Hawai‘i Sovereignty Movement

Hawai‘i Sovereignty Movement
Name	Hawai‘i Sovereignty Movement
Caption	ʻIolani Palace and Hawaiian flag symbolism
Location	Hawaiʻi
Founded	1890s–present
Causes	Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Annexation of Hawaiʻi, Native Hawaiian rights
Goals	Self-determination, restoration of Hawaiian governance, reparations, land restitution

Hawai‘i Sovereignty Movement The Hawai‘i sovereignty movement is a multi-decade campaign for Native Hawaiian self-determination, redress for the 1893 Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and alternatives to State of Hawaii status, involving legal claims, community organizing, cultural revitalization, and political activism. Advocates range from monarchist restorationists referencing the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and the Kamehameha dynasty to sovereignty proponents pursuing a federal recognition model akin to federally recognized tribe frameworks and international law instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The movement intersects with U.S. legal history including the Apology Resolution, international diplomacy like Maoliʻa petitions, and landmark judicial and administrative actions such as cases before the United States Supreme Court and proceedings in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

History and Origins

Origins trace to the 19th-century encounters between the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi monarchs—Kamehameha I, King Kamehameha II, Kamehameha III—and foreign powers including the United Kingdom and the United States, culminating in the 1893 Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom led by figures like Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B. Dole. The 1898 Newlands Resolution and subsequent Territory of Hawaii period transformed legal status, involving institutions such as the Territory of Hawaii legislature and the United States Congress. Early 20th-century responses included Native Hawaiian activism associated with leaders like Queen Liliʻuokalani and later movements influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, American Indian Movement, and global decolonization in the United Nations era. The late 20th-century revival saw formation of entities such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and grassroots campaigns leading to the 1993 Public Law 103-150 (the Hawaiian Apology Resolution) passed by the United States Congress.

Key Organizations and Leaders

Key organizations span legal, political, and cultural spheres: Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Hawaiian Sovereignty Alliance, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Kingdom Government (a royalist claimant group), Aha Kiole, Hawaiian Coalition of Native Rights and community groups like Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and Nā Koa ʻĀina. Prominent leaders and figures include Queen Liliʻuokalani, King David Kalākaua, contemporary advocates such as ʻIliahi Kameʻeleihiwa, Kanaka Maoli organizers, legal advocates like Jon Van Dyke and Noenoe K. Silva, scholars such as Terence Rogers and J. Kehaulani Kauanui, and politicians involved in policy such as Daniel Akaka and Patsy Mink. Activist coalitions have engaged with entities like the Environmental Defense Fund and partnered with legal centers including Native American Rights Fund and university programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

Legal and Political Issues

Legal disputes concern the 1893 overthrow, the 1898 Annexation of Hawaii, and the status created by the Newlands Resolution versus treaties like the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875. Key litigation has arisen before the United States Supreme Court (notably cases invoking the Insular Cases doctrine) and administrative challenges involving the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Legislative milestones include the Apology Resolution and federal debates over federal recognition pathways analogous to federally recognized tribes under the Indian Reorganization Act. Other issues involve trust responsibilities linked to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921, fiduciary claims against the State of Hawaii, and land title disputes invoking instruments like the Great Mahele and rulings by the Supreme Court of Hawaii.

Land Rights and Cultural Revitalization

Land rights debates center on former crown lands, ʻāina under the Great Mahele, and contested sites such as Mauna Kea, Kahoʻolawe, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, and Waiāhole-Waikāne. Cultural revitalization efforts include ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi language immersion programs at Kamehameha Schools and the ʻAha Pūnana Leo movement, restoration projects at ʻIolani Palace and Bishop Museum, and traditional practices such as hula, canoe voyaging with organizations like Hōkūleʻa and Polynesian Voyaging Society, and ʻāina stewardship models like ahupuaʻa management. Environmental activism has linked preservation of native ecosystems on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa with indigenous land stewardship principles and collaborations with institutions including the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and conservation groups like The Nature Conservancy.

Protests, Actions, and Notable Events

Notable events include the 1978 constitutional convention leading to creation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the 1993 centennial protests surrounding the Apology Resolution, occupations of ʻāina such as the Kahoʻolawe removal campaign by Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, and the 2019 Mauna Kea demonstrations opposing the Thirty Meter Telescope project involving groups like Mauna Kea Hui and leaders such as Kealoha Pisciotta. Other actions include land occupations at Puʻuhonua o Waimānalo, legal petitions to the United Nations and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and high-profile litigation like state suits involving the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. International solidarity has included links to movements and institutions such as the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations and indigenous delegations from Aotearoa New Zealand and Native American nations.

Contemporary Debates and Policy Proposals

Current debates consider constitutional options: restoration of a sovereign Hawaiian government, a federal recognition model under U.S. law, or enhanced self-governance within the State of Hawaii framework; proposals include negotiated settlements, land and financial restitution, and institutional reforms to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Policy proposals range from draft constitutions by groups like Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi to legislative initiatives in the Hawaii State Legislature and federal bills introduced by members such as Daniel Akaka and contemporaries. International law arguments invoke the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, decolonization procedures at the United Nations General Assembly, and comparative models from Maori and First Nations governance. Debates also focus on cultural preservation through institutions such as Kamehameha Schools, academic research at University of Hawaiʻi, and economic development balancing tourism impacts managed by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Category:Political movements in Hawaii Category:Indigenous rights movements Category:Native Hawaiian history