Our roots. Founded in the Hawaiian Kingdom, Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s will and the birth of Kamehameha Schools are powerful expressions of her ea and kuleana, her chiefly authority to ensure that Native Hawaiian children will grow, rise, and stand strong to care for their ‘ohana, kaiāulu, lāhui, and ‘āina. In 1883, Ke Ali‘i Pauahi wrote her final chiefly kauoha, her charge dedicating her estate to the education of her people, just as families today create trusts for their descendants. Her will, and her Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, carry a unique political standing, grounded in the Hawaiian Kingdom and affirmed in U.S. and international law. Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s charge was contextualized by her Christian faith, which continues to ground Kamehameha Schools’ identity today.
Our reach. Kamehameha Schools continues Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s kauoha. We do this on our three campuses and 30 preschools focusing on Hawaiian culture-based education. We also extend Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s reach by investing in community educational programs and events, ‘āina stewardship, watershed protection, food systems, and renewable energy — strengthening not only Native Hawaiians, but all of Hawai‘i.
Our charge. Kamehameha Schools has honored and fulfilled Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s kauoha for nearly 140 years. We accelerate that charge today as we enact our Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha theory of change: When we operate world class schools, develop ‘Ōiwi leaders through E Ola!, and regenerate ‘āina, we will, together with our communities, exercise the ea necessary for a thriving and self-determined lāhui.
Ola Pauahi, Ola Hawai‘i — Ke Ali‘i Pauahi lives on, Hawai‘i thrives!
Na kaua e pale, me ka ihe — In battle we will defend, with weapons of sharp intellect
In this moment of challenge, we stand ready to defend what is dear to our people, our lands and our keiki. We will rise as pū‘ali koa, steadfast in pono, for Kamehameha, for Ke Ali‘i Pauahi, for Hawai‘i.
Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Pākī Bishop was born in Honolulu on December 19, 1831. She was a chiefess of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I, and the last royal descendant of his line. Her upbringing included a strong Christian foundation along with customary Native Hawaiian traditions. She married Charles Reed Bishop in 1850. In 1883, Ke Ali‘i Pauahi set down her final chiefly kauoha (will), directing that her private estate be used to educate Native Hawaiians. Upon her passing on October 16, 1884, more than 375,000 acres — reflecting the trust other ali‘i placed in her — were dedicated to establish Kamehameha Schools. The first school opened in 1887, and her legacy continues to educate thousands of Native Hawaiian children.
Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s private will, and the rights of her beneficiaries, embody the distinct political status of her aboriginal people, rooted in the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom and recognized in U.S. and international law. Today, Kamehameha Schools honors and extends Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s legacy beyond our own campuses and preschools, providing immense community impact through community programs, events, and ‘āina stewardship benefitting all of Hawai‘i.
Her will is a living testament to the collective vision of many ali‘i who entrusted their personally held lands to Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s wisdom, heart and chiefly commitment to the lāhui. Her estate is a collection of the estates of other ali‘i who gave her their ‘āina.
Through Kamehameha Schools, this chiefly commitment to the aboriginal people of the Hawaiian Kingdom lives on — in service to Hawai‘i, its people and its future.
Our mission: To fulfill Ke Ali‘i Pauahi’s vision of empowering Native Hawaiians in perpetuity by improving the well-being of our people through education.
Our vision: Grounded in Native Hawaiian and Christian values, our haumāna will succeed in postsecondary education and contribute, through ‘ōiwi leadership, to a thriving and self-determined lāhui.
These are articulated in our newest Strategic Plan 2030, which you can learn more about here.
No. Kamehameha Schools is a private trust established in the Kingdom of Hawai‘i to implement the will of a Native Hawaiian chiefess. The trust is entirely privately funded, receiving no state or federal financial assistance. The United States government should not be interfering with the business of a private trust’s ability to implement the kauoha of a high-ranking Hawaiian Kingdom chiefess.
We are confident that our admissions policy aligns with established law, and we will prevail.
See our media kit for background on Kamehameha Schools and press-ready visuals
Let us stand together as a grove of koa trees, ready to protect, nurture, or be shaped to bravely defend Ke Ali‘i Pauahi and all that she left our generations into perpetuity. Please join us.
Add your name to the list of koa who support Ke Ali‘i Pauahi, Kānaka Maoli and Hawai‘i’s future
Eō! I am ready to signA‘o aku: Print out posters, download virtual backgrounds, learn chants and share our story with others.
Find more educational resources in the Waihona.
A‘o mai: Learn more about Ke Ali‘i Pauahi and Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha and be a resource for others.
Find a community gathering near you to learn about how Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha is fulfilling the kauoha of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi, and hear about the legal challenge to our admissions policy.
Share how the legacy of Ke Aliʻi Pauahi has made a difference for you or your ʻohana.
Stand strong with aloha. No matter what others do and say, hold fast to our values and do not resort to attacks on people or ideas.
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
