Winee and Kaiana -1787

Winee sketched by a crew member of John Meares

Winee was the first Kanaka to be recorded visiting the Northwest. She came aboard the the Imperial Eagle, a British ship captained by Charles Barkley. She was a servant and companion to his wife Frances. She was also the first Hawaiian to be documented leaving their home in the Islands. Winee travelled with the ship north where they hunted for otter pelts in the Puget Sound Region. Once Barkley felt they had a substantial amount, they headed to China where the pelts were being exchanged nearly $100 each.

By the time they arrived, Winee was both ill and homesick and wanted to return to her home in the tropics, so the Barkleys left her in China as they sailed on to Europe. Fortunately, Winee managed to connect with another globe trotting Kanaka, Kaiana. (He was also referred to as Tianna.) Kaiana, who was a chief of the islands had arrived in China with Captain John Meares aboard the Nootka. Both Hawaiians followed Meares onto the Felice Adventurer in 1788 that would head for the Philippines, and then back to the Sandwich Islands.

Sadly, before returning home, Winee died of her illnesses. She left most of her belongings to Kaiana, and gave him specific instructions to return the rest of her possessions to her family. Kaiana continued on and ended up in the Northwest region essentially by mistake. On the journey from the Philippines to Hawaii, the ship had to stop for emergency repairs in Washtington territory.

Kaiana didn't reach home until December of 1788, where he was met with a very hostile reception. While away, "an inhuman proscription had been published threatening him with instant death." (Barman & Watson)The only reason he was not killed was because of an alliance previously formed with the prince of the big Island of Hawaii. Unfortunately, this alliance only lasted temporarily, because Kaiana was killed by the prince on Oahu in battle in 1795.

Sources: Duncan, Janice. Minority without a Champion: Kanakas on the Pacific Coast. Times Litho Printers: Portland, 1972.