ABOUT THIS SERIES

A message from the Chair of the Justice and Witness Missional Team that hosted the series:

Aloha and welcome to this series on Hawaiian Kingdom History. This series intentionally puts forward Hawaiian history from the perspective of the Hawaiian Kingdomʻs history as documented through archival materials, including many newly translated legal, church, private, and newspaper documents. Viewers will hear history that is sometimes different and more complete than the history written by those who overthrew the government and benefited from the Americanization of the islands. That Americanized history dominated our education system for many decades and is incomplete and biased toward justifying the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.

This series traces the development of constitutional law in the Hawaiian Kingdom; recognition of Hawai‘i as an independent nation with multiple treaties with European countries and the United States; the Bayonet Constitution forced on King Kalākaua; the illegal overthrow of the government by business men, many of whom were sons of missionaries; and introduces information about international law challenges to the legality of the US annexation of Hawai‘i. The United States Congress apologized without adequately addressing the issue of Hawaiian sovereignty, which is still a point of contention.

Numerous archived communications, journal entries and reports of missionaries and church officials, as well as church newsletters and other documents from the period before and after the overthrow were presented, establishing that many churches were strong in their loyalty to the Queen even while the hierarchy of the church in Hawai‘i was controlled by those who participated in the illegal overthrow of the government and the humiliation of Queen Lili‘uokalani.

Finally, the Mahele was explained as well as the how private and public lands were divided and how Hawaiian Kingdom citizens were guaranteed land for homes and agriculture. Many of the land rights were abolished after the overthrow, and the private lands of the monarch were taken as government land.

Hopefully the series helps participants to better understand the progressiveness of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the impact of the overthrow, and the perspective of many within the sovereignty movement.

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Dr. Noenoe Silva, Political Science professor at the University of Hawai‘i states:

“The Kanaka Maoli continue to protest today. We have never relinquished our national sovereignty. Kanaka Maoli are working on state, national, and international levels to have our existence as a nation recognized. Kanaka Maoli also continue to resist and protest every encroachment upon our inherent rights to this land, our ocean and fresh waters, and all the other natural resources of Hawaiʻi. We are insisting as well on our rights to keep our language and cultural traditions, and the land itself, alive.”

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We hope that this series will cause you to question some beliefs you may have held and some narratives you have heard. We hope you will be inspired to further research and learning. Most importantly, we hope that you will engage in dialogue meant to increase understanding of what wounds of the past are unhealed for Hawai‘i and for the Church, and seek discernment for productive pathways to reconciliation and healing.

Malama Pono

Linda L. Rich

Chair, Justice and Witness Missional Team