Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 9, 1 September 2021 — E Ho'ohanohano kō Mākou Mō'ī Wahine Lili'uokalani [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

E Ho'ohanohano kō Mākou Mō'ī Wahine Lili'uokalani

J E 'ONIPA'A KAKOU ^ BE STEADFAST

By Palama Lee, Ph.ū. Queen Lili'uokalani's 183rd birthday is on Sept. 2, 2021. Lydia Lili'u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka'eha was born in 1838 as one of six kamali'i to high ranking Ali'i Analea Keohokālole and Caesar Kapa'akea. At birth, Lydia was lawe hānai to high Chiefess Laura Kōnia and

Abner Pākī and grew up as the younger sister to Ke Ali'i Pauahi. Queen Lili'uokalani exemplified the qualities of a great Hawaiian leader. She was proficient in the customs and language of her people, knowledgeable about both domestic

and international affairs, passionate about learning, an astute business woman, a prolific composer of music, deeply spiritual, and a staunch promoter of sovereignty for her people. On December 2, 1909, Queen Lili' uokalani established her Deed of Trust. With her amendment in 1911, she stated that "all the property of the Trust Estate, both principal and income...shall be used by the Trustees to the benefit of orphan and other destitute children in the Hawaiian Islands, the preference given to Hawaiian children of pure or part-aboriginal blood." In 1911, the her trustees decided to allow the trust endowment to grow to build orphanages, the standard of care at that time. In the 1930s, when the trust

had the necessary capital, the standard of care had changed to services through the Child Welfare League of America. Thus, Lili'uokalani Trust (LT) shifted to provide direct care to orphaned and destitute kamali' i. Today we continue to serve the beneficiaries the Queen envisioned in her Deed of Trust. Our Strategic Plan 2020 2045, Wehe ■ Ke Ala, expands our services to kamali'i in contemporary conditions of destitution such as financial poverty, homelessness, and involvement in foster care or juvenile justice. Our cornerstone services continue and group services for youth development have taken traction. We are entering new and exciting spaces such as transitional services for homeless vouth. earlv childhood wrap

around services for kamali' i with children, and efforts to address big and wieked problems through our systems change work. LT is at a point of transformation. We remain grounded in the legacy of our Queen and our

history as Lili' uokalani Trust and have the nimbleness and ingenuity to expand and trailblaze in new territory to serve our Queen's kamali'i in muhiple ways into perpetuity. Hau'oli lā hānau i kō kākou Mōī Wahine Lili' uokalani! ■ Pālama Lee's kūpuna comefrom Moloka'i, Kamalō and Maui, Kaupō and Lahaina. For the past 10 years, Lee has heen blessed to workfor the Lili'uokalani Trust ( LT ) in several roles, presently as a researcher and evaluator. His research for LT focuses on illuminating the wellbeing ofour lāhui. He received his MSW and Ph.D. at UH Mānoa.

Queen Lili'uokalani left her estate to benefit destitute and orphaned Native Hawaiian children. - Photo: Hawai'i State Archives