Hawaii–Tahiti relations
Encyclopedia
Hawaii–Tahiti relations refers to the historical relationship
between the independent Kingdom of Hawaii
and the Kingdom of Tahiti. Relations included one treaty, proposed marriage alliances, and exchanges of trade and diplomatic representatives from the early 1800s to 1880.
to the Hawaiian islands
came from the south from a place called Kahiki, often identified as Samoa
or Tahiti
. This second migration replaced the older Marquesan
settlers and form the new alii class.
Communication between the two regions ceased for more than half a millennium before the arrival of Captain James Cook
who was already famous for exploring the Pacific islands including Tahiti. He and his crew were struck by the similarity between the Tahitian
and Hawaiian
languages, and many crewmen were able to communicate with the Hawaiians.
Some of the first Tahitians came to Hawaii aboard foreign vessels as sailors or translators.
In 1804, British Captain John Turnbull brought a Tahitian couple to Kauai.
Tahitians missionaries led by William Ellis from the London Missionary Society
, arrived to assist the American missionaries in Hawaii.
A few years prior to 1804, King Kaumualii
of Kauai had sent an envoy to Tahiti to select a wife suitable to his lineage and position and no doubt to forge an alliance with the Tahitians in the event King Kamehameha I
were to conquer Kauai. The man never returned to Kauai and instead settled in Tahiti. Before his kidnapping by Queen Kaahumanu in 1819, Kaumualii had planned on a voyage to Tahiti with Reverend Hiram Bingham I
for the purpose of exploring the possibilities there for trade and missionaries.
Through use of western weaponry, native rulers on both islands were able to consolidate their power and defeat rival chiefs. Kamehameha I
united all eight islands of Hawaii by 1810. Pōmare I
managed to united the island of Tahiti along with Moʻorea
, Tetiaroa
, and Mehetia
; although he was never able to conquer Maiao
or the Leeward Islands
, which remain independent and ruled by three other separate kingdoms. There were some instances of correspondents between the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Pōmare Dynasty.
A double marriage alliance was proposed by the two kings in which a daughters of each would be married to a son of the other. Kekāuluohi was chosen for this but, with the death of Pōmare, plans for a match collapsed.
Both the rulers of Tahiti and Hawaii adhered to the Protestant faith and did not hesitate in persecuting native Catholic
s and deporting Catholic missionaries (in the case of Tahiti, Queen Pōmare denied such doings) which resulted in conflict with France, the dominant Catholic power during the 1800s. Hawaii was able to escape colonialism by gaining the recognition of France, Great Britain, and the United States, while Tahiti was not so fortunate.
In 1842, Queen Pōmare IV
was forced to accept a French protectorate over her kingdom, and in 1843 French troops were landed in the islands by Admiral Dupetit Thouars
, affectively placing Tahiti under French control and rendering the Queen a mere puppet ruler. Queen Pōmare wrote to King Kamehameha III
:
Sympathetic to the Tahitian Queen, Hawaiians were horrified at the situation in Tahiti, knowing full well that Hawaii was as susceptible (if not more so) to European colonial aggressions in the Pacific. The Hawaiians were especially fearful of the French.
The French admiral Dupetit Thouars, that had invaded Tahiti, landed in Hawaii a decade before in 1837 aboard the French frigate La Venus and had demanded the Premier Kaʻahumanu II and the young King Kamehameha III to stop persecuting the French Catholic missionaries; at that time Dupetit Thouars was only a captain of an exploring expedition and didn't have the power or men to put any pressure on the Hawaiians. The demands were ignored and the anti-French stance of the government continued until the 1839 Laplace Affair
which forced the Hawaiian government to acknowledge the rights of Catholic in their realm with the Edict of Toleration
and pay $20,000 in compensation.
Western pressure on Hawaii continued with the 1843 Paulet Affair
, involving the British, and the threat of annexation was ever present.
From the [[ʻIolani Palace|palace]] of Honolulu, Kamehameha III wrote back to her on February 4, 1845:
The French Admiral De Tromelin
invaded Honolulu
in 1849, caused $100,000 in damage and took the king's yacht, Kamehameha III, which was sailed to Tahiti. Hawaii escaped French annexation because the balance of American, British and French interests in the islands made it impossible for any of the three nations to annex the islands.
In 1849, Tahitian Princess Ninito Teraiapo, accompanied by her cousins, all nieces of Queen Pōmare IV, arrived in Honolulu from Tahiti as guests of the Admiral De Tromelin.
She was betrothed to Prince Moses Kekūāiwa
, but arrived to news of his death. Instead she married John Keolaloa Sumner. Ninito returned to Tahiti with her husband, who served as Hawaiian consul to Tahiti for a number of years.
In November 24, 1853, Tahiti and Hawaii signed a Postal Treaty which set Tahitian postage at 5¢ per ½ oz. and Hawaii postage at 5¢ per ½ oz. This was the only formal diplomatic treaty between the two countries.
Hawaii maintained a consul
in the Tahitian capital Papeetē
, and this representation continued after the French annexation of Tahiti in 1880, but as a diplomatic gesture to France and its colonies rather than to the former relationship between Tahiti and Hawaii.
in the kingdom was through a series of ad-hoc envoys, and a post roughly equivalent to the current diplomatic rank
of Ambassador
of Consuls to Tahiti. Records are scant of Consuls prior to the 1880s.
had a brief correspondent with Mahine Tehei'ura, King of Huahine
, one of the three independent kingdoms in the windward sided of the Society Islands
which was linguistically and culturally tied with Tahiti. Here is a translation of one of the first Hawaiian letters ever written:
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
between the independent Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
and the Kingdom of Tahiti. Relations included one treaty, proposed marriage alliances, and exchanges of trade and diplomatic representatives from the early 1800s to 1880.
History
According to oral traditions the second migration of PolynesiansPolynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
to the Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
came from the south from a place called Kahiki, often identified as Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
or Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. This second migration replaced the older Marquesan
Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
settlers and form the new alii class.
Communication between the two regions ceased for more than half a millennium before the arrival of Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
who was already famous for exploring the Pacific islands including Tahiti. He and his crew were struck by the similarity between the Tahitian
Tahitian language
Tahitian is an indigenous language spoken mainly in the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is an Eastern Polynesian language closely related to the other indigenous languages spoken in French Polynesia: Marquesan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, and Austral Islands languages...
and Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
languages, and many crewmen were able to communicate with the Hawaiians.
Some of the first Tahitians came to Hawaii aboard foreign vessels as sailors or translators.
In 1804, British Captain John Turnbull brought a Tahitian couple to Kauai.
Tahitians missionaries led by William Ellis from the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
, arrived to assist the American missionaries in Hawaii.
A few years prior to 1804, King Kaumualii
Kaumualii
Kaumualii was the last independent Alii Aimoku of Kauai and Niihau before becoming a vassal of Kamehameha I of the unified Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810...
of Kauai had sent an envoy to Tahiti to select a wife suitable to his lineage and position and no doubt to forge an alliance with the Tahitians in the event King Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
were to conquer Kauai. The man never returned to Kauai and instead settled in Tahiti. Before his kidnapping by Queen Kaahumanu in 1819, Kaumualii had planned on a voyage to Tahiti with Reverend Hiram Bingham I
Hiram Bingham I
Hiram Bingham, formally Hiram Bingham I , was leader of the first group of Protestant missionaries to introduce Christianity to the Hawaiian islands.-Life:...
for the purpose of exploring the possibilities there for trade and missionaries.
Through use of western weaponry, native rulers on both islands were able to consolidate their power and defeat rival chiefs. Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
united all eight islands of Hawaii by 1810. Pōmare I
Pomare I
Pōmare I, King of Tahiti , fully in old orthography: Tu-nui-ea-i-te-atua-i-Tarahoi Vairaatoa Taina Pōmare I , was the unifier and first king of Tahiti and founder of the Pōmare dynasty and the Kingdom of Tahiti between 1788? and 1791.Outu is the phonetic English rendering of...
managed to united the island of Tahiti along with Moʻorea
Moorea
Moʻorea is a high island in French Polynesia, part of the Society Islands, 17 km northwest of Tahiti. Its position is . Moʻorea means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian...
, Tetiaroa
Tetiaroa
Tetiaroa is a private atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. Once the vacation spot for Tahitian royalty, the atoll is widely known for having been purchased by Marlon Brando...
, and Mehetia
Mehetia
Mehetia or Meetia is a volcanic island in the Windward Islands, in the east of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. This island is a very young active stratovolcano east of Taiarapu Peninsula of Tahiti. It belongs to the Teahitia-Mehetia hotspot....
; although he was never able to conquer Maiao
Maiao
Maiao is an island formation located southwest of Moorea and one of the Windward Islands in French Polynesia.-Geography:...
or the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands (Society Islands)
The Leeward Islands are the western part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. They lie south of the Line Islands , east of the Cooks and north of the Austral Islands . Their area is 395 km² with a population of over 33,000...
, which remain independent and ruled by three other separate kingdoms. There were some instances of correspondents between the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Pōmare Dynasty.
A double marriage alliance was proposed by the two kings in which a daughters of each would be married to a son of the other. Kekāuluohi was chosen for this but, with the death of Pōmare, plans for a match collapsed.
Both the rulers of Tahiti and Hawaii adhered to the Protestant faith and did not hesitate in persecuting native Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s and deporting Catholic missionaries (in the case of Tahiti, Queen Pōmare denied such doings) which resulted in conflict with France, the dominant Catholic power during the 1800s. Hawaii was able to escape colonialism by gaining the recognition of France, Great Britain, and the United States, while Tahiti was not so fortunate.
In 1842, Queen Pōmare IV
Pomare IV
Pōmare IV, Queen of Tahiti , more properly Aimata Pōmare IV Vahine-o-Punuateraitua , was the queen of Tahiti between 1827 and 1877...
was forced to accept a French protectorate over her kingdom, and in 1843 French troops were landed in the islands by Admiral Dupetit Thouars
Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars
Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars was a French naval officer important in France's anexation of French Polynesia.He was born at the castle of La Fessardière, near Saumur. His uncle Aristide Aubert Dupetit-Thouars was of the heroes of the Battle of the Nile...
, affectively placing Tahiti under French control and rendering the Queen a mere puppet ruler. Queen Pōmare wrote to King Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III
Kamehameha III was the King of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula Kiwalao Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwalao i ke kapu Kamehameha when he ascended the throne.Under his...
:
O King of the Sandwich Islands, may you be saved by the true God!
This is my word to you. In a certain newspaper, printed and circulated at Honolulu, called the Polynesian, there are made known to all men some false statements, spoken by Frenchmen and those who agree with them.
I write this little word to you to tell you to undo the wrong and injury done to me, your sister, Queen of the Islands of the South, and tell the editor and printer to print in the Polynesian this word, the copy of a letter that I have written to the King of the French, and which makes known the truth, and the truth only.
Beware of the Roman Catholics and the friends of the Roman Catholics.
POMARE
Encampment of Vaioau, Island of Raiatea, this twenty-fifth of September, 1844.
The foregoing is a true translation, and I am witness of Queen Pōmare's signature.
GEO. PLATT.
Sympathetic to the Tahitian Queen, Hawaiians were horrified at the situation in Tahiti, knowing full well that Hawaii was as susceptible (if not more so) to European colonial aggressions in the Pacific. The Hawaiians were especially fearful of the French.
The French admiral Dupetit Thouars, that had invaded Tahiti, landed in Hawaii a decade before in 1837 aboard the French frigate La Venus and had demanded the Premier Kaʻahumanu II and the young King Kamehameha III to stop persecuting the French Catholic missionaries; at that time Dupetit Thouars was only a captain of an exploring expedition and didn't have the power or men to put any pressure on the Hawaiians. The demands were ignored and the anti-French stance of the government continued until the 1839 Laplace Affair
French Incident (Hawaii)
The French Incident or the Laplace Affair was a military intervention by the Kingdom of the French to end the persecution of Catholics by the Kingdom of Hawaii, which had been promoted by Protestant ministers in Hawaii...
which forced the Hawaiian government to acknowledge the rights of Catholic in their realm with the Edict of Toleration
Edict of Toleration (Hawaii)
An Edict of Toleration was issued by King Kamehameha III of Hawaii on June 17, 1839, which allowed for the establishment of the Hawaii Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church was suppressed in the Kingdom of Hawaii during the reigns of Kamehameha and Kamehameha II.During their administrations,...
and pay $20,000 in compensation.
Western pressure on Hawaii continued with the 1843 Paulet Affair
Paulet Affair (1843)
The Paulet Affair was a five month occupation of the Hawaiian Islands in 1843 by British naval officer Captain Lord George Paulet, of .-Paulet affair:...
, involving the British, and the threat of annexation was ever present.
From the [[ʻIolani Palace|palace]] of Honolulu, Kamehameha III wrote back to her on February 4, 1845:
To Queen Pomare,
Alii of Tahiti
Respectful greetings to you.
I received your letter on the 25th day of September with a copy of your petition to the Christian King, Louis Phillippe, the King of France. As soon as I received it I quickly ordered these documents to be published in the Polynesian, in accordance with your idea that the people of this land should hear of it.
I have frequently heard of your troubles and of the death of your Government and of your grief, but I don't have the power [mana] within me to help you. At one time, however, I thought of fetching you, and of bringing you to live here in Hawaii with us, but upon reflection I hesitate lest you soon become a refugee from your own country. Therefore I have put aside my thoughts to invite you to come here. Perhaps this latter thought is right [pono] because I have heard things may be right again. Perhaps it is better for you to rely upon the generosity of the King of France, in order that you might not prejudice your petition that seeks redress and affection from him.
Just before this, I had a problem similar to yours, although yours is the graver situation. God was truly generous to me, and my Government emerged victorious at this time. In my time of trouble certain people stood by my side to aid me. I had a foreigner [haole] who had sworn an oath before me, to have no other Sovereign but myself, and he worked with vigor as is the foreigner's way, quickly deciding what was for our good and what should be done. There were other foreigners also, and including my man, T. Haalilio. They were in Britain and in France. As soon as they heard of the events here in Hawaii, they quickly petitioned the British Government in order to ascertain if their approval had been given. Here I reign with the support of some righteous foreigners and I think therein my Government shall endure in times when I am again troubled by foreign governments. My own people and those from foreign lands are equally protected under me. I reign in peace. I am not too frequently bothered by very burdensome tasks, but it is my duty to observe and supervise all the work that my Officers do.
Please be generous to my Hawaiian people that travel to your land, as I am generous to your people of Tahiti. Indeed, as I generously care for your people that come here to Hawaii
Oh Sovereign, I deeply regret your trouble. May the Lord that is our Savior liberate you. May you be blessed through the Sacrifice of salvation.
Fond farewell,
Kamehameha III.
The French Admiral De Tromelin
Louis Tromelin
Louis-François-Marie-Nicolas Le Goarant de Tromelin was a nineteenth-century French Naval captain, sent to the Pacific Ocean on political and military missions, and credited with the discovery of Phoenix Island in the Phoenix group and Fais Island in the Carolines...
invaded Honolulu
French Invasion of Honolulu
The French Invasion of Honolulu was an attack on Honolulu by Louis Tromelin for the persecution of Catholics and repression on French trade.-Prelude:...
in 1849, caused $100,000 in damage and took the king's yacht, Kamehameha III, which was sailed to Tahiti. Hawaii escaped French annexation because the balance of American, British and French interests in the islands made it impossible for any of the three nations to annex the islands.
In 1849, Tahitian Princess Ninito Teraiapo, accompanied by her cousins, all nieces of Queen Pōmare IV, arrived in Honolulu from Tahiti as guests of the Admiral De Tromelin.
She was betrothed to Prince Moses Kekūāiwa
Moses Kekuaiwa
Moses Kekūāiwa Keawenui was a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.He was the second son of Mataio Kekūanāoa and Elizabeth Kīnaʻu. He was a grandson of Kamehameha I through his mother who was known as Kaahumanu II when she was regent...
, but arrived to news of his death. Instead she married John Keolaloa Sumner. Ninito returned to Tahiti with her husband, who served as Hawaiian consul to Tahiti for a number of years.
In November 24, 1853, Tahiti and Hawaii signed a Postal Treaty which set Tahitian postage at 5¢ per ½ oz. and Hawaii postage at 5¢ per ½ oz. This was the only formal diplomatic treaty between the two countries.
Hawaii maintained a consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
in the Tahitian capital Papeetē
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, and this representation continued after the French annexation of Tahiti in 1880, but as a diplomatic gesture to France and its colonies rather than to the former relationship between Tahiti and Hawaii.
Diplomats from Hawaii to Tahiti
Diplomatic representation in PapeetēPapeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
in the kingdom was through a series of ad-hoc envoys, and a post roughly equivalent to the current diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
of Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of Consuls to Tahiti. Records are scant of Consuls prior to the 1880s.
- John K. Sumner, 1883–1885
- vacant, 1886
- Joseph T. Cognet, 1888–1890
- A. F. Bonet, 1891–1893
Huahine
King Kamehameha IIKamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
had a brief correspondent with Mahine Tehei'ura, King of Huahine
Huahine
Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group . The island has a population of about 6,000.-Geography:...
, one of the three independent kingdoms in the windward sided of the Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
which was linguistically and culturally tied with Tahiti. Here is a translation of one of the first Hawaiian letters ever written:
Hawaii, August 16, 1822.
Mahine:
I will now make a communication to you. I have compassion towards you on account of your son's dying. My love to you with all the chiefs of all your islands. I now serve the God of you and of us. We are now learning to read and write. When I shall become skillful in learning I will then go and see you. May you be saved by Jesus Christ.
Liholiho Kamehameha II.
See also
- Kingdom of Hawaii – United States relations
- List of bilateral treaties signed by the Kingdom of Hawaii