Hawaiian sovereignty movement

Hawaiian sovereignty movement
Name	Hawaiian sovereignty movement
Caption	ʻIolani Palace, restored royal residence associated with House of Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani
Date	19th century–present
Place	Hawaii; Oʻahu; Maui; Kauaʻi; Molokaʻi
Causes	Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom; Annexation of Hawaii; Organic Act (1900); Apology Resolution
Goals	Restoration of sovereignty; reparations; recognition of Native Hawaiian rights

Hawaiian sovereignty movement is a broad coalition of Native Hawaiian activists, organizations, and allied groups advocating for varying degrees of political, legal, and cultural redress following the 19th-century Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Annexation of Hawaii by the United States. The movement encompasses claims rooted in the Kingdom of Hawaii monarchy, treaties such as the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, colonial-era statutes including the Organic Act (1900), and federal measures like the Apology Resolution passed by the United States Congress. Its participants range from advocates for federal recognition akin to Indian Reorganization Act–era arrangements to proponents of full restoration of the Kingdom of Hawaii or creation of an independent nation-state.

Background and Historical Context

Key antecedents include the reigns of monarchs such as Kamehameha I, Kamehameha III, Kamehameha V, King Lunalilo, King Kalākaua, and Queen Liliʻuokalani; diplomatic interactions with United Kingdom, United States, France; and landmark legal instruments like the 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Bayonet Constitution (1887). The Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 involved figures such as Sanford B. Dole, Lorrin A. Thurston, John L. Stevens, and Grover Cleveland; subsequent entities include the Republic of Hawaii, the Territory of Hawaii, and the present State of Hawaii. Imperial and corporate interests represented by Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association and the Big Five (Hawaii) influenced the Annexation of Hawaii, while resistance and petitions were led by petitioners who appealed to officials including Queen Liliʻuokalani and Robert Wilcox.

Legal and Constitutional Issues

Legal debates engage instruments such as the Apology Resolution (United States Public Law 103-150), the Organic Act (1900), the Hawaii Admission Act (1959), and international documents like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Litigation and claims have reached bodies including the United States Supreme Court in cases tied to Hawaiian home lands and land trusts; entities such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Hawaii State Legislature play central roles. Constitutional arguments cite precedents from Cherokee Nation–era jurisprudence and treaty principles from the Treaty of Paris (1898) debates; scholars reference work by Noenoe K. Silva, Kanaka Maoli legal theorists, and cases involving Native title analogies.

Political Organizations and Factions

Organizational actors include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiʻi Sovereignty Coordinating Committee, Aloha ʻĀina Party, Hawaiian Kingdom Government, and various ʻohana-based groups. Factions span Hawaiian independence proponents, advocates for further federal recognition within frameworks similar to Bureau of Indian Affairs-style trusts, and groups seeking restoration of a constitutional monarchy linked to the House of Kalākaua. Prominent individual activists and leaders have included Bishop Museum advocates, cultural practitioners associated with Kamehameha Schools, and legal strategists who have worked with entities like the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

Protests, Actions, and Notable Events

Notable direct actions include occupations and demonstrations at sites such as Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau-style encampments, the 1993 centennial protests marking the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, sit-ins at ʻIolani Palace, and resistance to development at locations like Mauna Kea contested between cultural practitioners and agencies such as the University of Hawaiʻi and state authorities. Political milestones include the 1993 Apology Resolution, state-level debates over Hawaiian language immersion expansion, litigation over land use and Hawaiian home lands, and campaigns during Hawaii gubernatorial elections and United States presidential elections that spotlighted Native Hawaiian issues.

Cultural Revitalization and Indigenous Rights

Cultural revitalization initiatives feature restoration of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi through immersion schools, revival of traditional navigation associated with Hōkūleʻa and Polynesian Voyaging Society, renewal of hula lineages connected to practitioners like Merrie Monarch Festival participants, and stewardship of ʻaina through ahupuaʻa-based hui and ʻāina mālama systems. Institutions such as Bishop Museum, Kamehameha Schools, and the Hawaiian Language College support language and heritage programs; activists engage with United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues discourses and align with movements like Indigenous Peoples' Day advocates.

Contemporary Developments and International Responses

Recent developments include debates over federal recognition forums convened by the United States Department of the Interior, proposals for a Native Hawaiian government election process, litigation involving the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homes Commissioners, and transnational solidarity with Maori and other Polynesia movements. International responses have involved statements from bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Council and engagement by non-governmental organizations active on indigenous rights issues. Ongoing negotiations, legislative proposals in the United States Congress, and community-led initiatives continue to shape the movement’s legal, political, and cultural trajectories.

Category:History of Hawaii Category:Indigenous rights movements