Pa'u riders (pronounced pah-oo riders), (sometimes written as ''pa-u riders''), are ''wahine'' () horseback riders who wear long, colorful skirts ( haw, pāʻū) and characteristically ride astride, rather than

sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows female riders to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way f ...

. This equestrian tradition's roots are from the early 19th century, when horses were introduced to Hawaii and

aliʻi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. The word ''aliʻi'' has a similar meaning in the Samoan language and other Polynesian languages, and in Māori ...

women dressed up to ride for formal occasions. It declined after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, but was revitalized in the early 20th century with the establishment of formal riding organizations called Pa'u Riders. Today, they participate in

Kamehameha Day King Kamehameha I Day on June 11 is a public holiday in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It honors Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who first established the unified Kingdom of Hawaii—comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, L ...

floral parades and other parades and festivals throughout the islands.

History

The pa'u riding tradition began just after Captain Richard J. Cleveland introduced horses to Hawaii in 1803. Kamehameha disliked the creatures, partially on account of the amount of food they required, so western sailors began riding them along the beaches to demonstrate their capabilities. Hawaiian men and women quickly took to riding, establishing a long equestrian tradition that also includes the

paniolo A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

, the Hawaiian cowboy. As the early Western visitors to Hawaii were men, rather than women who might have introduced

riding, Hawaiian women joined the men in learning to ride astride. Additionally, Hawaii soon established trade connections with Central and South America, where women often rode astride. This contact may have influenced the development of riding customs and dress among Hawaiian women."A history of pa'u" (April 5, 2007). ''

Hawaii Tribune-Herald ''Hawaii Tribune-Herald'' is a daily newspaper based in Hilo, Hawaii. It is owned and published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press. History The ''Hilo Tribune'' began publication on November 23, 1895, and changed its name to ...

''.

Adele Kauilani Robinson Lemke (PP-75-2-021)

Pa'u Queen 100th Anniversary Kamehameha Day Floral Parade

The term ''pāʻū'' means

skirt A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards. At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts ar ...

in the Hawaiian language. Riders initially began wearing long skirts to protect their legs while traveling. Over time, as the riders took part in performances and displays, their outfits became more elaborate and elegant. English writer

Isabella Bird Isabella Lucy Bird, married name Bishop (15 October 1831 – 7 October 1904), was a nineteenth-century British explorer, writer, photographer, and naturalist. With Fanny Jane Butler she founded the John Bishop Memorial Hospital in Srinagar i ...

visited Hawaii in 1873 and noted women riding astride, a notable difference from European custom.Jensen, Chelsea (April 11, 2011). "The pa'u tradition". ''

''. As the Kingdom declined, so did this tradition. Attempts were made by the monarchy to revive the custom but were unsuccessful. In 1906, Lizzie Puahi organized the first association of women riders for a floral auto parade. Puahi began the Pa'u Rider's Club from her residence in

Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O� ...

, and began holding monthly gatherings. They recruited other women and practiced equestrianism. Soon afterwards, Theresa Wilcox began a riding society. Today, Pa'u riders are commonly seen in festivals and parades across Hawaii. The pronunciation of the word ''pa'u'' is in two syllables because of the use of the Hawaiian diacritic called the okina. This apostrophe-like symbol indicates a glottal stop and precedes a separate vowel sound. This keeps similarly spelled words such as ''pau'' (pronounced "pow") and ''pa'u'' (pronounced "pah-oo") from being confused. In 1917

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

wrote in his work '' The Cruise of the Snark'':

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pau riders Hawaiiana Hawaii culture Equestrian festivals Hawaiian words and phrases

History

References

Further reading

External links