The royal union of Queen Ka-pi`o-lani’s sister, Esther Kino`iki Ke-kaulike and David Ka-hale-pouli Pi`ikoi produced three sons one of whom was Prince Kuhio, born on Kaua`i’s south shore near Po`ipu on March 26, 1872. His birthday is celebrated as a Hawaii state holiday.
In 1919, Kuhio sponsored a bill calling for Hawaiian statehood, a full forty years before it became a reality. In 1921, Kuhio stirred the emotions of Congress as he spoke of the decline of his people who numbered fewer than 24,000 in the 1920 census, believed to be about 10% of the former Native Hawaiian population.
Today we celebrate his heritage island wide but there is one event that always stands out, the Annual Anahola Prince Kuhio Day Celebration held on Saturday, March 16, from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm at Anahola Beach Park, this is a day of fun filled activities, educational, cultural, health and wellness exhibits for the whole family. You can enjoy live music, entertainment, and hula performances in celebrating the past and embracing the future of Prince Kuhio’s legacy, there will also be food and craft booths for you to enjoy and peruse. It’s a free event and if you want to find out more you can email La Contrades at khpono@gmail.com, or if you’d like to find out more about Prince Kuhio click here.
