Mom explains the eye-opening reason people stop to thank her for having eight children

For many families, eight children sounds like a lot of kids. But for one woman, it’s perfectly manageable and even something others thank her for. Kuʻuleilehua Makekau, a Polynesian mom of eight living in Hawaii, explains why having eight children doesn’t seem like a lot for her.

Makekau shares in a video uploaded to her Instagram page that her family is often stopped and praised for its size. The reason people thank her is surprising for some and eye-opening for others. Makekau appears in the video holding her newborn in a hospital rocking chair before revealing her thoughts.

Eight children is not a lot

“So people think that having eight kids is a lot, but I have to share a few things. One, I am the oldest of 14 children. I have six little sisters and seven little brothers. 14 is a lot. Eight? No,” the mom says while her infant sleeps on her chest. “But also, when my husband and I, when we’re out and about in public, we will have Hawaiian Kūpuna (grandparents or elders) always stop us, and they’re always like, ‘Oh, Hawaiian?’”

Makekau explains that after she confirms that all of the children are biologically theirs, they are thanked. She says, “And it’s always elderly Hawaiians that thank us for our service. They always say thank you. E ho’oulu ka lāhui (to increase the Nation) for growing the Lāhui, for growing our Hawaiian community because we almost died out. I don’t think people understand the pride that we have as Indigenous people to add to our population.”

The Kingdom of Hawai’i

Native Hawaiians are indigenous to Hawaii, just as other Native Americans are indigenous to the mainland of North America. Native Hawaiians are an ethnically distinct group that was self-governed under a Hawaiian monarchy. The state was known as the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, and relied heavily on community via their large extended families. According to the Center for Parent Information and Resources, “This centuries-old way of life was changed abruptly in 1893 when the Kingdom of Hawai‘i was overthrown for political and financial gain by American and foreign businessmen.”

The native population drastically decreased before the government was overthrown due to rampant diseases introduced by Westerners. History reveals, “By 1840, some scholars estimate, the Native Hawaiian population had plummeted by as much as 84 percent, largely due to diseases introduced by Western colonizers. In 1893, an illegal coup, orchestrated by a handful of white planters and businessmen, ousted the sovereign Hawaiian monarchy. Five years later, the United States annexed Hawaii.” Later, the site says, “In 1959, the U.S. legislature voted to make Hawaii America’s 50th state.”

Introduction of diseases

Colonizers used their control to seize land, suppress cultural practices, and ban the native language from being spoken in the government and schools. But King David Kalākaua started the First Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1880s, according to History, by “reviving traditional cultural practices like hula dancing, an integral part of Native Hawaiian storytelling.”

A Brief Summary of the History of Native Hawaiian Governance in Hawai’i shares a staggering figure: “Within 100 years of Western contact, the native population had been reduced by 90% to about 40,000, mainly due to introduced infections.”

So when Makekau says that native Hawaiians were almost completely wiped out, she’s not using hyperbole. The introduction of smallpox, measles, and other infectious diseases into a population without immunity proved catastrophic. This history, which native Hawaiians are still recovering from, drives the excitement of seeing large Hawaiian families.

Indigenous perspective

People appreciated the mom of eight’s post, with one person commenting, “People NEVER think from the Indigenous perspective. Plus, be as fruitful as you can handle with your husband, as long as it doesn’t cause consistent financial strain and developmental restraint on your children’s childhoods, this is beyond beautiful.”

Another writes, “Awwww I love this. I love when you explain stuff like this. Also mama queen…. Your family is so beautiful.”

One woman shares her own family history, saying, “I totally understand this as a Puerto Rican woman. My Great grandmother had 14 children and my grandma had 6 her sister had 7. The sterilization program left 1/3 of the women sterilized by the 1960s.”

“How beautiful,” someone says, “Thank you for sharing your experiences, I am wishing all good things for your family and honor to your lineage, forever! May it be so!”