PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
Kānaka ʻŌiwi: Indigenous Hawaiians
00:00
Can we learn from Kānaka ʻŌiwi and the practice of aloha to understand sovereignty among indigenous peoples around the world?
Chapter objectives
- Learn about Kānaka ʻŌiwi, the indigenous people of Hawaiʻi, and their struggle for sovereignty.
- Understand Understand the effects of colonization on Kānaka ʻŌiwi ancestral lands, language, and culture.
- Explore why sovereignty and self-determination are so important for Indigenous peoples.
Kānaka ʻŌiwi are the Indigenous people of Hawaiʻi, who trace their lineages back to the natural life forces of the islands of Hawaiʻi. In 1893, the US Marines supported sugar plantation owners in overthrowing the Hawaiian Kingdom. Today, Kānaka ʻŌiwi have lower incomes, higher unemployment rates, high incarceration rates, and a high reliance on public assistance. This reflects a history of colonization that has had lasting effects on Kānaka ʻŌiwi. Kānaka ʻŌiwi continue to fight for their right of sovereignty, a right that has been instilled in their hearts and minds for generations. There are many pathways for Kanaka ʻŌiwi to achieve sovereignty and independence, starting by exercising stewardship over ancestral lands and reviving Hawaiian language, customs, and practices. Looking at history, culture, and activism, this chapter explores the Kānaka ʻŌiwi struggle for sovereignty.
Modules in this chapter
Kānaka ʻŌiwi Maoli: Hawaiʻi Identity
Ea Hawaiʻi: Kānaka ʻŌiwi Governance
Kahoʻolawe: Rebirth of the Sacred
Flourishing of Kānaka ʻŌiwi Culture
Aloha ʻĀina: Pathways of Sovereignty and Independence
Kānaka ʻŌiwi Maoli: Hawaiʻi Identity
Ea Hawaiʻi: Kānaka ʻŌiwi Governance
Kahoʻolawe: Rebirth of the Sacred
Flourishing of Kānaka ʻŌiwi Culture
Aloha ʻĀina: Pathways of Sovereignty and Independence
Chapter Sources
Apology Resolution. Pub. Law. No. 103-150, 107 Stat. 1510 (1993).
Cobo, Jose R. Martinez. Study of the Problem of Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations. Volume 5, Conclusions, Proposals and Recommendations. United Nations, 1987.
“Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation.” Accessed May 28, 2025. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/aha2016final-constitutionapproved-022616/58799322.
“Kūpaʻa,” by Ho‘okena, Nā Kai ʻEwalu, Ho’omau, Inc., 1993, written by Horace K. Dudoit III and Manu Boyd.
G.A. Res. 61/295. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Sept. 13, 2007), https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/606782?ln=en&v=pdf.
Governor of Hawaiʻi. Report of the Governor of Hawaii to the Secretary of the Interior. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1930.
Handy, E.S. Craighill, Elizabeth Green Handy, and Mary Kawena Pukui. Native Planters in Old Hawaii, Their Life, Lore, and Environment. Bishop Museum Press, 1972.
Heckathorn, John. “Can Hawaiian Survive?” Honolulu Magazine 21:10 (April 1987).
Huliauapaʻa. “Who We Are.” Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.huliauapaa.org/about.
Isaacs, Alvin Kaleolani. “E Mau.” Translated by the author, http://www.huapala.org/E/E_Mau.html.
