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Onipa'a Celebrates Queen Lili'uokalani’s Legacy

billsoPHOTO / Flickr
billsoPHOTO / Flickr
Wikipedia Commons
Credit Wikipedia Commons
Onipaa
Credit Onipaa

Today is the 177th birthday of Queen Lili'uokalani.  She was Hawaii’s last monarch, and witness to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.  

According to the Ho?okahua Cultural Vibrancy staff.  “The queen was born Lydia Lili'uLolokuWalaniaWewehiKamaka?eha to parents Caesar Kapa?akea and Anale?aKeohok?lole, she was given to AbnerP?k? and Laura Konia to raise as their h?nai (adopted) daughter. Lili?u ascended to the throne in 1891, following the reign of her brother, King David Kal?kaua.

As a beloved queen and last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, her reign was cut short by the overthrow of the Hawaiian government in 1893. Forced to endure hardships and deceitful accusations, Lili?u was deposed as queen, charged with crimes, and imprisoned by the provisional government.

She maintained a personal directive of peaceful resistance, believing in God, and trusting that the political process would return the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom. To this day, Lili?u remains an enduring symbol of hope for her people.

The Hawaii Pono icoalition is marking the occasion with its annual Onipa’a celebration, and Mai Poina walking tour.  The Onipa'a celebration of the Queen’s birthday takes place this Sunday at Iolani Palace.  The MaiPoina (Never Forget) walking tour takes visitors on a trip around the palace grounds.  Actors in period costume describe events surrounding the last four days leading up to the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom.  Shaun Chillingworth is a Communications Specialist with Kamehameha Schools. 

Chillingworth says that due to high attendance… reservations are required for the walking tour.

The Mai Poina walking tours also begin this Sunday, and continue on the 7th, 12th and 13th with groups leaving at four different times each day.  More information and sign up can be found Here

Nick Yee’s passion for music developed at an early age, as he collected jazz and rock records pulled from dusty locations while growing up in both Southern California and Honolulu. In college he started DJing around Honolulu, playing Jazz and Bossa Nova sets at various lounges and clubs under the name dj mr.nick. He started to incorporate Downtempo, House and Breaks into his sets as his popularity grew, eventually getting DJ residences at different Chinatown locations. To this day, he is a fixture in the Honolulu underground club scene, where his live sets are famous for being able to link musical and cultural boundaries, starting mellow and building the audience into a frenzy while steering free of mainstream clichés.
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