Ke Alahou, Volume I, Number 3, 1 January 1980 — E Nihi Ka Hele [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E Nihi Ka Hele

Address by Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa Monday, December 31, 1979 A CORNERSTONE ceremony cements dreams in a foundation of reality. It is a time of anticipation—a time of great expectations. It is a time when we, with the lessons of the past reso]ve and form compacts to allow fulfillment of these expectations. It is a time that allows us to dream dreams of pure sentiment for lofty purposes not yet comprised by time. It is a time when even before the mortar in the foundation is set impatience fashions in the mind's eye a detailed preview of the elaborate embellishments planned. Time ean be transcended. We envision the stated translucent elegance of the royal coat-of-arms to be frosted on the entry panes or the grand koa guarded by hand hewn burnished balusters emerging from the construction site just launched. On this site 100 years past, these dreams were cast for "the finest. and most imposing building in the islands, to be an honor and ornarnent tō the capital city and a fitting abode for Royalty." This was a day of exhilaration. The celebration would eome three years later when the edifice was completed. On this day, however, an aecounting of the past century was in order. SO fT WAS HERE, that John M. Kapena, Minister of Foreign Relations of the Kingdom of Haw r aii, traced thehistory of this 11 acre enclave, the touch-stone of Hawaii. His memory recalled the revelations of our ancie'nt ancestors, who said that the first structure of distinction on this site was the mythical or real Heiau Kaahaimauli whieh ean be interpreted to mean the stones or foundation commemorating the heart or seat of life. , We ean imagine that this imposing temple prevailed until the oyerray of aeons of change ensconced her in the womb ōf these sacred grōunds. A new stratum on this foundation was created when the voyagers on exploring ships entreated the hospitality of our ancestors. The growing activity in Honolulu Harbpr beckoned the Alii to this hamlet. Kalanimoku wās the first migrant to thfese grounds fo Poftukaina and imperial and indomitable Dow3ger Queen Kaahumanu followed soon thereafter._ Kekuanaoa, father of'Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V erected v a 'nlnster nf bungalows for his famiry. Kapaakea, father of King Davi3"Kalakaua was alto in residence. John Young, the capable advisor of Kamehameha The Great, lived in Kinau Hale. He was later interred with the departed Alii in the Royal Tomb of Pohukaina until they were moved to the Royal Mausoleum in a solemn midnight torchlight process!on. KAMEHAMEHA 111 lived and drew his last breath here in a bungalow called Hoihoikeea. Hoihoikeea was named to commemorate the restqration of the Sovereignty and the Flag of Hawaii briefly wrested from him in the name of the British. In 1844 when Kamehameha 111 relocated his capitol from Lahaina to Honolulu, he subsequently selected as hfs offlcial rfisidence; his Palaee, the home built by Kekunnaoa' fōr his daughter Victoria Kamamalu. It was on this exact site. The name 'lolani was selected for this form.al residence, īt was named after the 'iolani, the royaj hawk whose exalted flight in ' the heaVens roya!ty *I6lani Palaee wou!d later serve as the official residence of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V. ĪAipalilo and Kalakaua Thirty yeai\s of managing the tran?;mutations of 11fe occurred in swift succession In 1B?4 considered outmoded. badly decaying and too modest, 4 lotan? Palaee was demolished. The l assen]blagē of august of thē grounds were displaced. A pew Paīaee conv

pleted with landscaped gardens was to be eonstruct.ed to accommodate the demands aeeompanying the infusion of international influences. The reciprocity treaty had beamed beyond our horizon the signal of Thē State calendar burgeoned as days yielded to unrelenting cīemands for change. IT WAS TIME to cultivate an' internationar # undersianding. It was time to lake* the colossal step across the isolating oceans bf the world. Kalakaua, the first monarch of any kingdom to circl6 tho globe placed Hawaii anei her«people on the doorstep of the world. His intftllert.' yitalitv. curiosity and entrepreneurial dāring alerted the world to the existencē and caliber of these islands. He who firsr dared to contemplate ah Ōeeania compact for the Pacific believed implicity that, the prosperity of his people was primary; that as Hawaiī grew in w ; ealth its government should accordingly" im- ' prove its capabilitj to serve and represent its people; and that only a Palaee of renown woūld befit jthe honor due his petyple s that they had every right to expēct thebenefits of sophis*fcafed representation. . The eoneem for his people was reciprocal. Thomas }, Baker, Architectj vvas contracted tō design the finest edifvce in the islands (and in most of Amenea then)'. It \vas to be an honor to Hawaii, a crowning symbol whieh eontained the hopes and aspirations of the people: that thelr Kingb?granted longlife, his family peaee. health and honoi\ and conti»ued success and prosperity for the Kingdom. QN~ \VEDNFSDAY. December 31, 18?9. the birthdate of Queen Kapiolani. wife of KingDavid Kalakaua, theso hopes and dreams were sealed iu t»rick and mortar Then. too. the Royal Hawaiiau Band heralded the procession to the Palaee grounds from Kauikeaouli Gatē. When both the hands of the eloek on Hale. the eapilol of the monarchy coi\iJtrueted in reached townrd the heavens at j high loon. the ceremony commf»nced. , j * By the command of ! his\fajesty. the onJ^pfi™** a S

freemasons was reqWsted to lay the.stone with the ancient Masonic v rituals P£escribed for proper .xornerstone ceremqnies. The tools of the Masons: ,the plumb, level square and trowel were specially wroi}gtit in silver by the King for use on this occasion and thereafter for them to 'safely guard/ At the of the Masonic ritual w 7 hen His Majesty descended to tap pla~ce the cornerstone of t'he new 'lolani Palaee, he was but adding to the footings already rooted in the ancestral bedrock pf this site, the enduring* remriants. of the first 'lolani. Palaee and the Templē Kaahaimauli. IT SEEMS ANACHRONISTIC that we are here "today, 3 short of one hundredyears» dreamingthe same .dreams. We are right back at the beginning except that this time we had a preview of the finished product, However brief Ūie period» the dreams of the last century were fiilfilied s In three years the Palaee was completed. The grand celebration , materialized with the coronatious of His Slaigsty andl'lerMajesty. Hale Akala, thephikbungabw t where the Barracks is now located, was built as their second home to allow privacy. IN 1883 KALAKAUA unveiled th.e statue of Kamehameha The Great 4 the titular qf our genealogy. The stal'wart progenitor, the Royal Father for whom Kalakaua composed our anthem. Hawaii ,Ponoi. was accorded a solitary and exalted station in]his area sacred to our aneestral memory. | * The dreams of lofli' purposes sealed in the structurol reality of the cornerstone heeame a li\ ing rea!ity whether it was a grand hall or a reception for State and visiting dignitdries her pomg and elegance were splendorous ai\d so\\erēign. Indeed,. v the grand court of Tolani had exceeded all expectatlons N Her sovereign distinction comiuaiided diplomalie envoys to her grand ball Few escaj)ed the sense oT awe and pride when the C2aTof Russia sent his warship all the way from Vladivostok tc

Honolulu Harbor. This enabled his persona! envoy to present to His Majesty King David Kalakāua of the Kingdom of Hawaii in a stately ritual, the diamond medallion of the Imperial Orderof St AlexanderNevski, the founderof the Romanov Dynasty. The Czar, himself, selected the distinguished statesman for membership in this exclusive order. As the investiture was readby the Russian envoy, it was obvious that the honor or recognition from half-way around the wor!d was a glorious to Hawaii as the 400 diamonds and numbered rubies set in the symbolic medallion. COURT LIFE was exciting, dignified, joyous, demanding arid always possessed the supreme dominion of the resptendent crown. But, history was impatient. By 1891 eight short years after completion of the Palaee, King David Kalakaua was dead. In two.years his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, would be deposed from her thrqne marking the end of the Kalakaua Dynasty and the end of the Kingdom of Hawaii established by the Kamehameha Dynasty. THE TUMULTUOUS century just past moved with unprecedented haste. Immediately the Royal Residence was converted to seat the Provisional Government. The Royal Thrones were transferred to Bishop Museum. Furnishings and artifacts were auctioned. , • The Provdsional Government metamorphosed tō the Gov«rnment of the Republic. After annexation 12 Territoriāl Governors, 3 Military Governors,'2 State Governors, both Houses of the Legislature and Cabinet Members conducted the affairs of State from this edifice. Gold leaf was painted over with institution green enamel. The Crown Room became the Chamber of the House of Representatives, the State dining room the Chamber fo the Senate. BY 1930 massive repairs were necessary to restore the structural integrity of the Palaee. Liberties were then excercised to modify the structural design. Deterioration continued. Maintenance programs were carried out from the perspective of servicing an office building, entirely failing to provide for the personal and regular care required for the home of a nation. The village enclave had become our State Capitol. Temporary office\hacks pro!iferated on the grounds. replacing the bunga!ows of the Roval families. The cinder pathways were sealed vvith asphalt to accommodate parking. *Rapid growth and expanding governmental services called for compromised use. Space priorities dictated severe structural alterations, A Palaee designed for residential purposes for a Monarch vv f hose people numbered 60,000 vvas cori verted to house a governmental body serving a populaee of 750,000. THE INITIAL EXOHUs ua s piovoked the structure*s glarfng fnadpquae} It wou!d not

1 - • , » -* T ~ a Jt accommodate any more. The JerritQ'nal nihg Commission, ledby Aliee Spalding Bowen, objected to its continued use.. A State Capitol was constructed* New State office buildings provided the needed space for governmental employees. The final exodus exposed a tragiq, a fragile shell. Fortunately, the Palaee was reclaimed and redeemed. The people of Hawaii consented to help finance her redemption. . My mother, Liliuokalani, founded The Friends of,!lolani Palaee to assume the4ask of assaying financial, restoration and management needs. Governor John A. Burns initiated and eoordinated the necessary governmental action with the Legislature. —— The research by the members fo the Junior League of Hawaii provided an invaluable data base and historical perspective for reclamation. IN 1967 The Friends of lolani Palaee proceeded to manage the restoration of the decapitated, scarred and decayed shell. Every single koa baluster guarding the grand sfairway was riddled with termite bores. Chronologically, we may seem displaced, for we were dreaming the same dreams for the same building 85 years later. That this Palaee stands here today is testimony to persistence and dedication. Eaeh koa baluster was painstakingly restored or replaced with a haiid hewn replica. The structural int§grity and finish were restored. However, the search and labor are ongoing to redeem4hose artifacts andlurnishings discarded and dispersed. We too must wait to celebrate th"e completion of our efforts for the ultimate realization of our hopes and dreams. - ON THIS CENTENNIAL Anniversary we implore the Masons of Hawaii, in tribute to His Majesty King David Kalakauau to seal onee again a compact founded on the lesso.ns of the past. May time be gentle and supportive to allow: That the Palaee will soon be completely furnished, . That the landscaping efforts will restore the plantings and remove the asphalt paying from the cinder walkways and carriage paths, That the band stand, Keliiponi Hale, will bl repaired and renovated, That the Kanaina Building will be restored for Palaee use, and That 'lolani Barracks novy ; relocated on the . grounds will be furnished and staffed with a regular contingent of Royal Guards. i Only then ean we celebrat§. Tbe grand eelebration will probably be expressed in increments. The real eele&aiion, however, is thē quiet gratitude that 'lolani Palaee remains for eaeh of us in

our own way to enjoy hersplendor, her history and her inspiration. HOW FQRTUNATE we are that history has permitted ihe redemption of ; the Palaee. How fortunate we are that time has allowed the reclamation of the grounds of 'lolani. The message, perhaps, is best expressed in the lyrics of the soi*g "E Nihi Ka Hele'' or Walk Softly, composed David Kalakaua for his beloved Queen Kapiolani when she left for an extended trip, her final destination to attend Queen Victoria's Jubilee in London. His parting thoughts; . May your journey he safe, the seas ealm and the winds gentle.Ānd wherever your joumeys take you, tread carefully and walk with caution. Remember who you are. Be gracious, but never forget from whenee you eame, for this is vvhere yourheariis, this is the cradle foyourlife. Go, but you will always be beckoned to return to this plaee, now called 'lolani. WE COMMIT our dreams to the next hundred years, to cherish that whieh has been redeemed, to revere the oppoiJunity to sustain with living , activity that whichiias been reclaimed, and to , plead with history and time—E Nihi Ka Hele—to J please proceed cautiously when passing through , these grounds. 3 This eleven acre ēnelave bounded by Richards „ Street, King Street, Likelike Street and Palaee Walk is a bas relief or respite from the ing governmental and business complexes. d Here is the spirit and essence of a mystical and evasive Kaahaimauli. Here is the enduring strength of the Kamehameha Dynasty, v ■ Here is the commitment to democracy of the Lunalilo Dynasty. Here is the daring vitality of the Kalakaua Dynasty, Here is evidence of the mutability of our people and our po!itical systems. Here, the flag of Hawaii flies in secular deference. A solitary tribute to the enduring integrity of her people. IT IS A BEQUEST that serves as a threshold from whieh one may glinipse across a spau of centurles into the past. or, if one dares, to scan the future by merely looking out over the horizon from her verandas and daring to design future schemes or to conlemplate answering the eal! from far off places. The real symbolism of her bequest whieh we cherish for the future is her persistingheritage. A iiving heritage whieh emanates from the womb of the earth and soars to the exalted heights of the 'lolani.

Top Left: Homer Hayes and Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa Boitom !eft: Royal family with Princess Pomane of TaSif! Righf: Frae Mason Ritua!

Pn'nee and Mrs. Edward Kawananakoa

iop N# Puali koa o ka 'aina nei na iupa aupuaL Coior Uuaai l{a\v|iu,iM C^vtu ■■■■■" ■ ■■■ ' ' I i

Ka'Hui o k& Free Masohs