Great Seal of the State of Hawaii

Great Seal of the State of Hawaii
Sodacan (With elements from File:Hawaii-StateSeal.svg, uploaded by: Clindberg) · Public domain · source
Name	Great Seal of the State of Hawaii
Armiger	State of Hawaii
Year adopted	1959
Crest	The royal crown of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Motto	"Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono"

Great Seal of the State of Hawaii is the principal emblem used to authenticate official State of Hawaii documents and represent the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands under the State of Hawaii constitution. Adopted at statehood in 1959, the seal synthesizes symbols from the Kingdom of Hawaii, the Provisional Government of Hawaii, and the Territory of Hawaii to reflect continuity with monarchic, revolutionary, and territorial institutions. Its imagery references dynastic rulers, historical treaties, and cultural mottos tied to landmark events such as the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the Annexation of Hawaii, and state accession.

History

The seal’s antecedents derive from heraldic devices used by the Kingdom of Hawaii under monarchs including Kamehameha I, Kamehameha III, Kamehameha V, Kamehameha IV, and Queen Liliʻuokalani. Early royal standards and coats of arms appeared contemporaneously with diplomatic contacts involving the United States, the United Kingdom, and the French Second Empire during the era of the Pax Britannica. Following the Bayonet Constitution of 1887 and the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893, provisional authorities linked symbols from the Provisional Government of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii into seals used by figures such as Sanford B. Dole and legal instruments surrounding the Apology Resolution. During the Territory of Hawaii period, territorial seals incorporated banners reflecting United States territorial administration, the Office of the Governor (Hawaii), and legislative acts like the Hawaiian Organic Act. The 1959 statehood convention, attended by delegates connected to institutions such as the University of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaii State Legislature, and civic groups including the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, finalized a seal that referenced royal, republican, and territorial motifs while aligning with symbols used in other states like California, New York, and Massachusetts.

Design and Symbolism

The seal’s quartered shield evokes the dynastic arms associated with houses such as the House of Kamehameha and the House of Kalākaua, and incorporates the royal crown used by King Kalākaua. The motto "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono" originates from a proclamation by Kamehameha III following events tied to the Anglo-Franco occupation of Honolulu and diplomatic disputes with representatives of France and the United Kingdom. Figures flanking the shield include representations of native personae derived from iconography related to Liloa and later genealogies invoked by chiefs like Kamehameha I and Kaʻahumanu. Agricultural and maritime emblems reference commodities and routes connecting to ports such as Honolulu Harbor and trading partners including China, Japan, and the Philippines; they allude to plantation-era linkages with companies such as the American Sugar Company and labor migrations involving Chinese immigration to Hawaii, Japanese immigration to Hawaii, and Filipino migration to Hawaii. The seal’s colors, heraldic ordinaries, and supporters reflect judicial and executive roles mirrored in seals used by entities like the United States Supreme Court, the United States Department of State, and the United States Congress during territorial deliberations.

Legal Adoption and Use

Statutory adoption occurred alongside instruments establishing the State of Hawaii government after the Hawaii Admission Act. The seal is referenced in the state constitution and codified in statutes regulating seals for the Office of the Governor (Hawaii), the Hawaii State Legislature, and courts including the Hawaii State Judiciary and the Supreme Court of Hawaii. Official uses include authentication of proclamations by governors such as John A. Burns and George Ariyoshi, commissioning documents for offices like the Attorney General of Hawaii and the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, and emblems on chancellory instruments similar to practices by the United States Army for state adjutant general commissions. Restrictions on reproductions and penalties for misuse align with statutes comparable to laws protecting seals in jurisdictions such as California Department of Justice and federal statutes enforced by entities like the United States Department of Justice.

Variations and Modifications

Variations appear in seals for the Department of Education (Hawaii), the Hawaii Department of Health, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and county seals for City and County of Honolulu, Maui County, Hawaii County, Hawaii, and Kauai County. Historical versions from the Republic of Hawaii era differ in crest and motto placement, as seen in documents signed by President Sanford B. Dole and gubernatorial dispatches under Territory of Hawaii officials like Wallace Rider Farrington. Commemorative adaptations have been produced for events such as the Statehood Day (Hawaii) centennial, sporting insignia during Honolulu Marathon, and museum exhibits at institutions like the Bishop Museum and the Hawaii State Archives. Postal cancellations by the United States Postal Service and pictorial programs for anniversaries have used modified seals, while reproductions appear on regalia owned by cultural groups including Hoʻokahua Cultural Center and Kamehameha Schools.

Cultural and Political Significance

The seal functions as a locus of debate among advocates for Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement, participants in the Hawaiian Renaissance and scholars at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Interpretations surface in legal challenges related to the Apology Resolution and in scholarship by historians studying the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Annexation of Hawaii. Political figures from Daniel Inouye to contemporary legislators have employed the seal in ceremonial contexts, while artists and activists have reimagined elements in works exhibited at galleries like the Contemporary Museum (Honolulu) and performances at the Hawaiʻi Theatre. The seal’s interplay with identity informs curricula at the Kamehameha Schools, public history programming at the Hawaiʻi State Archives, and cultural policy debates involving agencies such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act trustees.

Category:Symbols of Hawaii Category:State seals of the United States