On December 19, 1888, Charles Reed Bishop reminded the first Kamehameha Schools students of the institution’s powerful namesake on what would be their inaugural Founder’s Day.
“Bernice Pauahi Bishop, by founding the Kamehameha Schools, intended to establish institutions which should be of lasting benefit to her country; and also, to honor the name of Kamehameha…a name with which we associate ability, courage, patriotism and generosity,” Bishop said.
Ke Aliʻi Pauahi envisioned an academy that would instill those very values in Hawaiian youth. Modeled after the Royal School she attended as a young aliʻi, she knew firsthand how powerful a rigorous education could be for kanaka maoli. Her school was not created to train factory workers but to form the next leaders of a sovereign Hawaiʻi. At the origin of this mission was her great-grandfather, Kamehameha I.
Kamehameha I was raised in a traditional system of aliʻi education, mentored by experts and groomed for leadership through kahuna and warriors like Kekūhaupiʻō. It was Kekūhaupiʻō who told the young chief “ʻO ke aliʻi i lilo i ka leʻaleʻa a mālama ʻole i ke kanaka me ke kapu akua, ʻaʻole ia he aliʻi e kū ai i ka moku” — a chief who seeks pleasure over kuleana cannot rightly lead.
This lesson stayed with Kamehameha I throughout his life. As he unified the islands, his leadership was marked by his love for the people and the land. After the Battle of Nuʻuanu, he personally commanded efforts to restore agricultural systems and food security for both his armies and the newly conquered, leading with aloha ‘āina and ʻōpū aliʻi — a chiefly compassion.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop chose to name her school after Kamehameha because he represented the best of what Hawaiian leadership could be: intelligent, visionary and deeply responsible to the people. At a time when Hawaiians were being displaced and diminished, she foresaw an institution that would help them stand tall and thrive once again. She and Charles Reed Bishop invested heavily in that undertaking, bringing in state-of-the-art tools and facilities to prepare haumāna for real-world opportunities. Over time, that investment shaped how students saw themselves — not as laborers in someone else’s system but as leaders for their own. In early issues of the school newspaper, they captured it simply: We create leaders, not lunas.
Princess Pauahi knew that if Hawaiians didn’t rise to the moment, they risked being left behind. Charles Reed Bishop carried that concern into his remarks on that very first Founder’s Day, offering haumāna both a challenge and a charge.
“If Hawaiians… are true to themselves and take advantage of the opportunities… there is no reason why they should not from this time forth, increase in numbers, self-reliance, and influence,” Bishop said.
As we celebrate Kamehameha Day, we remember the warrior who united kingdoms and the princess who carried his legacy forward through education. Her gift to kanaka ʻōiwi was more than just a school; it was a call to leadership. May we continue to answer her call with grit, wisdom and deep aloha for our lāhui.
TAGS
ks hawaii,ks maui,maui campus,keaau campus,kapalama campus,pauahi,bernice pauahi bishop,kamehameha,kamehameha day,kamehameha day parade,ʻōiwi leaders,native hawaiian identity,aloha ʻāina,ks kapalama
CATEGORIES
Kaipuolono Article, Regions, Kaua’i and Ni’ihau, Wai’anae Coast, ‘Ewa, Waialua, Kona, O’ahu, Ko’olau, Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i, West Hawai’i, East Hawai’i, Themes, Culture, Community, Hawaii Newsroom, KS Hawaii Home, Kapalama Newsroom, Kapalama Home, KS Announcements, Maui Newsroom, KS Maui Home, Newsroom, Hawaii, Kapalama, Maui, Preschools, Community Education, Community Events, Department News, Ho‘okahua, Alumni, Hawai’i, Kapalama, Maui, Oahu, Oiwi Leaders, Hawaii campus, Kapalama campus, Maui campus, Preschools
Print with photos
Print text only
