Who Are the Native Hawaiians?
Native Hawaiians (Kānaka Maoli) are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands, numbering approximately 560,000 (including those of partial ancestry). They speak 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, a Polynesian language, and are descendants of voyagers who settled the islands around 1,200-1,600 years ago. Hawaiian civilization developed sophisticated agriculture, navigation, governance, and cultural practices before Western contact in 1778. The 1893 US-backed overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and subsequent annexation (1898) created ongoing sovereignty issues. Today, Native Hawaiians navigate between cultural revival, land rights struggles, and minority status in their homeland.
Hula and Cultural Revival
Hula is far more than dance—it's a living repository of Hawaiian knowledge, history, and spirituality. Hula kahiko (ancient style) accompanies chants describing deities, ali'i (chiefs), nature, and history; hula 'auana (modern style) developed after Western contact. Missionaries banned hula in 1830; King Kalākaua revived it in the 1880s (earning the nickname "Merrie Monarch"). The late 20th century saw dramatic cultural revival—hula schools (hālau) flourish, the Merrie Monarch Festival attracts thousands, and hula has become central to Hawaiian identity reclamation rather than tourist entertainment.
The Overthrow
In 1893, American businessmen, backed by US Marines, overthrew Queen Lili'uokalani—the last sovereign ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The US formally apologized in 1993 (Public Law 103-150), acknowledging the overthrow was illegal. Annexation in 1898 and statehood in 1959 occurred without Native Hawaiian consent. Today, sovereignty movements range from seeking a "nation-within-a-nation" status (like Native American tribes) to full independence. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs manages some resources; debates over the "Akaka Bill" (federal recognition) divided Hawaiian activists. Sovereignty remains unresolved—Hawaiians never signed a treaty ceding their nation.
Land and Access
Land dispossession transformed Native Hawaiians into landless people in their homeland. The 1921 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act set aside lands for Native Hawaiians, but implementation failures left thousands on waiting lists for generations. Meanwhile, real estate prices make Hawai'i unaffordable; many Native Hawaiians leave for the mainland. Mauna Kea protests (2019) against telescope construction demonstrated Hawaiian determination to protect sacred sites. Struggles over land access—beaches, gathering rights, development—continue daily. How Native Hawaiians reclaim land and access in a tourism-dominated economy shapes their future.
Contemporary Hawaiian
'Ōlelo Hawai'i, nearly extinct by the 1980s (fewer than 50 child speakers), has been revitalized through Hawaiian-immersion schools; now thousands speak it fluently. The Hawaiian Renaissance (1970s-present) restored pride in language, hula, voyaging (the Hōkūle'a canoe's Polynesian voyages), and traditional practices. Yet Native Hawaiians face disparities in health, education, incarceration, and housing. Sovereignty debates continue; some advocate federal recognition while others reject anything short of independence. Balancing cultural revival, economic challenges, and political status in a state where Hawaiians are a minority defines the ongoing struggle.
References
- Kame'eleihiwa, L. (1992). Native Land and Foreign Desires
- Silva, N. K. (2004). Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism
- Osorio, J. K. (2002). Dismembering Lāhui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887