University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa celebrated Queen Liliʻuokalani’s lā hānau (birthday) with a ceremony on September 3 at Ke Ahu o Kamakaʻeha, an altar dedicated to the last reigning Hawaiian monarch. Students, faculty and staff gathered to present oli (chant), drape lei, and offer hoʻokupu (offerings) at the ahu. This marked the start of the E Liliʻu Ē celebration at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services (QLCSS).
The event was organized by the Division of Student Success, Native Hawaiian Student Services (NHSS), and the Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office. It aims to honor the Queen’s legacy while highlighting the support services available to students in the QLCSS building.
“Having these different student services programs participating in our program helps shape the identity of this building, honoring her [Queen Liliʻuokalani] legacy, but also allowing students to see the programming that we have in our office,” said Allyson Nuesca Franco, community outreach coordinator at NHSS.
Flowers for history
The celebration is part of Hawaiian History Month, which runs throughout Kepakemapa (September). As music echoed throughout the building, activities hosted on the first floor paid homage to Native Hawaiian culture and brought historical stories to life. One special activity sent students on a quest to gather individual flowers from offices throughout QLCSS. They arranged the flowers into bouquets wrapped in replicas of old Hawaiian language newspapers. It honored a moving moʻolelo (story) from Queen Liliʻuokalani’s imprisonment at ʻIolani Palace, where she received flowers wrapped in newspapers that helped her secretly keep informed about her kingdom.
- Related UH News story: Hawaiian History Month: UH honors Queen Liliʻuokalani, heritage, August 27, 2024
“It means a lot to me because being at UH and especially being supported by these services, it’s important that we honor Queen Liliʻuokalani and that we do these events and social engagements to ensure that people at UH Mānoa are going to continue to be engaged with history,” said Kalawaiʻa Nunies, a senior majoring in journalism and Hawaiian studies.
For more information on upcoming events throughout the month, visit the Hawaiian History Month website.
