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"Research reveals that an image of a person sewn on a Hawaiian quilt is taboo. It is believed that the spirit of the person would come to life at night and walk upon the quilt "
(Quilts Hawaii.com. History. 2007)
Queen Lili'uokalani's Imprisonment Quilt is much more than the single story cloth of a deposed Hawaiian monarch. Faded but arrested from total annihilation, the Queen's Quilt serves as an enduring historical and cultural metaphor for a sovereign nation that was struggling to maintain its cultural identity against all odds, as it had done many times before, narrowly escaping extinction.1
Seeking to restore some of the people's power that was ceded during the reign of her brother King Kalakaua, Queen Lili'uokalani surrendered to a provisional government in order to avoid the bloodshed of her people.2 Held captive and sequestered in a small room at the Iolani Palace for a period of eight months, Hawaii's last monarch and a small group of devoted attendants set about documenting the imprisonment. The preservation of their cultural heritage and the unconditional show of support for one another during times of adversity are qualities attributed to Hawaiian women throughout history. In her research paper entitled "Life Themes of Native Hawaiian Female Elders," University of Hawaii Professor and Doctor of Social Work Noreen Mokuau notes, "These studies [of native Hawaiian women] emphasize the importance of relationships and social supports as a strength and a key survival strategy in adversity" (1). Created under much duress, the Queen's Quilt symbolized the resolution of a few women who were bound and determined to preserve a record of their Queen's cultural heritage on behalf of all the Islands native inhabitants.
Upon entering the Iolani Palace, the atmosphere is charged with the presence of its former inhabitants. Passing through the first floor parlors and majestic throne room there is feeling of other-worldliness that encompasses the magnificent halls. Moving upstairs and into the small corner room with turret and balcony, Queen Lili'uokalani's imprisonment chamber is filled with only a small bed and a large waist high table displaying the glass encased quilt. The Queen's spiritual presence fills the room as evidenced by the abrupt shift in demeanor by all those who enter. Each step nearer to the...