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HA'AKOA
ABOUT EIA HAWAI'I
A 12th Century Mele
Becomes a 21 Century Ha'akoa
Today's Innovation
Tomorrow's Tradition
High Chief Mō‘īkeha: According to Abraham Fornander, High Chief Mō‘īkeha sailed to Hawai‘i from Moa‘ulanuiakea, Tahiti in the 12 century BC. Upon arriving in Hilo Bay, the Chief’s hanai son and navigator, Kamahualele, stood on the pola of the royal canoe and began to mele, to celebrate their arrival in Hawai‘i and convince High Chief Mō‘īkeha that this was a good place to make their new home. This mele is known today as Eia Hawai‘i.
Abraham Fornander (1812-1887) is a friend to the People of Hawai‘i and loyal to the Kingdom of Hawaii. His skills and duties include: journalist, historian, author, ethnologist, judge, member of the Privy Council of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, Governor of Maui, and member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.
ROYAL ORDER OF KAMEHAMEHA I: Authorized by the 35th Article of the 1864 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, King Kamehameha V established the Order of Kamehameha I by Royal Decree on April 11, 1865 at the ‘Iolani Palace on Oahu. The Royal Decree was made with the endorsement of the King’s Privy Council of State and establishes the Order’s mission and authorizes the Order to carry out its kuleana, in perpetuity, as an institution of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. As per the Royal Decree of 1864, the Order’s mission is to support the Kingdom of Hawai‘i and uplift the Lāhui.
Heiau o Māmalahoa (Māmalahoa) was established by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole on July 3, 1907 in Hilo, Moku o Keawe, as the second chapter of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.
EIA HAWAI‘I: Ali‘i ‘Aimoku David Heaukulani (High Chief of Māmalahoa) commissioned the creation of a Ha‘akoa for the practice and benefit of Māmalahoa in 2018. The creation of a Ha‘akoa was a collaborative effort between Sky Ishibashi, Kaimi Bourne, Pua Ishibashi, and Wally Wong (all members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I). These individuals brought various expertise to the collaboration including Hawaiian Culture, ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, Hula, Ha‘a, and Lua. The result is a Ha‘akoa based on a 12th century mele called Eia Hawai‘i. Shortly after its creation (2018) Ali‘i ‘Aimoku David Heaukulani proclaimed Ha‘akoa Eia Hawai‘i a makana to the Lāhui (kāne & wāhine) for its use and benefit.
Today Māmalahoa welcomes and encourages the Lāhui to learn and practice Eia Hawai‘i as a cultural protocol that can help unify and empower the Lāhui.
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