānele died on May 7, 1834. Around the same time, Keolaloa, the betrothed of Nāhiʻenaʻena, the sister of King Kamehameha III, died as well. They were both about nineteen or twenty years old. After their death and being rebuffed by his sister, Kamehameha III fell into a bout of depression and drunkenness, and attempted to commit suicide at his residence in Pu'uloa. The events of 1834 ultimately culminated in a brief, unrecognized union between the two siblings, but they were eventually pressured to separate and marry other individuals. Nāhiʻenaʻena married Leleiohoku in 1835 while Kamehameha III married
Kalama Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili (1817 – September 20, 1870) was a Queen consort of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi alongside her husband, Kauikeaouli, who reigned as King Kamehameha III. She chose the baptismal name Hakaleleponi after the Biblical f ...
in 1837. Initially buried in the royal tomb at Pohukaina, Kamānele was reburied in 1865 at the Royal Mausoleum at Mauna ʻAla in the Nuʻuanu Valley. Built in 1915, Kamanele Park in Honolulu is named after her. The name was chosen by Mary Jane Montano because the chiefess once lived in the
Mānoa Valley Manoa (, ; ) is a valley on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is a residential neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. The neighborhood is approximately three miles (5 km) east and inland from downtown Honolulu and less than a mile (1600 m) from ...
, where the park is located.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamanele 1810s births 1834 deaths Royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom People from Hawaii (island) Burials at the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla) Converts to Christianity from Hawaiian religion