Native Hawaiian sovereignty

Native Hawaiian sovereignty
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Name	Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
Native name	Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī
Established title	Established
Established date	1795
Abolished title	Overthrown
Abolished date	1893
Capital	Honolulu
Leader title	Monarch
Leader name	Kamehameha I → Queen Liliʻuokalani

Native Hawaiian sovereignty is the political, legal, and cultural struggle concerning the rights, recognition, and self-determination of the indigenous Hawaiian people following the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1893 and the subsequent annexation by the United States in 1898. The topic intersects with historical figures such as Kamehameha I, Queen Liliʻuokalani, and Lorrin A. Thurston; legal instruments including the Bayonet Constitution and the Newlands Resolution; and institutions such as the Hawaiian Kingdom monarchy, the Territory of Hawaiʻi, and the contemporary State of Hawaii.

History and overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

The pre-contact Hawaiian archipelago saw chiefly organizations under aliʻi like Kamehameha I who unified islands after the Battle of Nuʻuanu; contacts with explorers such as Captain James Cook led to interactions with British Empire and Kingdom of Great Britain merchants. The 19th century brought constitutions including the 1840 and 1852 charters under monarchs like Kamehameha III and Kamehameha V, and foreign influence increased with sugar planters such as Sanford B. Dole and legal figures such as Lorrin A. Thurston. The 1887 Bayonet Constitution diminished royal authority, empowering Hawaiian League members aligned with American missionaries and Planters; in 1893 a coup led by Committee of Safety figures and backed by U.S. Minister to Hawaii John L. Stevens deposed Queen Liliʻuokalani, followed by the provisional government, the Republic of Hawaii, and eventual annexation under the Newlands Resolution during the Spanish–American War era.

Legal and political status

Legal debates involve treaties and doctrines such as the 1843 British occupation of Hawaii recognition, the Apology Resolution (2000) by the United States Congress, and opinions like the 1993 U.S. House Concurrent Resolution 493 which apologized for the overthrow. Litigation and adjudications include cases touching on sovereignty assertions before the U.S. Supreme Court and administrative processes involving the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs; instruments such as the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and the Hawaiian Organic Act shape land and trust relationships. International law discussions reference principles from institutions like the United Nations and precedents involving indigenous rights instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Sovereignty movements and organizations

Movements encompass a spectrum from restorationist groups advocating monarchy reinstatement to federal recognition campaigns and independence coalitions. Notable organizations include Hawaii Sovereignty Advisory Commission iterations, Sovereignty Movement collectives, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and grassroots groups such as Hawaiʻi ʻŌlelo Community-style assemblies and ʻohana-led hui. Activists and scholars associated with the movement include contemporary figures and historians who engage with archives like the Hawaiʻi State Archives and institutions such as the Bishop Museum; allied legal advocates have worked with entities like the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

Proposals and pathways to self-determination

Proposals range from seeking federal recognition analogous to Native American tribes under statutes like the Indian Reorganization Act framework, to constitutional mechanisms within the State of Hawaii, to independent nationhood asserted by entities claiming continuity with the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Legislative pathways have included bills debated in the United States Congress proposing recognition frameworks, administrative pathways considered by the Department of the Interior for nation-to-nation relationships, and state-level initiatives involving the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. International advocacy has engaged forums such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and petitions to bodies addressing decolonization like the Special Committee on Decolonization (UN).

Cultural and social impacts

The sovereignty discourse interweaves with cultural revitalization movements including the Hawaiian language renaissance centered at institutions like Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, traditional practices such as hula and kanikau, and land stewardship concepts like ahupuaʻa restoration championed by community groups and nonprofits such as Kamehameha Schools-funded programs. Cultural practitioners, educators, and kūpuna collaborate with museums like the Bishop Museum and archives such as the Hawaiʻi State Archives to reclaim narratives, while events like Merrie Monarch Festival and ʻāina-based learning at ʻohana farms reinforce identity tied to claims for political self-determination.

Contemporary issues and controversies

Current controversies involve disputes over land and development at sites such as Mauna Kea and Waiāhole-Waikāne; protests including those led by kūpuna, organizations like Mauna Kea Hui, and alliances with environmental groups have engaged police responses and legal injunctions invoking state statutes and federal oversight. Debates over restitution, the role of entities like Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and proposals for enrollment and citizenship criteria have spurred litigation and legislative negotiations within the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and hearings before the United States Congress. International attention has been drawn by petitions to the United Nations and statements by scholars and artists who cite historical records from archives such as the Mission Houses Museum and diplomatic correspondence involving figures like John L. Stevens.

Category:Politics of Hawaii