Born in 1800, John Papa 'I'i was raised under the traditional kapu system and trained from earliest childhood for a life of service to the high chiefs. At the age of 10, he became companion and personal attendant to Liholiho (later Kamehameha II), continued to serve the rulers of Hawai'i after Liholiho's death, and was in constant contact with the political, religious, and social concerns of the court throughout his life. He was among the first Hawaiians to study reading and writing with the missionaries, and although he adopted Christian teachings, 'I'i retained a profound love and respect for the culture of his ancestors.