ariverofmilk:

ms-demeanor:

black-to-the-bones:

Dropping knowledge. 

More history that our schools fail to teach

The last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen Liliʻuokalani, inherited the throne from her brother Kalākaua on January 29, 1891. A woman of peace and an accomplished author and songwrite, she became the first Native Hawaiian female author. Upon her death, Liliʻuokalani dictated in her will that all of her possessions and properties be sold and the money raised would go to the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Trust to help orphaned and indigent children. The Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust Fund still exists today.

…

“Aloha ʻOe” (Farewell to Thee) is Queen Liliʻuokalani’s (Hawaii’s last monarch) most famous song and a song commonly sung at High School graduations and other important events. The story of the origin of the song has several variations. They all have in common that the song was inspired by a notable farewell embrace given by Colonel James Harbottle Boyd during a horseback trip taken by Princess Liliʻuokalani in 1877 or 1878 to the Boyd ranch in Maunawili on the windward side of Oʻahu. Originally written as a lovers’ good-bye, the song came to be regarded as a symbol of, and lament for, the loss of her country.

https://hawaiian-words.com/2015/06/24/aloha-oe/

The version of this story I read years ago (out of curiosity for the song’s use in Lilo & Stitch when Nani was forced to give up Lilo…) was so unbelievably cut down, it made it seem like her failing, rather than all these odds stacked up against her. Thank you for all the further context. ;_;