Robert Hoapili Kekaipukaʻala Baker (/1847 – April 4, 1900) was a Hawaiian ali'i (noble), military officer, courtier, and politician who served many political posts in the Kingdom of Hawaii, including Governor of Maui, Privy Councillor and aide-de-camp to King Kalākaua.
Birth and lineage
Robert Hoapili Baker was born sometime between 1845 and 1847, in Waikapu, on the island of Maui to Malie Napuʻupahoehoe, his mother. According to the Ka Makaainana newspaper in 1896, Hoapili's lineage goes back to the historic ruler of Hawaii Island named Liloa through the House of Moana and a figure named Napuupahoehoe (K). The genealogy shows him as a descendant of ʻIlikiāmoana, the mother of Moana Wahine however, the paper notes that Hoapili's genealogy used the name Hikiamoana and was corrected using the genealogy of Edward Kamakau Lilikalani. The article states that Napuuahoehoe (K) was the father of Malie (w) who married Ikekeleiaiku and had Robert Hoapili Baker however, according to Maui News and The Hawaiian Star dated April 5, 1900, Hoapili's father was Kekeleeiku (k) of Maui. In his book; Return to Kahiki: Native Hawaiians in Oceania by Kealani Cook, the author states that aliʻi wahine, Malie Napuʻupahoehoe had Robert Hoapili Baker with Captain Adam Baker, making him the half brother of John Tamatoa Baker.
Mary Kawena Pukui, created an index of Hawaiian Language Newspaper articles at the Bishop Museum that she felt would be useful to researchers where she indexed Robert Hoapili Baker's genealogy as being in dispute. In 1901 the Pacific Commercial Advertiser published; "Proofs of Royal Lineage of Mrs. Widemann Suppressed During the Lifetime of Judge Widemann" where the genealogy of Mrs. Kaumana Pilahiuilani Widemann is shown in great detail. In response to the claims by Mrs. Widemann, a letter to the paper from Kaikeoewa Palekaluhi Kamehamehanuiailuau was published accusing Mrs. Widemann of fabricating her lineage. In particular Kamehamehanuiailuau questioned the genealogy given for Kamakahelei, the Queen of Kauai. Mrs. Widemann's genealogy for Kamakahelei (w) shows her to have married Kaneoneo (k) and having Lelemaholani (w). Kamehamehanuiailuau believed the queen had two sons, Kaumualii and another named Ikekeleeiku (k) and only one sister he named as Namakaokahai. He contends that Robert Hoapili Baker is the grandson of Kamakahelei.
Early life, political and military career
Under the auspice of Anglican priest Archdeacon George Mason, Hoapili was educated at the Anglican boarding schools: the Luaehu School in Lahaina, Maui and the St. Alban's College in Honolulu. He was educated alongside Samuel Nowlein and Curtis P. Iaukea.
At a young age, Hoapili showed a strong interest in military affair. He began his service to the Hawaiian monarchy as a royal guard officer and became a lieutenant on the Household Guard of King Kalākaua. He was elected to the House of Representative, the lower house of the legislature of the kingdom, for the Kona district of Oahu (around Honolulu). He sat in on the legislative assembly of 1880. During this session, he proposed the creation of a governmentally funded study abroad program which funded the international study of a number of Hawaiian youths from 1880 to 1892 in Italy, Scotland, England, the United States, China and Japan. On August 12, 1884, Kalākaua appointed him as a member of the Privy Council of State.
From October 4, 1886 to August 23, 1888, Hoapili was appointed to succeed John Owen Dominis as Governor of Maui, and the adjacent islands of Molokai and Lanai. He did not hold the post for long. The royal island governorships were abolished by the legislature after the Bayonet Constitution. The king had vetoed the bill, but the new constitutional changes, which limited the king's executive power, allowed the legislature to override his opposition. Hoapili continued serving the king on his Privy Council. On May 15, 1889, he became aide de camp and a member of King Kalākaua's military staff with the military rank of colonel. He continued as a privy councilor and advisor of the king.