King Kamehameha Day 2022 :: Waikiki, Hawai'i

June 11, 2022 was the official recognition of King Kamehameha I, sometimes called the Great One, in the Hawaiian Islands. The celebration honors the man who established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi -- comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi (Big Island).
While the Great One may have "unified" the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, he did not "unite" the Kānaka. He conquered the islands, and one does not unify people by killing them or their relatives.
From about 1780 until 1810, Kamehameha led a cruel campaign that murdered thousands of Polynesians.
Kamehameha's military aggression lasted 30 years. Generations of young, talented Kānaka men and future leaders were slaughtered between 1780-1810.