Part 1: Hawai'i – The End of Indigenous Sovereignty.

Beyond the tropical paradise that is Hawai'i, these islands hold a heart-breaking story of thriving Indigenous people forced to give up their land, displace their people, and destroy their ecosystems.

Aug 09, 2023

We can learn a lot by looking back at history, which is what we’ll do today. We’ll explore how the rights, freedoms, and sovereignty of the Hawaiian people were stripped away by force. And how our freedoms can be trampled in the name of financial profit. Hopefully, you’ll also be inspired to continuously fight for your freedom as the Hawaiian people do.

Hawai'i was once an independent island with its own monarch. That was until 1893 when a chain of events would end Indigenous sovereignty in Hawai'i. It’s a devastating story and one I hope inspires you to learn more about the Indigenous people of Hawai'i and their fight for freedom.

The Kingdom Of Hawai'i & The Beginning Of Its Fall.

King Kalākaua ascended to the throne in 1874. He was known as the “merrie monarch” who loved Hawaiian traditions and advocated for Hawaiian music, dance (hula), and culture. He even composed the Hawaiian national anthem. For many, Hawaiians experienced the Hawaiian Renaissance under his reign.

Fact: Because ancient Hawaiians did not have a written language, they used oral traditions (like chant and hula) to record their history, mythology, and religion. King Kalākaua used hula traditions in addition to speaking with elders to compile stories into a book called “Legends and Myths of Hawai'i;” a book which helped Hawaiians inherit a stronger culture and identity.

But things would dramatically change 13 years into King Kalākaua’s reign.

The Missionary Party – a political party made up of descendants of Christian missionaries, many of whom also ran sugar plantations – gained power in Hawai'i. The group, backed by militia, used the threat of violence to force King Kalākaua to sign The Bayonet Constitution.

“The Missionary Party called a meeting where an all-white militia surrounded and forced the King to sign new legislation. Later called ‘The Bayonet Constitution,’ it stripped Native Hawaiians of their rights, [and] diminished the monarchy’s power… Four years later, King Kalākaua died – heartbroken Liliuokalani said.” – Sydney Laukea, Native Hawaiian educator, Ph.D. in Political Science [emphasis in Hawaiʻi Politics]

Nine days after King Kalākaua’s death, his sister, Liliuokalani, ascended the throne on January 29, 1891.

The Missionary Party was attempting to further consolidate its control over Hawai'i. But Queen Liliuokalani was determined to reinstate power to her people. So she wrote a new constitution that would reject the Bayonet Constitution, restore the monarchy, and the voting rights of Hawaiians.

Fearing this, the newly formed “Committee of Safety” – made up of the Missionary Party and American citizens – interjected. They feared they would have to pay high tariffs on their sugar plantations. So they decided that her proposed constitution endangered American property (particularly sugar plantations) and American lives.

Making this claim would essentially give the green light to the U.S. government to get involved.

The Unlawful Invasion & The End Of The Kingdom Of Hawai'i.

The Committee of Safety staged a coup with the support of the U.S. government on January 17th, 1893.

“More than 160 U.S. Marines marched to the palace where the Committee of Safety removed Queen Liliuokalani from office.” – Sydney Laukea, Native Hawaiian educator, Ph.D. in Political Science [emphasis in Hawaiʻi Politics]

After the removal of Queen Liliuokalani, a series of protests and rebellions began by angry Hawaiians who wanted their sovereignty and their beloved queen back. Sadly, this would prove futile under the influence, strength, and power of American businessmen and the U.S. government.

A year later, Hawai'i was declared a republic. Hawaiians couldn’t vote or be government employees unless they signed their allegiance to the new republic. Some Hawaiians tried to start a revolution but the republic jailed them and even sentenced six people to death.

“In exchange for [the release of jailed Hawaiians], the republic made Liliuokalani sign a document that [relinquished] her throne and they imprisoned her in the palace. Under constant guard, she composed songs expressing her love for her people and began making a patchwork quilt that told the story of her life.
While she was only allowed news that had been reviewed by her jailers, her supporters often brought her bouquets from the garden she dedicated to them, wrapped in newspaper.” – Sydney Laukea, Native Hawaiian educator, Ph. D. in Political Science [emphasis in Hawaiʻi Politics]

*The quilt Queen Liliuokalani made while under house arrest.* *Photo credit: Archives Starbulletin*

For eight months, Queen Liliuokalani remained under house arrest at the Iolani palace. There, she “agreed to formally abdicate and dissolve the monarchy.” When she was free, she traveled to Washington D.C. to oppose the forceful occupation and annexation of Hawai'i and attempted to restore the monarchy. She was temporarily successful until the U.S. government's interests became more important than Hawaii’s sovereignty.

“The following year, the Spanish-American war began. Seeing Hawai'i as a strategic military base, President William McKinley declared [Hawaii] a U.S. territory on July 7th, 1898, breaking international law and devastating Queen Liliuokalani and her people.
She spent the rest of her life petitioning for the restoration of her lands, Native Hawaiian rights, and National liberation. When she died in 1917, these dreams were unrealized.” – Sydney Laukea, Native Hawaiian educator, Ph. D. in Political Science [emphasis in Hawaiʻi Politics]

100 years later, in 1993, President Bill Clinton passed the Apology Bill, admitting to illegally overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawai'i and offering an apology to the people of Hawai'i.

By then, Hawai'i had lost its sovereignty and unwillingly became a U.S. territory. Their population became overnumbered by U.S. and foreign tourists and as a result, lost much of its culture, and economic independence, with many struggling with mental and physical health. Meanwhile, the United States, secured military advantage, economic enrichment, and the first territory outside of its boundaries.

Questions I’m Pondering About.

The unlawful occupation by the U.S. government begs the following questions:

How many other unlawful occupations by the United States have taken place but were never shared in history class or books?
How many other Indigenous groups have been trampled over in the name of financial profits for businessmen and governments?
Who financed the occupation? Was it the American people’s taxes? Did they know they were funding an illegal occupation? And, had they known this, would they have been OK to finance unlawful occupations?

An unlawful occupation wouldn’t be the only way Hawaiians were robbed of their sovereignty.

In my next piece for The Misfit newsletter, I’ll explore how the destruction of wetlands and their ecosystem further contributed to the removal of Hawaiian’s sovereignty. These were key events allowing the ambitions of one group of people to trample another.

Make sure to subscribe to The Misfit newsletter to read Part 2.

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Quotes to Remember:

“My love for my homeland and my beloved people, the bones of my bones, the blood of my blood! Aloha! Aloha! Aloha!” Queen Lili’uokalani

“The United States did not bring Hawaii out of poverty. It did not bring Hawaii into enlightenment. If anything, it crushed one of the most amazing, progressive places and indigenous-led Nations on the planet.” Kamanamaikalani Beamer, PhD University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

“This [man pointing to a river] is a lifeline. And that lifeline was broken. Broken now in the name of development.” – Pu’uhonua Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele, Head of State of the Nation of Hawaii

“The new government effectively banned Hawaiian language in school. Students were punished for speaking it and they attempted to erase native Hawaiian culture, turning it into something to be marketed to tourists.” – Bianca Graulau, Journalist

“What we've experienced is the loss of our land, the decimation of our language and our culture, being overwhelmed, and becoming more and more of a minority in our own ancestral homelands.” – Kamanamaikalani Beamer, PhD, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa