Ka Hae Hawai ʻi, or the Flag of Hawai ʻi
Ka Hae Hawaiʻi, or the Flag of Hawaiʻi, is the official standard symbolizing Hawaiʻi as a kingdom, protectorate, republic, territory and U.S. state. Ka Hae Hawaiʻi is the only state flag in the United States to have been flown under so many various forms of government and the only one that features the Union Flag (a.k.a Union Jack), the flag of the United Kingdom.
Design
The canton of Ka Hae Hawaiʻi is the Union Jack Flag, prominent over the top quarter closest to the flag mast. The field of the flag is composed of eight horizontal stripes symbolizing the eight major islands (Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi and Niʻihau). A ninth stripe was once included representing the island of Nihoa. The color of the stripes, from the top down, follows the sequence: white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red.[1]
Origins
There are various accounts of the earliest history of Ka Hae Hawaiʻi. One relates how King Kamehameha I flew a Union Jack Flag given to him by British explorer Captain George Vancouver as a token of friendship with King George III. An advisor to Kamehameha noted that the Union Jack Flag could draw Hawaiʻi into international conflict as it would be seen as an ally of the United Kingdom. Kamehameha lowered the Union Jack Flag from his home. While disputed as historically accurate, one account of events that followed stated that in order to placate American interests during the War of 1812, a flag of the United States was raised over Kamehameha's home only to be removed when British officers in the court of Kamehameha vehemently objected to it. This account then explains why the resulting flag of Hawaiʻi was a deliberate hybrid of the two nations' flags.[2]
In 1816, Kamehameha commissioned his own flag to avoid conflict. As a result, Ka Hae Hawaiʻi was born. Historians attribute the design of Ka Hae Hawaiʻi to an officer of the Royal Navy, based on a form of the British naval flag. There is debate as to the name of the officer. Some traditions credit Alexander Adams, others George Beckley. The original flag was designed to feature stripes alternating red-white-blue, also attributed to various historical flags of the United Kingdom. However, some have argued that the stripes were influenced by the American flag. In error, the flag used at the first official flying of Ka Hae Hawaiʻi ordered the stripes white-red-blue. The number of stripes also changed: originally, the flag was designed with seven horizontal stripes, and in 1845 it was officially changed to eight stripes. The latter arrangement was adopted and is used today.[2]
Governor's flag
Flag of the governor of Hawai ʻi [3]
The flag used by the Governor of Hawaiʻi consists of a bi-color of red and blue. In the middle of the eight white stars appears the name of the state in all capital letters. During the time Hawaii was a United States territory, "HAWAII" was replaced with "TH"[3], which stood for "Territory of Hawaii".
Ka Hae Hawaiʻi day
In 1990, Governor of Hawaiʻi John D. Waihee III proclaimed July 31 to be Ka Hae Hawaiʻi or Hawaiian Flag Day. It has been celebrated each year since then.[4]
Kanaka Maoli flag
The Kanaka Maoli flag was said to be the original flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii. This flag symbolized the flag of the Native Hawaiians since the present Hawaiian flag is mainly a hybrid of British and American symbolism, smacks too much of colonialism.[5] The colors are red-green-yellow an alternative to the common red-white-blue, British union jack flag, said to have been Kamehameha’s personal flag, and reintroduced by Kamehameha III. [6]
Gene Simeona of Honolulu, says he resurrected the "original" Hawaiian green, red and yellow striped flag, destroyed by British navy Captain Lord George Paulet when he seized Hawai‘i for five months in 1843. Simeona says he ran into a descendant of Lord Paulet on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace in 1999 who told him the present Hawaiian flag is not the original. That provoked Simeona to scour the Hawai'i State Archives, where he found the design, then reproduced it. Since then, he and his business partner Stan Fonseca have been churning the emblem out in hopes that it’ll catch on as a fresh, noncolonial symbol of the restored Hawaiian kingdom.
Symbolism
At the center of the flag is a green shield bearing a coat of arms of the kanaka maoli, made up of the kahili, the original Hawaiian royal standards. Crossing this kahili are two paddles, representing both voyaging traditions of Hawaiians, and Kamehameha’s ‘Law of the Splintered Paddle’.
There are nine stripes unlike the eight striped flag of the present State of Hawaii. Each stripe represents one of the major Hawaiian islands inhabited prior to the arrival of Western civilization. They are Hawaii Island, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Niihau and one more, Nihoa.[7] Nihoa was also once on the State flag but was removed after Annexation. Red – Mo’oku’auhau (genealogy), blood, na ali’i; Green – ‘Aina (land), na maka’ainana; Yellow – La (Sun), spirituality, na Kahuna. According to Fonseca, the green in the flag represents the maka‘ainana (commoner) caste, the land and goodness; the red represents the landed konohiki who served the ali‘i, genealogy and strength; and the yellow represents the ali‘i, spirituality and alertness to danger. [8]
To some this flag represents the Flag of the Native Hawaiian people and their quest for sovereignty. Other Hawaiians supporting the sovereignty and/or independence movements continue to use the state flag as their symbol.
References
External links
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