King Kamehameha the Great

Kamehameha the Great fulfilled the prophecy of the birth of a male who would become the greatest of all chiefs in Hawai‘i.

Kamehameha was born in the North Kohala area of Kokoiki on the Big Island, around 1753. Because of the prophecy, he was seen as a threat to current rulers.

Word went out to find and kill the baby, but the Kohala community conspired to save him. The future King was carried on a perilous journey through Kohala and Pololu Valley to ‘Awini, a mountain area where he was raised until age 13. The village names of North Kohala commemorate events of that historic journey.

After he came to power, Kamehameha knew he could always count on Kohala to be loyal and help him, because they had been dedicated to him from the moment he was born.

In 1795, the prophecy came true as Kamehameha conquered the islands and united them in peace, becoming King Kamehameha I. Many Hawaiian residents in the area can trace their ancestry to the King.

Our kumu hula, Kawaikapuokalani K. Hewitt, is one of them

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