Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 6, 1 Iune 1993 — This year's King Kamehameha Commemoration is 121st [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

This year's King Kamehameha Commemoration is 121st

This year marks the 1 2 1 st anniversary of the King Kamehameha holiday, the only hoIiday in the U.S. honoring a monarch. It was established by King Kamehameha V on Dec. 22, 1871 to honor his grandfather, the unifier of the Hawaiian Kingdom, King Kamehameha the Great. "Ho'omaka Hou (A New Beginning)" is the statewide theme for the 1993 King Kamehameha Celebration. It is a eall for self-determination, selfgovernance, and the restoration of rights by

the indigenous people of these islands - the Hawaiians. Flower lei, some 26 feet long, will be sewn and draped on the K i n g Kamehameha statue on King Street downtown during decoration ceremonies beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 1 1 Individuals and organizations are invited to

bring plumeria lei or loose p!umerias to the statue between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Anyone wishing to help string lei is weleome. Monsignor Charles Kekumano, chairman of the board of Lili'uokalani Trust, will serve as the grand marshal for the 77th Annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade on

June 12. Gerald Keaniniokalani Mendiola will portray Kamehameha the Great atop a floral float created by the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club, and Dedra "Dee" Lehua Rego Balfour will reign as the Pā'ū Queen. The parade starts at the intersection of King and Richards Streets and will reach Queen Kapi'olani Park via Punchbowl Street, Ala Moana Boulevard, Kalākaua Avenue and Monsarrat Avenue. After the parade, Hawaiian artists and crafters will demonstrate and dis-

play their handiwork in the park. Entertainment will be presented at the bandstand, and the parade awards presentation will be made at 2:30 p.m. The 20th Annual King Kamehameha H u 1 a Competition will be held June 25-26 at the Neal S. B 1 a i s d e 1 1 C e n t e r . T wenty-four hālau and nine chanters from H a w a i ' i , California and

japan wui compete. Groups will compete in kahiko and 'auana and individuals will compete in a specia! chant division. The Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau will be honored for their contribution to Hawaiian culture through music. All dances in the 'auana division will be performed to their songs, and the group will give a short concert.