Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 6, 1 June 1992 — Born to rule: ʻAi Wohi Kupua O Kamehameha I [ARTICLE]

Born to rule: ʻAi Wohi Kupua O Kamehameha I

by Rudy Leikaimana Mitchell . . the land is not for us. It goes to Kamehameha, the child ofchiefs." Ali'i nui Alapai John Papa Ii, 4:1959 The history of Kamehameha the Great is well written in Hawaiian journals as an ali'i with great knowledge, statesmanship, firm religious convictions, deep love and compassion for his people, great strength, fierce as a warrior, and adept as an athlete. But, he was also sometimes called a usurper of the right to rule. This article is intended to show that Kamehameha was not a usurper to the right to rule. He was from birth destined to that right. The system that determined this right was through a genealogical presentation in the hale nauwa of the presiding royal court. Blood ranking of close consanguine mating was the primary criterion that determined the qualifications for one to elaim the right to rule. Kamehameha as a claimant defended that right by defeating all pretenders. Blood ranking Grades of inherited blood ranking depended on the genealogical ranking of a noble father and mother and their ancestral consanguine lineage, whieh was transmitted by the union of the mother and father to their child. A child of close consanguine mating was called an ali'i kapu and was given special recogniīion and status privilege within the house of nobles throughout Hawai'i. These close consanguine matings were planned and aggressively pursued by the ruling chiefs to guarantee a high blood ranking heir for succession to rule; also, for political reasons, to keep harmony between two ruling factions. Grades of blood ranking Pi'o is a union of a brother and sister of the same mother and father. A child of this union produces the highest blood ranking. This child is ranked in a class with the gods among men. The ali'i kapu bestowed to them was the kapu moe, also the kapu wela, requiring all others to prostrate before them. An infraction of this kapu was death by fire. This kapu also denoted a right to perform the primary ritual of sacrifice. Ni'aupi'o is a union of brother and sister, or half-brother and half-sister. A child of this union was classed as ho'ano, sacred. The ali'i kapu bestowed to him was the kapu 'ai wohi kupua. Depending on the closeness of the consanguine mating, he might also be given the kapu wela and the kapu noho. The kapu 'ai wohi kupua exempted him from prostrating before an ali'i holding the kapu moe. The kapu wela gave him the right to perform primary sacrifices. The kapu noho required all ali'i below the rank of the kapu moe to keep their heads below his. Naha and ho'i is a union of half brother and half-sister, or first cousins. First cousin unions were not considered ideal. The ali'i kapu bestowed to them was the kapu noho whieh was only observed in their respective hale. The royal system required a formal presentation, he ha'i kupuna, before the royal genealogist, the ruling chief and the court, in the hale

nauwa. Ten generations must be recited, iive on the mother's side and five on the father's side. This was the maximum requirement for aeeeptance. Kamehameha by blood ranking was a ni'aupi'o.He inherited the kapu 'ai wohi kupua from his father Keoua Kupuapaikalani, and from his mother Kekuiapoiwa II, the kapu wela and noho. His other court-rumored father was said to have been the ali'i nui Kahekili of Maui. If so, then Kamehameha would have been called a child produced by two heads, whieh would not have exalted his blood rank any higher than that inherited from his mother Kekuaiapoiwa II and his recognized father Keoua. This rumored union was not presented nor accepted by the royal genealogist in the hale nauwa. The genealogical lineage of Keopuolani and Kamehameha is given below expressing both their blood rankings: Keopuolani as pi'o and Kamehameha as ni'aupi'o: Pi'o blood ranking The principal ascent lineage for Keopuolani Iwikauikaua (K) Pi'o Keakamahana (W) Pi'o born to them Keakealaniwahine (W) Pi'o Keakealaniwahine (W) Pi'o Kaneikauaiwilani (K) Ni'aupi'o born to them Kalanikauleleiaiwi (W) Pi'o The ascent lineage 1 . Kalanikauleleiaiwi (W) Pi'o Keaweikekahiali'iokamoku (K) Ni'aupi'o born to them Kekuaiapoiwanui (W) Pi'o Keeaumoku (K) Pi'o Kekelaokalani (W) Pi'o 2. Lonomaaikanaka (W) Ni'aupi'o Keaweikekahiokamoku (K) Ni'aupi'o born to them Kalaninuiiamamao K) Ni'aupi'o 3. Kalaninuiiamamao (K) Ni'aupi'o Kamakaimoku (W) Naha born to them Kalaniopu'u (K) Ni'aupi'o 4. Kalaniopu'u (K) Ni'aupi'o Kalolo (W) Pi'o born to them Kiwalao (K) Pi'o 5. Kiwalao (K) Pi'o Liliha Kekuiapoiwa (W) Pi'o born to them Keopuolani (W) Pi'o Ni'aupi'o Blood Ranking The ascent lineage for Kamehameha 1. Kekuiapoiwanui (W) Pi'o Kekaulike (W) Ni'aupi'o born to them Kamehamehanui (K) Pi'o Kalola (W) Pi'o Kahekili (K) Pi'o 2. Ha'ae (K) Ni'aupi'o Kekelaokalani Pi'o born to them Kekuiapoiwa II (W) Pi'o 3. Keeaumoku (K) Pi'o Kamakaimoku (W) Ni'aupi'o born to them

Keouakupuaikalani (K) Ni'aupi'o 4. Keouakupuaikalani (K) Ni'aupi'o Kalolo (W) Pi'o born to them Liliha Kekuiapoiwa Pi'o 5. Keouakupuaikalani (K) Ni'aupi'o Kekuiapoiwa II (W) Pi'o born to them Kamehameha (K) Ni'aupi'o Kamehameha (K) Ni'aupi'o Keopuolani (W) Pi'o born to them Kamehameha II Liholiho (K) Pi'o/ni'aupi'o Kamehameha III Kauikeaouli (K) Pi'o/ni'aupi'o Nahi'ena'ena (W) Pi'o/ni'aupi'o These two genealogies are unexceptionable (not open to any exception or objection) in the annals of Hawaiian history. The close consanguine unions of these noble personages were planned to keep the blood ranking within the pi'o and ni'aupi'o category, thus, keeping their blood lines pure within the family. Kamehameha inherited the ni'aupi'o and was given the kapu 'ai wohi kupua. This kapu exempted him from prostrating before his mate Keopuolani who inherited the pi'o and was given the kapu moe. Kamehameha did not have to prostrate before any ali'i of the courts in Hawai'i. This article is to prove the blood ranking of Kamehameha and to refute statements that he was an usurper of the right to rule.