Tag Archives: King Kamehameha

Kamehameha Day rider

A rider at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Leather browns and burgundies.’ See more responses here.

Just the one photo for this one. One of the riders in the Kamehameha Day birthday parade a few years back. A bit of brown leather saddle and an abundance of burgundy foliage fits the bill.

Kamehameha Birthplace

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Walls at Kamehameha's Birthplace in North Kohala, Hawaii

A couple of views from the birthplace of King Kamehameha I in North Kohala. The top one, looking up the hill towards Kohala Mountain. The bottom one, looking out towards the ocean and Maui.

Where are you going?

Hula dancers perform in front of steps leading to the statue of King Kamehameha in Kapaau, Hawaii — Hula dancers perform in front of steps leading up to the statue of King Kamehameha in Kapaau, Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Stairs/Steps.’ See more responses here. Captions on the photos as usual.

Steps leading down to the water in Kawaihae, Hawaii — Steps leading down to water.

A boat ladder underwater in Hawaii — Steps leading down to water.

A bridge at Liliuokalani Park in Hilo, Hawaii — Steps over water at Liliuokalani Park in Hilo.

Steps on the side of a water tank in Hawi, Hawaii — Steps over water at Liliuokalani Park in Hilo.

Red, white, and blue, and yellow, too

The statue of Kamehameha 1 at Kapaau, Hawaii.

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Red, White, & Blue.’ See more responses here.

Yesterday marked the 250th anniversary of Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America. This photo encompasses some of how Hawaii came to be part of this nation.

The statue is of King Kamehameha 1. He was born in Kohala and was the Aliʻi (chief) who, in 1795, united all the Hawaiian islands under one ruler. This rule, under him and his successors, lasted until 1893. It was overthrown in a coup by the ‘Committee of Safety,’ who were mostly of U.S. descent, and supported by the U.S. military. The Committee declared a Republic of Hawaii with the intent of having the U.S. taking over, which it duly did in 1898. It remained a territory of the U.S. until August 21, 1959 when it became the 50th state.

The flag on the left is the USA’s stars and stripes. On the right is Hawaii’s state flag, featuring the British Union Jack in the top corner. That’s there because of the British influence with the Hawaiian royalty. This dates back to Captain James Cook, who was the first European to make contact with the Hawaiians. Subsequently, British advisors and support helped the Hawaiian Kingdom come about and survive. There’s a story that in 1812, when the U.S. and Britain were at war, King Kamehameha designed this flag with elements of both nations’ flags, so as not to offend either. Alas, there’s no evidence for this assertion!

So how do Hawaiians feel about celebrating July 4th? Well, I’m not Hawaiian, but any day that’s a public holiday is welcomed, and any excuse to set off fireworks is popular too, though it was surprisingly quiet here last night! I know some Hawaiians who served in the U.S. military who are proud of being part of the U.S.. I also know there are others who want to see Hawaii restored as an independent nation. No doubt, there are many in between. However, I don’t expect to see the return of the Hawaiian Kingdom any time soon.

The Numbers Game #122

Opening ceremonies at the Kamehameha Day Parade in Kapaau, Hawaii — Opening ceremonies at the Kamehameha Day Parade in Kapaau.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 244. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Ruddy Turnstone on the coast in Hawaii — A Ruddy Turnstone on the coast.

A Green Turtle on the rocks in Hawaii — A Ruddy Turnstone on the coast.

This bench is one of two on the summit of Puu Waawaa, and this is the view looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains. — View from Pu’u Wa’awa’a looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

A Hawaiian zebra blennie in a tide pool on the Big Island — View from Pu’u Wa’awa’a looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

The Numbers Game #116

Telescopes seen from the trail to Mauna Kea summit in Hawaii — Telescopes on Mauna Kea seen from the trail to the summit.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 238. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.