#12 - Kaʻahumanu Stone

Can you imagine hiding beneath this stone?

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Puʻuhonua

Significance:

Historical

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

Amenities

3 listed

Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Yet another moʻolelo to share, this large boulder appears in a heart-stirring tale of love, regret, and power in old Hawaiʻi.

Queen Ka‘ahumanu, a ranking ali‘i and the first Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, can be said to embody the strength, beauty, and influence by which Hawaiian women are regarded. To this day, women of this quality are referred to demonstratively amongst native Hawaiian communities as Mana Wahine. Ka‘ahumanu was in fact a crucial player in the unification of the Hawaiian islands, in many ways the power behind the man who would come to be known as King Kamehameha the Great.

For the aliʻi of old, unions between men and women of status were not simply matters of love, with each paring often being arranged for political advantage.  Around the year 1794, when Kamehameha was still securing authority over the islands, a dispute between the two occurred when Kaʻiana – a prominent general in Kamehameha’s court – began displaying affection toward the young Ka‘ahumanu. It was not so much the idea of an affair that drove the passionate dispute, but rather the political consequences should Ka‘iana provide Ka‘ahumanu with a royal son, as a child of such a high rank could challenge the authority of Kamehameha himself.

In one telling of the story, Ka‘ahumanu, after abandoning her position at Kamehameha’s court, came to seek refuge here and reportedly hid behind this large stone for a time. Ka’iana, who once held a welcome position as a general and warrior-chief, would eventually defect, joining the O’ahu chiefs in defense against Kamehameha’s forces, only to fall in the fateful battle at Nu’uanu in 1795. And as history will tell, Ka‘ahumanu and Kamehameha did indeed reconcile, and their pairing would alas serve to unify the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in the year 1810.