Portfolio > Angelic Troublemakers, Tactical Deviants

Kamehameha III (1814 – 1854), the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii, aimed to modernize while preserving Hawaiian traditions. Influenced by the Hawaiian-Tahitian priest Kaomi, he rebelled against his Christian upbringing. Kaomi, once a Protestant minister, became Kamehameha III's aikāne (a pre-colonial Hawaiʻian term referring to the intimate relationship between partners of the same gender) and was dubbed the "engrafted king." Speculation suggests Kaomi influenced the king's resistance to Western colonizers. Kamehameha III established the secret order of Hulumanu, reviving native customs like traditional medicine, hula, and he'e nalu (surfing).