Keepers of the Flame
Authorized by the constitution of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, King Kamehameha V established the Royal Order of Kamehameha I (Royal Order) by royal proclamation on April 11, 1865. The Royal Order was created to defend the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, honor the memory of Kamehameha, grandfather of Kamehameha V, and uplift the Kanaka ‘Ōiwi (aboriginal peoples of Hawai‘i). Following the overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani and the Kingdom of Hawai‘i in 1893, the Royal Order was declared a threat to national security and suppressed by the illegal Provisional government. As a result, the Royal Order was forced to exist as a secret underground society. After Hawai‘i became a territory of the United States in 1898, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole, lead a torchlight ceremony around the statue of Kamehameha I (Oahu) and publicly declared the restoration of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I (1903).
Today, the Royal Order represents an unbroken link back to Hawai‘i’s Monarchy and Kingdom of Hawai‘i. It is the only organization in existence today authorized by the constitution of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i and established by a Sovereign of Hawai‘i. The Royal Order honors the memory of Kamehameha and strives to uplift the Kanaka ‘Ōiwi. The Royal Order currently has nine chapters found on five islands.
| Chapter name: | Year established: | Moku/Island: |
|---|---|---|
| Heiau O Hawai‘i | Established 1903 | ‘Ewa, O‘ahu |
| Heiau O Māmalahoa | Established 1907 | Hilo, Puna, Hamakua, and Ka‘ū; Moku O Keawe |
| Heiau O Kaumuali‘i | Established 1918 | Kaua‘i |
| Heiau O Kahekili | Established 1922 | Maui |
| Heiau O Kalaniana‘ole | Established 1928 | Moloka‘i |
| Heiau O Kūhiō | Established 1962 | Ko‘olaupoko, O‘ahu |
| Heiau O Ahuena | Established 1994 | Kona; Moku O Keawe |
| Heiau O Kapuāiwa | Established 2007 | Wai‘anae, O‘ahu |
| Heiau O Kamehameha | Established 2011 | Kohala; Moku O Keawe |
