Facing the Spears of Change : The Life and Legacy of John Papa `Ī`ī

__Facing the Spears of Change__ takes a close look at the extraordinary life of John Papa `Ī`ī. Over the years, `Ī`ī faced many personal and political changes and challenges in rapid succession, which he skillfully parried or seized, then used to fend off other attacks. He began serving in the household of Kamehameha I as an attendant in 1810, at the age of ten, and became highly familiar with the inner workings of the royal household. His early service took place in a time when ali`i nui (the highest-ranking Hawaiians) were considered divine and surrounded with strict kapu (sacred prohibitions); breaking a kapu pertaining to an ali`i meant death for the transgressor. He went on to become an influential statesman, privy to the shifting modes of governance adopted by the Hawaiian kingdom. `Ī`ī’s intelligence and his good standing with those he served resulted in a great degree of influence within the Hawaiian government, with his fellow Hawaiians, and with the missionaries residing in the Hawaiian Islands. As a privileged spectator and key participant, his published accounts of ali`i and his insights into early nineteenth-century Hawaiian cultural-religious practices are unsurpassed. In this groundbreaking work, Marie Alohalani Brown offers an elegantly written and compelling portrait of an important historical figure in nineteenth-century Hawai`i. Brown’s extensive archival research using Hawaiian and English language primary sources from the 1800s allows access to information which would be otherwise unknown but to a very small circle of researchers.

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems– both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.

Contents Acknowledgments He ‘Ōlelo Wehewehe: An Explanation for Readers Timeline Ho’olauna: Introduction 1. Puka a Mohala ka Pua—The Child Appears and Blossoms: ‘Ī‘ī’s Life from 1800 to 1824 2. He Huliau, He Au Hou—A Time of Change, A New Era: ‘Ī‘ī’s Life from 1825 to 1839 3. Pua ka Loea Kālaiaupuni—A Statesman Emerges: ‘Ī‘ī’s Life from 1840 to 1854 4. Kau mai ka Mōlehulehu—Twilight Descends: ‘Ī‘ī’s Life from 1855 to 1868 5. Ka Pale ‘ana i nā Ihe Hope Loa—Parrying the Last Spears Epilogue: He Kānaenae no Ioane Kaneiakama Papa ‘Ī‘ī—Words in Praise of John Kaneiakama Papa ‘Ī‘ī Appendix: John Papa ‘Ī‘ī’s Newspaper Contributions Notes Works Consulted Index In this groundbreaking work, Marie Alohalani Brown offers a meticulously researched, elegantly written, and compelling portrait of an important historical figure in nineteenth-century Hawaii. Brown's extensive archival research and use of Hawaiian and English language primary sources from the 1800s allows readers to access information that would be otherwise unknown but to a very small circle of researchers