Who is Keoki Kanakoa from Hawaii and what is their importance?

Keoki Kanakoa is an Hawaiian. He is educated by missionaries and converts to Christianity. He lectures at Yale and so impresses John Whipple and Abner Hale that they become missionaries. Kanokoa works on the Thetis and sails back to Hawaii with the group of missionaries. His family is waiting at Lahaina to greet the ship. Keoki works with the missionaries running one of the most popular schools on the island, even though he and others still cling to some of their pagan beliefs and customs.