By Barbara Bumatay Picayo
“When we consider the innovative ideas that Queen Liliʻuokalani implemented during her lifetime, we begin to understand how progressive she was, certainly compared to most Victorian women. The idea of a queen who had traveled extensively; spoke, wrote, and composed in multiple languages, understood land, water and intellectual property rights and was eloquent in expressing her written opinions no doubt, disrupted the status quo.” - Edgy Lee, Filmmaker of “Reflections of our Queen”
Queen Liliʻuokalani - The Trailblazer
Queen Liliʻuokalani, originally named Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha, was born on September 2, 1838, at the base of Punchbowl on Oʻahu. Though her birth parents were Analea Keohokālole and Caesar Kapaʻakea, she was hānai (informally adopted) by Abner Pākī and Laura Kōnia, growing up alongside their daughter, Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Liliʻuokalani's Hawaii was a beacon of progressive values for its time, including universal suffrage by 1840 (a milestone the US wouldn’t reach until 1965), universal healthcare, state neutrality, and an impressive 95% literacy rate. By 1890, the Hawaiian archipelago was recognized through 21 international treaties and more than 80 embassies worldwide.
Before ascending the throne, Liliʻuokalani was a trailblazer in advocating for women's rights and improving the lives of women and children. She founded a women’s bank - Liliuokalani’s Savings Bank in Honolulu, a pioneering institution that enabled women to manage their finances independently. Through regular deposits, women could provide and access loans, with interest benefiting the members. This was a significant step towards financial empowerment for women.
Additionally, she established Hui Hookuonoono, a collective financial group in Hilo that allowed women to pool their resources and support one another, a precursor to modern microfinancing.
Queen Liliʻuokalani - The Philanthropist
One of her enduring legacies is the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust. While still Princess Liliʻuokalani, years before assuming the throne, she started a society devoted to the betterment of Hawaiian children through education. She went to great lengths to ensure that students had the opportunity to attend Kamehameha Schools and Kawaiahao Seminary School. Later in 1909, despite being overthrown years earlier, her wise management of her estate enabled her to create the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, focused on supporting orphaned and impoverished children in Hawaiʻi. The Trust provides vital services such as youth development, family counseling, financial coaching, and community-based projects across the six main islands. More than a century later, it continues to be a powerful philanthropic force.
Queen Liliʻuokalani - The Indomitable Spirit of Hawaiʻi
During the final years of King Kalākaua’s reign, powerful plantation owners and businessmen coerced him into signing the “Bayonet Constitution,” which severely limited the monarchy’s power and disenfranchised the Hawaiian people. After her brother’s death in 1891, Liliʻuokalani became queen and immediately sought to amend the constitution to restore authority to both the monarchy and the people.
Her efforts to regain authority and sovereignty for the people of Hawaiʻi were marked by non-violent, strategic protests. Her proposed constitution would have restored the power to the monarchy, and voting rights to economically disenfranchised native Hawaiians and Asians. Because of these efforts, she was arrested in 1893, with the help of the US Marines. Even during her imprisonment in ʻIolani Palace, she continued to champion Hawaiian culture, translating the Kumulipo creation chant into English, composing traditional songs and writing her book, Hawaiʻi’s Story by Hawaiʻi’s Queen. Queen Liliʻuokalani’s unwavering spirit and dedication to her people’s rights and heritage make her a powerful symbol of resilience and advocacy.
Resources:
Ahead of Her Time by Jeff Hawe | Hawaii Business Magazine
Queen Liliʻuokalani: Hawaiʻi‘s only reigning queen By Kālewa Correa, Curator of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, Asian Pacific American Center
Women in History - Queen Liliʻuokalani by Tina Koeppe
Liliʻuokalani - Wikipedia
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