Kamehameha the Great fulfilled the prophecy of the birth of a male who would become the greatest of all chiefs in Hawai‘i.

Kamehameha was born in the North Kohala area of Kokoiki, around 1753. Because of the prophecy, he was seen as a threat to current rulers.

Protecting the future king
Word went out to find and kill the baby, but the Kohala community conspired to save him. The future King was carried on a perilous journey through Kohala and Pololu Valley to ‘Awini, a mountain area where he was raised until age 13. The village names of North Kohala commemorate events of that historic journey.

After he came to power, Kamehameha knew he could always count on Kohala to be loyal and help him, because they had been dedicated to him from the moment he was born.

In 1795, the prophecy came true as Kamehameha conquered the islands and united them in peace, becoming King Kamehameha I. Many Hawaiian residents in the area can trace their ancestry to the King.

North Kohala is proud of its connection to the King and reveres him as both leader and ancestor. This reverence is visible in the loving care with which the Kamehameha statue in Kapa‘au is maintained, and in the grassroots effort that creates a full range of ceremonies each Kamehameha Day.

On Kamehameha Day we honor all things Hawaiian by paying homage to a great Ali‘i (chief or King) of Hawai‘i. While perhaps Hawai‘i’s greatest warrior, Kamehameha I was ultimately able to end war by his conquest of the islands. Once the islands were united, new laws were created to protect and preserve the peace and heiau (places of worship) were rededicated from war to peace. Kamehameha I loved a pious people and was known to be patient and kindly to his subjects, earning respect which continues to this day.