John Papa ʻĪʻī

John Papa ʻĪʻī, one of the leading citizens of the Hawaiian kingdom during the nineteenth century, was born at Waipi‘o, Oahu, on August 3, 1800.

 At the age of ten John was brought to Honolulu and became an attendant of Kamehameha I and later became a companion and personal attendant to Liholiho (later King Kamehameha II.)

Upon the arrival of the missionaries in Hawai‘i in 1820, John ʻĪʻī was among the first Hawaiians to study reading and writing with the missionaries, studying under the Reverend Hiram Bingham.

As time passed, John ʻĪʻī divided his time between the ruling Kamehamehas and the missionaries, particularly Reverend Bingham.  John soon became an assistant to Bingham and a teacher at the latter's school.

Ultimately, John ʻĪʻī served Kamehameha I, II, III and IV.  He also was selected to be kahu of the students (effectively a vice principal) at the Chiefs' Children's School in 1840 (effectively serving the next generations of the Kamehameha dynasty.)

By 1841, John ʻĪʻī was general superintendent of O‘ahu schools and was an influential member of the court of Kamehameha III.

In 1842, he was appointed by the king to be a member of the new Treasury Board.  This Board was empowered to set up a system of regular and systematic account keeping.

In 1845, as a member of the Privy Council, he was appointed with four other men to the Board of Land Commissioners.

In 1852, as a member of the House of Nobles, he was selected to represent that body in drafting the Constitution of 1852.

John ʻĪʻī’s service in the House of Nobles was from 1841 to 1854 and from 1858 to 1868.  He served as a member of the House of Representatives during the session of 1855.

He lived in an old fashioned cottage where the Judiciary building now stands.  His home was named “Mililani,” which means exalted or lifted heavenward.

In addition to his duties in the two legislative houses of the kingdom and his service on various governmental commissions, John ʻĪʻī served as a Superior Court judge, as well as on the Supreme Court.

His lifetime spanned many years of the Kamehameha Dynasty, beginning with the autocratic rule of Kamehameha I, extending through the transition period of rule by king and chiefs and continuing into the rule by constitutional monarchy.

He was raised under the kapu system and his life ended with him in service of the Christian ministry.

Mary A. Richards in her "Chiefs’ Childrens’ School" says, "Through the perspective of a century, John ʻĪʻī stands as one of the most remarkable Hawaiians of his time."

The Reverend Richard Armstrong had this to say about him, "John ʻĪʻī, a man of high intelligence, sterling integrity and great moral worth."

At nearly seventy years of age, after a life devoted to the furtherance and development of Christianity in Hawai‘i and the development of a democratic form of government, John ʻĪʻī died in May 1870.

ʻĪʻī received training at Lahainaluna Seminary, where the Rev. Sheldon Dibble and others encouraged Native Hawaiians to record their history.

With rare insight into the workings of the monarchy as well as the common people, ʻĪʻī  did just that, contributing regularly to the Hawaiian language publication Ka Nupepa Ku‘oko‘a from 1866 until his death in 1870.

The articles - first-hand accounts of life under the Kamehameha dynasty and detailed descriptions and observations on cultural practices, events, social interactions and other topics - were collected and translated by Mary Kawena Pukui and Dorothy Barre in the 1959 publication "Fragments of Hawaiian History," a standard resource for historians and students.  (I have a copy and often refer to this book for information.)

Here's a link to a YouTube video of a Mission Houses Oʻahu Cemetery Theatre portrayal of John Papa I'i (1800-1870) (portrayed by William Hao:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNZsUodDtYU

© 2012 Hoʻokuleana LLC

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery – Videos of Performances

Hawaiian Mission Houses sponsored Cemetery Pupu Theater the past two weekends – if you missed it, you missed some great live performances.  However, I taped each (on my cell phone) and links to each are provided here.

Actors are dressed in period costume telling the life events of select individuals buried at O‘ahu Cemetery - at their respective grave sites.  There was nothing ghoulish about it; rather, it was very effective storytelling.

Portrayed in the June 2012 Hawaiian Mission Houses Cemetery Pupu Theater program were:

John Papa I'i (1800-1870) (portrayed by William Hao)

http://youtu.be/qNZsUodDtYU

John Papa Ii was a leading citizen of the Hawaiian kingdom during the nineteenth century. Born in 1800 and raised under the traditional kapu system, I‘i was trained from earliest childhood for a life of service to the high chiefs.

Ii served as a general superintendent of O'ahu schools and was an influential member in the court of Kamehameha III. He was appointed by the king to the Treasury Board; was a member of the Privy Council; Board of Land Commissioners and was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i .

Cherilla Lowrey (1861-1917) (portrayed by Hanna Gaffney)

http://youtu.be/Gub82VUCXco

Cherilla Lowry founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (TOC) (100-years ago) whose mission was to “Keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.” Twenty-two Monkeypod trees were planted in A‘ala Park as the organization’s first tree planting project.

Through its mission, much of TOC’s activities strive to educate youth and local citizens about environmental issues that concern the preservation and conservation of Hawai’i’s natural resources, including planting trees, beautifying parks and public areas including parks, streets, playgrounds and schools and bicycle paths.

Eliab Grimes (1780--1848) (portrayed by Zachary Thomas)

http://youtu.be/vCLQJHKMLlI

Captain Eliab Grimes, a native of Massachusetts, was a Honolulu merchant of many years and operated with his nephew Hiram, as the firm E & H Grimes.  Eliab Grimes persuaded John Sinclair to occupy the Rancho Del Paso (a 44,371-acre Mexican land grant in present day Sacramento County, California)  until such time as he (Grimes) could take legal title to it.

A fur trader whose voyages in illegal activities brought him face-to-face with the Spanish Armada, and required ransoming a crew which included John Dominis, the future would-be father-in-law to Queen Lili`uokalani.

Lucy Thurston (1795 -- 1876) (portrayed by Cecilia Fordham)

http://youtu.be/v1YOUMEXgIo

Asa Thurston (1787–1868) and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.  Lucy Goodale Thurston voyaged to the Hawaiian Islands in 1820 intent on bringing the word of God to its inhabitants.  During the next fifty years she raised a family, dealt with tragedy and helped to change the future of Hawaii forever.

The Thurstons, unlike most missionary couples, spent most of the rest of their lives in the islands.  Lucy compiled her letters and other writings into one of the most vivid accounts of the early mission days.  She underwent a mastectomy without anesthetic in 1855.  She died on October 13, 1876 in Honolulu.

Lorrin Andrews (1795--1868) (portrayed by Jeff Gere)

http://youtu.be/SNfSg7kI_bM

Lorrin Andrews was an early American missionary to Hawaii and judge.   In June 1831 the mission hoped to establish a seminary on Maui, since it was somewhat centrally located among the Hawaiian Islands. Andrews was selected to run the school called Lahainaluna for "upper Lahaina".

On September 5, 1831 classes began in thatched huts with 25 married Hawaiian young men. It was the first college west of the Rocky Mountains.  His students published the first newspaper and were involved in the first case of counterfeiting currency in Hawaiʻi.  He later served as a judge and became a member of Hawai‘i's first Supreme Court.

Please also consider visiting the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (on King Street, adjoining Kawaiaha‘o Church.)  I am honored and proud to have been recently elected to serve on the Missions Houses Board of Trustees.

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery, Hawai‘i - 6 pm, June 22-23

This is waaay cool – we went last night.

Founded in 1844, O‘ahu Cemetery is Hawai‘i's oldest public graveyard.  Over the years, O‘ahu Cemetery has become the permanent resting place of hundreds of prominent history makers.

Located on 18-acres in lower Nu'uanu Valley, near downtown Honolulu, O'ahu Cemetery is a "classic" example of an early American "rural" cemetery, distinguished by a park-like setting, and an eye-catching array of ornately carved tombstones.

Hawaiian Mission Houses is presenting Cemetery Pupu Theater - actors dressed in period costume telling the life events of select individuals buried at O'ahu Cemetery - at their respective grave sites.

There was nothing ghoulish about it; rather, it was very effective storytelling.  When you get there, you are separated into groups then go from gravesite to gravesite for each presentation.

$60 per person - includes drinks and pupu, seating limited, RSVP required.  Click here to make your reservation:  https://safesite.4agoodcause.com/mission-houses-museum/event1.aspx?eventid=15

Portrayed in the June Hawaiian Mission Houses Cemetery Pupu Theater program include:

John Papa I‘i (1800-1870)

John Papa Ii was a leading citizen of the Hawaiian kingdom during the nineteenth century. Born in 1800 and raised under the traditional kapu system, I‘i was trained from earliest childhood for a life of service to the high chiefs.

I‘i served as a general superintendent of O‘ahu schools and was an influential member in the court of Kamehameha III. He was appointed by the king to the Treasury Board; was a member of the Privy Council; Board of Land Commissioners and was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i .

Cherilla Lowry (1861 - 1917)

Cherilla Lowry founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (TOC) (100-years ago) whose mission was to “Keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.”  Twenty-two Monkeypod trees were planted in A‘ala Park as the organization’s first tree planting project.

Through its mission, much of TOC’s activities strive to educate youth and local citizens about environmental issues that concern the preservation and conservation of Hawai’i’s natural resources, including planting trees, beautifying parks and public areas including parks, streets, playgrounds and schools and bicycle paths.

Eliab Grimes (1780–1848)

Captain Eliab Grimes, a native of Massachusetts, was a Honolulu merchant of many years and operated with his nephew Hiram, as the firm E & H Grimes.  Eliab Grimes persuaded John Sinclair to occupy the Rancho Del Paso (a 44,371-acre Mexican land grant in present day Sacramento County, California)  until such time as he (Grimes) could take legal title to it.

In 1844, Eliab Grimes received the official land grant. Over the next four years, Grimes and Sinclair, raised cattle and harvested wheat on the property.  Grimes, who subsequently became an important trader and political figure in San Francisco, died in 1848

Lucy Thurston (1795 – 1876)

Asa Thurston (1787–1868) and Lucy Goodale Thurston were in the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.  Lucy Goodale Thurston voyaged to the Hawaiian Islands in 1820 intent on bringing the word of God to its inhabitants.  During the next fifty years she raised a family, dealt with tragedy and helped to change the future of Hawaii forever.

The Thurstons, unlike most missionary couples, spent most of the rest of their lives in the islands.  Lucy compiled her letters and other writings into one of the most vivid accounts of the early mission days.  She underwent a mastectomy without anesthetic in 1855.  She died on October 13, 1876 in Honolulu.

Lorrin Andrews (1795–1868)

Lorrin Andrews was an early American missionary to Hawaii and judge.   In June 1831 the mission hoped to establish a seminary on Maui, since it was somewhat centrally located among the Hawaiian Islands. Andrews was selected to run the school called Lahainaluna for "upper Lahaina."

On September 5, 1831 classes began in thatched huts with 25 married Hawaiian young men. It was the first college west of the Rocky Mountains.  His students published the first newspaper and were involved in the first case of counterfeiting currency in Hawaiʻi. He later served as a judge and became a member of Hawai‘i's first Supreme Court.

Please also consider visiting the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (on King Street, adjoining Kawaiaha‘o Church.)  (I am honored and proud to have been recently elected to serve on the Mission Houses Board of Trustees.)

I posted a video on YouTube of “Cherilla Lowrey” (1861-1917) founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (she is portrayed by Hanna Gaffney.)  (There as a little wind and rain – it was recorded on my cellphone.)

http://youtu.be/Gub82VUCXco

Click here to make your reservation:

https://safesite.4agoodcause.com/mission-houses-museum/event1.aspx?eventid=15

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery – 6 pm, June 15-16; 22-23

As of earlier this week, there are still spots open to attend this event.

This is waaay cool.

Actors are dressed in period costume, telling the life events of select individuals buried at O‘ahu Cemetery, at their respective grave sites.

There was nothing ghoulish about it; rather, it was very effective storytelling.

$60 per person - includes drinks and pupu, seating limited, RSVP required.

Click here to make your reservation: https://safesite.4agoodcause.com/mission-houses-museum/event1.aspx?eventid=15

We went last year and are already signed up for this one – I suggest you do, too.  It’s lots of fun and a good learning experience.

Portrayed in the June Hawaiian Mission Houses Cemetery Pupu Theater program will be:

John Papa I‘i (1800-1870) – Served Kamehameha I, II, III and IV; was general superintendent of O'ahu schools; was appointed by the king to the Treasury Board; was a member of the Privy Council; Board of Land Commissioners and was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i .

Cherilla Lowry (1861-1917) - Founder and first president of the Outdoor Circle (TOC) (100-years ago) whose mission was to “Keep Hawai‘i clean, green and beautiful.”

Eliab Grimes (1780-1848) – A fur trader whose voyages in illegal activities brought him face-to-face with the Spanish Armada, and required ransoming a crew which included John Dominis, the future would-be father-in-law to Queen Lili`uokalani.

Lucy Thurston (1795-1876) – Wife of Asa Thurston and part of the first company of American Christian Missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands.  She underwent a mastectomy without anesthetic in 1855. She died on October 13, 1876 in Honolulu.

Lorrin Andrews (1795-1868) - An early American missionary to Hawaii and judge. In June 1831 the mission hoped to establish a seminary on Maui, since it was somewhat centrally located among the Hawaiian Islands. Andrews was selected to run the school called Lahainaluna for "upper Lahaina".

Please also consider visiting the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (on King Street, adjoining Kawaiaha‘o Church.)

(I am honored and proud to have been recently elected to serve on the Mission Houses Board of Trustees.)