Ka'iana Ahu'ula

Desha S, Frazier FN.

Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekūhaupiʻo.

Kamehameha Schools Press; 2000. Pages 404-408

When Ka‘iana‘ahu‘ula realized that there was a split between himself and the minds of the ali‘i, and also from the army of Kamehameha, it was near to the time when the fleet and the ships were to depart from Lahaina and sail to Moloka‘i. He went and met with his wife, the high-ranking ali‘i wahine Kekupuohi, and spoke these words to her: “What a pity for the two of us. Here am I supporting our family,154 and perhaps you will follow after this burden (luhi) of ours.” Kekupuohi understood these words by her beloved husband and she replied tearfully: “What of this indeed! I support my lord and ruler, and if my ruler should rebuke (pā) you, my husband, this lap (‘ūhā) 155 is for him, but so also is it for you.” These two ali‘i separated because she supported her hānai ali‘i Kamehameha, and did not follow after her husband.

When husband and wife separated, Ka‘iana‘ahu‘ula left Kamehameha and sailed to meet with Ali‘i Kalanikūpule, giving his assistance to that ali‘i ‘ai moku of O‘ahu. Kekupuohi did not speak of the words between herself and her husband, nor did Ka‘iana speak his mind at Lahaina concerning his immediate departure from Kamehameha. If perhaps the ali‘i had retracted and asked for another conference with Ka‘iana, he might not have left Kamehameha. However, the ali‘i under Kamehameha were firm in their disdain of Ka‘iana, and he did not hear of some of the plans for making war on Kalanikūpule.

On the arrival of Kamehameha’s war fleet at Kaunakahakai, the shore from Kaunakahakai to Kalama‘ula was covered over by his canoes. On arrival there, a secret

conference was held by Kamehameha’s ali‘i who did not wish Ka‘iana to know of it, and his hoahānau was also excluded. However, in spite of the desire by those people on the side of Kamehameha that their discussion not be heard, the wife of Nāhi‘ōle‘a, the hoahānau of Ka‘iana, had been present. This ali‘i wahine, whose name was Inaina, had secretly followed the discussion, and Nāhi‘ōle‘a heard it from her.

Nāhi‘ōle‘a’s wife heard first-hand this discussion concerning the absolute exclusion of Ka‘iana from this war of conquest, and that he was not to be told of the strategies planned, and she told Nāhi‘ōle‘a everything. Nāhi‘ōle‘a determined to tell his hoahānau Ka‘iana of this discussion by the ali‘i.

On the day after this secret meeting, Ka‘iana passed by Kamiloloa where Nāmāhana, the mother-in-law of Kamehameha, was staying.

When Nāmāhana, the mother of Ka‘ahumanu, saw this ali‘i who was a long-time general of the ali‘i Kamehameha, she called hospitably for him to enter into the house.

As soon as Ka‘iana entered the house, Nāmāhana told him of everything that had passed at the secret meeting of the ali‘i of Kamehameha’s court. When Ka‘iana had heard everything, he said to Nāmāhana:

I knew of this while we were at Lahaina. I knew they despised me at that place where they met, and I was absolutely not invited to their secret meeting. I know how they feel about me. Perhaps these red-footed ali‘i (ali‘i wāwae ‘ula‘ula) desire to make an offering of me because they oppose me. Perhaps this is possible for they do not wish the services of my spear. Perhaps we shall all move.

After this conversation with the ali‘i wahine Nāmāhana, he bade her farewell and left that place. While he was passing Kapa‘akea where Kalanimoku was encamped with his army, this bald-headed ali‘i saw him, his companion of the battlefield. Affection welled up in him and he called to Ka‘iana saying: “E ‘iwi‘ula ē! E ‘iwi‘ula ho‘i ē! Come hither and eat!” When Ka‘iana heard Kalanimoku calling him, he took advantage of the invitation by his chiefly comrade.

When Ka‘iana sat down in the house with Kalanimoku, he was quickly told of what he had already known and that the ali‘i of Kamehameha’s court really despised him. When Ka‘iana heard this from his companion with whom he had faced the pain of the battlefield, he immediately left Kalanimoku’s place and went directly to Kamehameha, desiring to speak to him.

When he met with Kamehameha, he said abruptly to him: “E Kamehameha ē! What is this grumbling of those people about me, those people who only fill the canoe? I would have thought, having stood alone with you through hard times for sixteen years, that you would know me, and where were those incompetent people (po‘e ho‘ohāhā pa‘akai)? 156 Hear you, O Ali‘i Kamehameha, it’s a good thing that you have conquered the island of Hawai‘i. However, I tell you without reservation that I am going to the other side from you, O chief. Because I am completely cut off from the group, a humiliating death would result.” When Ka‘iana had spoken these words to Kamehameha, he stood up and went straight off and met with Nāhi‘ōle‘a, his hoahānau, and told him everything he had learned from those ali‘i. Ka‘iana’s words were confirmed by Inaina, Nāhi‘ōle‘a’s wife. At this time they decided to leave Kamehameha, sail to O‘ahu, and support Kalanikūpule, the ali‘i ‘ai moku of O‘ahu.

We see, O reader, this trouble that grew between Ali‘i Ka‘iana and his lord, Kamehameha, which had happened because of the jealousy of some ali‘i. Not only this, but this trouble occurred because of gossip concerning the attraction of Ka‘ahumanu to Ka‘iana, the handsome Kaua‘i ali‘i. Doubt had grown within Kamehameha concerning this Kaua‘i ali‘i. Ka‘iana was supplied with arms and he was the first to have supplied Kamehameha with foreign weapons. Perhaps Kamehameha was influenced by the words of the seers at the court of Kamehameha concerning Ka‘ahumanu which were that, if the affections of Ka‘ahumanu should go to another ali‘i, she might turn and rebel against Kamehameha which would adversely affect his conquest of the kingdom.

Ka‘iana and Nāhi‘ōle‘a immediately prepared their people and their canoe fleet and left Moloka‘i and, from there, landed on the Ko‘olau side of the island of O‘ahu. From that place at Ko‘olau, he led his people to a meeting with Kalanikūpule. Ka‘iana told him of his departure with his hoahānau from Kamehameha and that they had brought their weapons to assist Kalanikūpule.

This was well in the mind of Kalanikūpule, and he welcomed these ali‘i formerly on Kamehameha’s side who would join him in opposing Kamehameha when he arrived on O‘ahu.

After Ka‘iana departed from Moloka‘i, Kamehameha immediately began preparing his warriors, leaders, and canoe fleet to sail to O‘ahu to fight Kalanikūpule. When Kamehameha’s fleet arrived at O‘ahu, it covered over the sea from Wai‘alae to Waikīkī.

His warriors sprang ashore on the soil of O‘ahu, and immediately Kamehameha began to order his forces and prepare his battle strategy. In this, Kekūhaupi‘o was of great assistance together with the kahuna nui Holo‘ae as well as the generals. For three days this organization went on, and on the third night after his landing on O‘ahu, he climbed with Keaweokahikona and two O‘ahu ali‘i who had turned to Kamehameha’s side. They climbed up above Hauhaukoi, Kapālama. This was a journey for Kamehameha to drink ‘awa, as this was the place where the royal heiau of Lonoikekūpali‘i stood. By the nature of Kamehameha’s status as a kahuna nui who had been instructed in the kapu of the heiau of the gods of Hawai‘i Nei, the kapu of that heiau was removed for Pai‘ea Kamehameha. The ‘awa-drinking platform (papa ‘inu‘awa) was set up, and immediate preparations for the ‘awa-drinking ceremony for Kamehameha were begun. When the cups of ‘awa for Kamehameha and his companions were ready, they drank, and at the end of the ceremony, they returned to Waikīkī where Kamehameha’s armies were encamped.

On the next day, which was the fourth after Kamehameha’s landing on O‘ahu, he quickly organized his movements to battle with Kalanikūpule’s warriors. From the Wai‘alae side were the armies called Huelokū and Hunalele, together with that called Kaikaoa of the young ali‘i Kekuaokalani who was the son of Kamehameha’s kaikaina. They numbered three lau [twelve hundred]. The army called ‘Ālapa numbering six lau [twenty-four hundred] was directly under Ali‘i Kamehameha, assisted by his renowned warrior Kekūhaupi‘o.

The area from Waikīkī to Pu‘uohawai‘i, just above Kunawai, was filled with the warriors of the ali‘i Kamehameha.

The ali‘i wahine were encamped just a little seaward of Ma‘ema‘e, together with the young ali‘i warriors, and they were guarded by a certain strong group of Kamehameha’s warriors.

Kamehameha’s multitude were on the seaward side of Ma‘ema‘e, and upland of Ma‘ema‘e, were Kalanikūpule’s multitude. It was said that the upland from Pū‘iwa as far as Luakaha was covered by the various armies of Ali‘i Kalanikūpule, and in the very middle, were Ka‘iana and his hoahānau Nāhi‘ōle‘a who had been seasoned on various battlefields.

156 The phrase po‘e ho‘ohāhā pa‘akai indicates incompetent, ineffectual people.

154 This probably refers to Ka‘iana’s relationship to Kalanikūpule.

155 The term ‘ūhā is used to infer a hānai relationship between Kekupuohi and Kamehameha.