HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Communities across Hawaiʻi marked King Kamehameha Day on Saturday with parades, hula performances and cultural traditions honoring the Hawaiian monarch who unified the islands.

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On Oʻahu, floral floats, chants and hula filled the streets as residents and visitors gathered to celebrate the annual holiday, which for many carries meaning beyond tradition.

For parade-goer Tommy Akana, the celebration was deeply personal.

“My niece, Kalui Kukapulani, is a princess of Molokaʻi,” Akana said. “When I saw them come up, I got up and did a chant, a chant with the Eō Mai. Eō Mai was written by Edith Kanakaʻole, and it tells us to look up through guidance, for our culture, through mele and ʻōlelo.”

For many attendees, the day was also about protecting Hawaiian culture and ensuring traditions continue for future generations.

“It’s a tradition that really goes back to the roots and keeping the memory of Kamehameha and the Hawaiian people alive,” said parade-goer Hayde Helms. “But we get to do it in such a colorful, beautiful way.”

This year’s celebration also comes as Native Hawaiian cultural programs face pressure from ongoing federal funding cuts, including support tied to cultural education in schools, housing and community organizations.

Kumu hula Kaealani Gayagas said those challenges are already affecting her hālau.

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“Unfortunately, with the government and cuts coming here and there, we used to be a hālau of 120 dancers,” Gayagas said. “Due to the impact of what’s going on today, we’ve lost a lot of dancers.”

Gayagas said she worries the effects extend beyond hula and into the next generation.

“I feel like we’re being erased,” she said. “Even in the school systems, a lot of the schools, if they don’t have the funding, they cannot have a kūpuna at the school. Growing up, every single school for our generation had a kūpuna. That kūpuna instilled practices and traditions that carried on from our family. Nowadays, not so much of that anymore.”

Despite those concerns, many said King Kamehameha’s legacy remains a powerful reminder of unity.

“We are one unit on this island, near and far,” said parade-goer Albert Ferguson. “Take that with you and remember that you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Just enjoy and mahalo each other.”

King Kamehameha Day commemorates King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands under one kingdom. The annual observance remains one of Hawaiʻi’s most significant cultural celebrations.

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