Candlelight brightened the darkness of the Royal Mausoleum grounds at Mauna'ala in Nu'uanu last night, symbolizing the hope Native Hawaiians hold for their future.

"All things we do traditionally is important for the future," Wayne Dickson said, noting that many in his over-60 age group are members of a lost generation of Hawaiians. "It's called the dark ages and now, we're trying to bring the light back as to who we are for our children and their children.

"I never knew my father could speak pure Hawaiian until I was 22 years old. In the 1950s, we were led to believe to get ahead, you had to speak English and that learning Hawaiian wouldn't get you anywhere."

A gathering of about 75 people, including members of Hawaiian civic clubs, attended a pule, or prayer service, last night at Mauna'ala in memory of the 121st anniversary of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop's death and to pray for the defense of Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiians-first admissions policy and passage of the Akaka bill.

Anita "Kaanapu" Naone, president of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, observed, "Many people don't realize that princess (Pauahi) was a woman who stepped up to the plate to take on challenges. She had the fortitude to think ahead for her people, and obviously education was first."

After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Naone said her grandparents were prohibited from speaking Hawaiian in public. Because of that, her parents did not speak Hawaiian to their children.

But events, such as last night's pule, represent a renaissance of awareness that shows "we want to save the entitlement and benefits for our future generation," Naone said.

Aloha Kekipi, who brought a kauna'oa lei to the Mauna'ala pule for Princess Pauahi, also remembered Princess Kaiulani yesterday.

"It's a sad and happy day," Kekipi said. "Princess Kaiulani was born on October 16 and Princess Pauahi died on October 16. I share with students to remember our kupuna kahiko or ancient ones because we benefit from them having lived."

Similar Christian prayer services were held in Hilo, Hawai'i; San Francisco and Long Beach, Calif.; Chicago; Minneapolis; Charlevois, Mich.; Centerville, S.D.; and even by service personnel in Balad, Iraq.

Kimo Bacon, 52, a retired Army colonel and 1972 Kamehameha graduate working for the Aviation and Missile Command, organized the pule in Balad. In support of the Kamehameha Schools admissions policy, Bacon sent an e-mail to The Advertiser, noting:

"I believe that I can sum up our feelings by saying that a great value of a Kamehameha education is that it develops a strong identity (for) Hawaiians. As such, one of our core values is aloha. We accept others and bring them into our 'ohana and teach and mentor them."

In Centerville, S.D., 31 people gathered Saturday at the home of Ron Carlson and his wife, the former Ann Patcho of Wai'anae, for a pule and pa'ina, said organizer Luana Ahina-Johnson, a 1970 Kamehameha Schools graduate.

"We're so far away from Hawai'i that the only thing we can do is pray," Ahina-Johnson said. "Despite the distance, we try to keep the Hawaiian spirit alive by gathering together, perpetuating the language and history. We try to explain to our kids where the songs and stories come from."

It's one reason the Centerville folks call it a pa'ina, not potluck.

While the menu at Saturday's gathering in Centerville, was definitely mixed plate — kalua pig, chicken long rice, manapua, pork adobo, pansit and, of course, mac salad — the spirit was Hawaiian at heart, said Ahina-Johnson.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.