Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 6, 1 June 1990 — Children tour ʻlolani in the steps of the aliʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Children tour ʻlolani in the steps of the aliʻi

By Deborah Lee Ward What would it be like to walk in the footsteps of the ali'i of Hawai'i and to leam the Hawaiian values they practiced? Havuaii's elementary school children are able to take a journey back in time to the days of Hawaii's monarchs through their school tours of 'Iolani Palaee. Tours are designed to complement the Department of Education Hawaiian studies curriculum. Friends of 'Iolani Palaee managing director Aliee Guild says "We want the children to see the palaee as a bridge between the Hawai'i that existed before the arrival of Westerners and the Hawai'i that has developed since then. "It demonstrates to young people that the values that existed in early Hawaiian society also existed 100 years later with King Kalakaua's reign and still exist today. These values are as true today as they were 100 years ago." Conscious of the renewed interest in Hawaiian history, language and culture, palaee education coordinator J.M. "Matt" Mattice said that last year the palaee began to change its school tours to more closely relate to the DOE's 4th through 6th grade school Hawaiian studies curriculum. Tours now emphasize Hawaiian values with a light touch, while still giving the children an entertaining opportunity to think about what mattered to Hawaiian royalty a century ago. To help the students appreciate and understand the significance of 'Iolani Palaee in Hawaiian history, Mattice makes schoolroom visits before the tour. He introduces the people and events of the monarchy period to set the stage for the visit, stressing that Hawai'i was onee an intemationally recognized nation. "The palaee shows the transition between Hawaiian rule and Amenean rule," Mattice says. He invites students to consider that though the monarchs acquired foreign learning and dress and other habits of European culture they were still very Hawaiian in their lifestyle and thinking. Hawaiian symbols were selected in the royal crowns — taro leaves, their red and gold color. Queen Kapi'olani's bedroom was full of kahili and woven Ni'ihau mats. With high school classes Mattice discusses the eeonomie, social and political issues of the late monarchy. The ali'i were concerned with the impact of disease on the native populahon and the threat of foreign takeover. He ties in the issue of the overthrow of the kingdom with the modernday United Nations charter on the right to selfdetermination and the concerns of modern-day Hawaiians. When the school groups arrive at the makai entrance of 'Iolani Palaee they are greeted by docents and palaee education coordinators. Sometimes the students bring "ho'okupu" in the form of

songs or hula, as did palaee visitors a century ago. As a concession to the modern-day role of the palaee as museum, students don cloth booties to protect the gleaming hardwood floors. Their introduction to values begins with 'ike, (recognition of the importance of the palaee) and malama (taking care of the palaee by respecting house rules and by appropriate behavior.) Then they are invited to step back into the 19th century in their imagination. Transformed into "distinguished guests" who arrived by horse and carriage for a royal ball, theyare greeted by palaee staff (docents) and ushered through the etched glass doors into the entrance hall of 'Iolani Palaee. Thus they leam about ho'okipa, (hospitality to guests.) In the spacious reception hall they gaze up to recognize the ali'i in portraits, Kamehameha the first, his dynasty, their wives. King Lunalilo, Queen Emma and King Kalakaua. They leam how the ali'i cared for the land and people, the value of "malama," and about how the ali'i respected the kupuna. Resplendent in their uniforms and gowns, the palaee "guests" are admitted to the throne room, where a royal ball is to take plaee. The heart of the palaee, the throne room is entirely decorated in red, a color very sacred to Hawaiians. Red drapery, red floral patterned carpet and red upholstered chairs and, the red and gilt thrones of the King and Queen whieh returned to the palaee in 1986 from Bishop Museum. Visiting King Kalakaua's bedroom upstairs, the students leam about the kuleana, responsibilities he faced as leader of the nation, about the importanee of mo'okuauhau, (genealogy.) Moving on to the king's library, they leam about hana (work), pa'ahana (industriousness), and the king's efforts to ho'oulu ka lahui (to increase the race). Stepping out onto the makai balcony they try to imagine that the King and Queen could see the oeean from the Palaee and the ships anchored in Honolulu harbor. They also leam that it was from this balcony that Queen Kapi'olani saw approaching the ship draped in black that bore the body of

her husband, King Kalakaua, as it returned from his trip to San Francisco where he had died. Quiet now, the children move on to Queen Kapi'olani's bedroom. There, her silk coverlet embroidered with her motto "Kulia I Ka Nu'u," or "Strive for the highest" provides an example the kids relate to easily as "Go for it." In a bare, shuttered room where Queen Lili'uokalani was imprisoned after her overthrow, the children leam about her pain at losing her kingdom, and her efforts to restore sovereignty to Hawai'i. They leam about her motto, 'onipa'a, to be steadfast, and about her example as a kanaka makua, a mentally and emotionally mature adult. A fascinating look at the kitchen and chamberlain's office (a favorite of the children) in the basement brings the school tour to a close. Here they leam about kokua (helping) and laulima (working together) kako'o (support) and about 'ohana (family.) The school tour program was initiated in 1980 and has grown steadily in both concept and number of students served. During the 1988-89 school year, 7,469 students and teachers from 116 educational institutions visited the Palaee. Palaee tours are free to school children. The school tour program is used by public and private schools throughout the state, including alternative education programs such as Storefront School, Lili'uokalani Children's Trust, Kailua community Quest, Hale Kipa, Palama Settlement and the Hawai'i Job Corps.

Children of lliahi Elementary School share a musica! ho'okupu on 'lolani Palaee Lawn before their school tour.

I/) -e O) 3 ī ee I r° J?