Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Island Chronicles | March/April 2002

Island Chronicles

Liliha, Beloved Chiefess

She took over management of the king's lands when her husband, Boki, was lost at sea; and she took care of the chiefesses whose husbands had been lost with Boki

When the chiefess Kuini Liliha was born, in 1802 or 1803, she carried a genealogy that was impeccable. Her father was Ulumaheihei Hoapili, Kamehameha's most trusted companion; her mother was the Maui chiefess Kalilikauoha. Her paternal grandfather was Kame'eiamoku, one of Kamehameha's four war generals and a respected advisor; her maternal grandfather was the great Kahekili, high chief of Maui and later of O'ahu.

As a young woman in the court of Kamehameha I, Liliha was noted for her loyalty, strength of character and beauty. Her first husband was the chief Luanu'u Kahalai'a, a nephew of the king. After they separated, she married Boki, a high chief and medicinal practitioner. The devoted couple became the close companions of King Kamehameha II and his consort, Kamehamalu.

In November 1823, Kamehameha II embarked on a trip to petition British King George IV for the protection of Hawai'i against foreign intrusion. The royal entourage-Kamehameha, Queen Kamehamalu, Boki, Liliha and seven other chiefs-arrived in London in May 1824. Before they could meet with the English king, however, tragedy struck. One by one, members of the delegation contracted measles. Despite the efforts of the British royal physicians, Queen Kamehamalu succumbed. Liliha had cared for the queen even while she herself was recovering, and she continued to serve her after death. Before the body was removed for embalming, Liliha clothed her mistress in native dress and crowned her with lei made of English flowers.

Kamehameha was distraught over the loss of his wife; six days later he died as well, in Liliha's arms. Amid the grief and confusion, it was left to Boki to assume leadership of the delegation. On behalf of the tiny Pacific kingdom, he accepted condolences from King George, along withassurances of protectorate status for the Islands.

After the group's return home, Boki resumed his position as governor of O'ahu. In 1829, heavily in debt, he organized an expedition with several other chiefs to collect sandalwood in the New Hebrides. He placed Liliha in charge of all his official and personal responsibilities-the management of the young King Kamehameha III's properties on O'ahu, which included the fort and harbor in Honolulu; the fort in Waikiki; the fort in Punchbowl; and the taro-rich districts of Ko'olaupoko, Ko'olauloa and 'Ewa, along with their prized fisheries. Boki was also the personal guardian of the boy king, a duty that carried great status. This honor, too, passed to Liliha, much to the displeasure of the queen regent, Ka'ahumanu. Ka'ahumanu distrusted Liliha and accused her of being a bad influence on the king.

After Boki set sail, Liliha further demonstrated her kindheartedness. She gathered under her roof all the chiefesses whose husbands were accompanying Boki, to take care of them until the men returned. Months later, when word arrived that Boki and his crew had been lost at sea, Liliha continued to provide shelter and food to the widows and families. For her sympathetic heart and her generosity, she won the love of chiefs and commoners alike.

On Aug. 25, 1839, Liliha died unexpectedly at Leleo, in Honolulu, at the age of 37. Because of her high rank, she was given a place at Moku'ula in Lahaina, Maui, among the remains of other chiefs. Before her body was taken to Lahaina, people from all over the kingdom came to Honolulu to pay their last respects. According to the native historian Kamakau, the Kikihale River "was stamped dry" by the feet of the multitudes of mourners. The chiefess was that beloved.

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