220th Anniversary of the Birth of John Papa ʻĪʻī

August 3, 1800 marked the birth of one of the most influential people in the history of Hawaiʻi. John (Ioane) Kaneiakama Papa ʻĪʻī was born near Hanaloa fishpond on the ʻEwa side of the island of Oʻahu. From his early years, he was trained for service and, at age ten, he was taken to Honolulu by his Uncle, Papa ʻĪʻī who served as kahu (an honored attendant, advisor, caretaker) to Kamehameha the Great.  When he arrived to Honolulu, John served as companion and personal attendant to Liholiho who became King Kamehameha III in 1819.

Upon the death of King Kamehameha III, John Papa ʻĪʻī continued to stay active in the political, religious, and social aspects of life in Hawaiʻi. Among his numerous achievements was serving as kahu to Victoria Kamāmalu as well as to the children at the Chiefs' Children's School in 1840. Throughout his adult years, he served in numerous offices working to advocate for the rights of people of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.

Below are a selection of resources related to John Papa ʻĪʻī and the Hawaiʻi that he lived in.

Brown, M. A. (2016). Facing the spears of change: the life of John Papa ʻĪʻī. University of Hawaiʻi Press. 

"This book takes a close look at the extraordinary life of John Papa ʻĪʻī. Over the years, ʻĪʻī faced many personal and political changes and challenges in rapid succession, which he skillfully parried or seized, then used to fend off other attacks. He began serving the household of Kamehameha I as an attendant in 1810, at the age of ten, and became highly familiar with the inner workings of the royal household... As a privileged spectator and key participant, his published accounts of aliʻi and his insights into early nineteenth-century Hawaiian cultural-religious practices are unsurpassed." -- from publisher.

Hommon, R. J. (2013). The ancient Hawaiian state: origins of a political society. Oxford University Press. 

"The Ancient Hawaiian State offers a history of the ancient Hawaiians' transformation of their Polynesian chiefdoms into primary state societies... Tracing the roots and emergence of the Hawaiian states, this innovative study offers a detailed model that will advance the analysis of Polynesian political development and shed light on the nature and dynamics of primary state formation." -- from publisher

Osorio, J. K. (2002). Dismembering lāhui: a history of the Hawaiian nation to 1887. University of Hawaiʻi Press.

"Osorio investigates the effects of Western law on the national identity of Native Hawaiians in this impressive political history of the Kingdom of Hawaii from the onset of constitutional government in 1840 to the Bayonet Constitution of 1887, which effectively placed political power in the kingdom in the hands of white businessmen... Osorio plots the course of events that transformed Hawaii from a traditional subsistence economy to a modern nation, taking into account the many individuals nearly forgotten by history who wrestled with each new political and social change." -- from publisher

Find more information at our following LibGuides: Annexation, Colonization, Sovereignty, and general Hawaiian history.