Owana Salazar

Owana Kaʻōhelelani Mahealani-Rose Salazar (born October 30, 1953) is an American musician and activist. She is thought to be the only female steel guitar player in Hawaiʻi trained by Jerry Byrd. A descendant of Theresa Laʻanui, Salazar is also a member of the House of Laʻanui, a collateral branch of the House of Kamehameha, and has been involved in Hawaiian sovereignty issues for many years, claiming the right to the defunct Hawaiian throne.

Birth, family and early life Owana Kaʻohelelani Mahealani-Rose Salazar was born in October 1953. Her parents were Helena Kalokuokamaile Wilcox and Henry Mario Salazar. She is a member of the House of Laʻanui, a collateral branch of the House of Kamehameha.

Salazar was the only girl in a family of five. "Our family discussions were vast... about many of our ancestors, about their roles in Hawaiiʻs history, about the crown lands, about Robert Wilcox, about Princess Theresa going to Washington, about Princess Elizabeth going to Washington to petition Congress to survey the crown lands." In addition to studying traditional western music theory, studied voice with Elizabeth Cole, and studied piano, string methods, guitar, Javanese dance and gamelan as well as continuing to study hula. She served as family liaison to the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts for two years, with the goal of planning, commissioning and unveiling a life-size bronze statue of her great-grandfather Robert William Wilcox. His statue was installed at Wilcox Park in downtown Honolulu, on the corner of King and Fort Street.

Claim to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom Salazar rejects the legality of the 1898 annexation of Hawaii by the United States, and as such believes the Hawaiian Kingdom still legally exists.

Personal life Salazar has been married at least twice and has two children.

Honours

Dynastic Orders

Foreign Royal Houses

Family tree