WAIMEA — He kanaka kuhea hale ka ua (Rain is the person who call welcome to the house); He poli, he kua, he alo, na moku e ku nei (The islands are like the bosom, the back, the front).
The words of the oli are present but silent when men of Kikiaola Construction installed a statue of King Kaumuali‘i in heavy rain Friday at Pa‘ula‘ula (Russian Fort Elizbeth State Historical Park) in Waimea.
“That’s the day it rained all over,” said Klaine Kuapahi of Kikiaola Construction. “But we got it up. I’ve been with Kikiaola for 30 years, and yes, this was one of our jobs. My cousin and I went up the mountains over the weekend to get maile — enough for about 30 feet — maile for the king!”
Maureen Fodale of the Executive Committee for the Friends of King Kaumuali‘i said the men were pushing and pulling the crane that was stuck in the mud into place, and the statue was set and bolted to the pedestal in less than 10 minutes.
A premiere virtual dedication is scheduled for Wednesday, March 31, at 5 p.m., Fodale said. Registration will be available in the near future at kauaikingkaumualii.org.
“The Friends of King Kaumuali‘i have been working for nearly a decade to bring the spirit of our mo‘i ali‘i home,” Fodale said. “Following the receipt of GIA (grant-in-aid) funds in 2018 with help from Rep. Dee Morikawa and Sen. Ron Kouchi from the state Legislature, we were able to complete the eight-foot bronze statue along with the site improvements of platform and pedestal in cooperation with the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources at the state park in Waimea.”
Ground was broken for the platform and pedestal on Dec. 1, 2020, the same date Mayor Derek Kawakami and Kaua‘i County Councilmember Bernard Carvalho Jr., both active supporters of the Kaumuali‘i initiative, were inaugurated.
“More than half the rocks going into the wall surrounding the platform and pedestal are from the fort, and previous to that, the he‘iau that pre-existed there,” Fodale said. “It was incredible to see nearly 50 people from ages 1 to 90 be involved.”
While the platform work was going on, the statue accompanied by Ke‘ao Nesmith arrived on Kaua‘i some 199 years after the king’s kidnapping while dining on the ship Ha‘aheo Hawai‘i in 1821. He was taken to Honolulu, where he was coerced into an arranged marriage to Ka‘ahumanu.
Fodale said the king has been “wintering” at Po‘oKu, but was brought back to “supervise as he did when his fort was being built.”
While readying to meet the public, Kawakami will deliver an address to a private and ticketed group of up to 50 people that will include a representative from each of the royal Hawaiian organizations on Kaua‘i and other state, county and community dignitaries, including the Friends of King Kaumuali‘i Board and Kikiaola Construction, whose owner Mike Faye has been active with the FKK board and the state park for decades.
Starting Sunday, Fodale said people can stop by the park with a small group of friends or family up to 25 people to welcome the king home to his ancestral grounds at Pa‘ula‘ula. Due to the restrictions in place by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency, special permits are required for groups larger than 25.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
This saddens me about our island. We are so desperate to be proud of something we glorify a dead king. How is this inspirational? A king is born into royalty. You cannot attain it thru intelligence or hard work. It’s just dumb luck. We need statues of great ideas or achievements. At least the statue of Captain Cook in Waimea is of a man who changed the world; someone who made something of himself from modest common beginnings. Isn’t that more inspirational?As Hawaiians we need to look at science or art or technology as places to find inspiration. Find a better way to harness electricity from the tides. That is our future. Even America only became powerful when they broke with their royal past. Statues of royalty do nothing for our future.
As the country is tearing down statues of people who accomplished great things you are suggesting Kauai be different and put some up? I’m shocked Capt Cook is still up.
Is this really Klayton Kubo?! Such a shame if it is.
Wow! Disappointing is an understatement.
This saddens me that you think like that. NO CAN!
I know where this is. Russian Fort. It’s funny though. Of all the years past, you would think that the ones that do remember this place, only the few ever come back and pay its tribute to this Russian Fort. Well stop and think about this. Where is Russian Fort located? Right before Waimea town, heading west. What actually is at Russian Fort? Nothing much to see. Just rocks and few trees. And a bathroom to use. And parking lot. In all honestly, couldn’t you spend your money more wisely. Like on something more worth while. This statue sucks along with Russian Fort.
Klayton Kubo, are you sure you like what Captain Cook brought to the Islands? He brought disease and disrespect. Any statue to any person will have more than one side … statues of royalty give our Keiki a past to understand and move forward from, just like having grandparents gives us a family history to build on. By seeing and understanding the past we can choose what to bring into the future.