Native Hawaiians

Who are the Native Hawaiians?

The Hawaiian Islands were first settled as early as 400 C.E., when Polynesians from Marquesas Islands, 2000 miles away, traveled to Hawai’i Big Island in canoes.¹ Native Hawaiians prefer to be called Kanaka Maoli, the indigenous peoples of Hawaiʻi. Dating back to a few hundred years prior to the year 0 A.D, Kanaka Maoli first settled in what is known as the Hawaiian archipelago. During 1100 to 1400 A.D., Kanaka Maoli experienced an expansion of their religious and political organization as well as expanding significantly through their agriculture, aquaculture and cultivation practices.² By 1600 A.D., sovereignty over the indigenous ʻohana (family) farmers, fisheries and lands of Hawaiʻi began to emerge through ruling classes of sacred Aliʻi (ruling chiefs and priests). By 1810, after a series of conflicts with chiefs from the different islands and areas, King Kamehameha, who was motivated by prophecy, united all the islands and created a monarchy.³

What is the foundation of Hawaiian culture?

“These descendants developed a highly organized, self-sufficient, subsistence social system based on communal stewardship. Eventually, a native Hawaiian language, culture and religion developed.”⁴ Native Hawaiians have maintained a deeply rooted culture based on land and nature, physical and spiritual connection between people, heaven and earth, identify as a Kanaka (real person), and language, as well as political empowerment.⁵ In the Hawaiian worldview which includes the connection between man (kane), land (Āina) and god (Akua), the natural world is in an ongoing reciprocal relationship with people that requires dedication and effort to maintain. Hawaiian cultural identity, knowledge, and practice are rooted in this reciprocal relationship with the land — and the health of one depends upon the health of the other.⁶

Culture is shared orally through ‘ōlelo or storytelling and not manuscripted, emphasizing the importance of listening with intent.

How did Hawaii lose its sovereignty?

The centuries-old way of life was changed abruptly in 1893 when the Kingdom of Hawai‘i was overthrown for political and financial gain by Americans. In spite of several attempts to petition and fight for a reinstatement of the traditional monarchy, the lives of Native Hawaiians would never be the same. They experienced long-standing historical trauma and emotional duress that has resulted in declining health, higher death rates, language loss, land confiscation, racial segregation, and loss of identity. Against all odds, Native Hawaiians have managed to maintain their national identity as a distinct people with a unique language, history, culture, and ancestral land base.⁷

What is the native language of Hawaii?

The Hawaiian alphabet contains 13 letters: 8 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w and the ‘okina (officially counted as a consonant), 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u), the kakahō, a horizontal line that appears over a vowel to add stress and length to a vowel. and no consonant clusters.⁸

Native Hawaiian language was oral only and belongs to the same family of languages found in Polynesia. Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii the early 19th century and missionaries wanted to share the Bible and so created a written version of the Hawaiian language to translate the Bible into.⁹ After the annexation of Hawai‘i by the United States, the Hawaiian language was officially banned from schools and state governments, almost making it extinct. Native Hawaiians were incarcerated, publicly humiliated, physically punished and harmed for speaking their Native language, in turn robbing them of their personal identities. In the early 1900s, a new language, pidgin, or Hawaiian Creole English, emerged. With the immigration of plantation workers who brought their languages and lifestyles with them it also contributed to this new language as it became a necessity for communication amongst the various ethnic groups. The Pidgin language is still used today and is used more frequently by locally born residents throughout the islands.

What is the ‘okina?

The ʻokina is  an official consonant in the Hawaiian language. It represents what’s called a glottal stop. To practice pronouncing the ‘okina, say the word “uh-oh.” That break between the syllables where your throat closes is the same kind of break you’ll insert where you see an ‘okina.¹⁰

Not only does the ‘okina change the pronunciation of a word, but it can also change the meaning. For example, kou means “yours” and ko’u means “mine.” Similarly, moa refers to a chicken while mo’a means cooked.¹¹

Is the native language still spoken?

Yes, the Hawaiian language (‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i) is still spoken today. It is one of the oldest living languages in the world. After years of advocacy to preserve the Hawaiian language, in 1978 Hawai‘i became the only state with two official languages, English and Hawaiian. Since then, the Hawaiian language has experienced a resurgence among all ethnic groups, not just among Native Hawaiians.¹²

Revitalization of the language has grown since the Constitutional Convention in 1978 with the implementation of Immersion School through the Department of Education.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) contributes to Hawaiian language revitalization by providing for K-12 Hawaiian language education. The Hawaiian Language Immersion Program (HLIP), Ka Papahana Kaiapuni (KPK), delivers instruction on all subjects exclusively through the medium of Hawaiian language until grade 5, whereupon English is formally introduced.¹³ Middle and high school students primarily speak ʻŌlelo Hawaii in their classes. Higher educational curriculum developed for colleges and universities presents opportunities for interested individuals  to obtain higher level degrees in Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian Studies which continues to help perpetuate the culture and language.

How was the land taken from the Native Hawaiians?

Under pressure, foreigners came into Hawaiʻi with a mindset of land ownership, especially when it came to the places that were rich in plantations. These foreigners proposed the western concept of land ownership to the King in 1820. As the King, he owned all the land from one end of the archipelago to the other end. The American business owners suggested the lands be divided into three classifications: the Crown (King), Government (King), and Konohiki (land agent). After further policy and system changes, foreigners and Hawaiians could buy “fee simple land, which did not work in the Hawaiian’s favor due to limited financial resources.”¹⁴

There were strict rules for obtaining land, which further made owning land difficult, leading to a root feeling of oppression. Native Hawaiians and foreigners were required to prove via land surveys that their land was being properly used through cultivation to earn a living. Most Native Hawaiians did not have the money to pay for surveys or to keep up with the requirements of owning land, which led to missed filing deadlines and their inability to pay taxes, resulting in Native Hawaiians owning only 1% of the total land available.

This injustice overwhelmed Native Hawaiians. They had lost over 90% of their land to foreigners, who bartered and created Westernized systems and restrictions that Native Hawaiians could not meet and caused deep pain and enduring trauma.¹⁵

What are the “ceded” or “trust” lands?

Ceded lands are used to identify lands that were given to the United States during the time of annexation:

“So, the “ceded lands” are the lands that were Crown Lands or Government Lands during the Kingdom of Hawaii, that “were illegally taken from the Native Hawaiian monarchy” at the time of the 1893 overthrow, and that were subsequently “ceded” to the United States in 1898 without any compensation to Native Hawaiians. The Native Hawaiians have a powerful claim to these lands, and the lands are now being maintained under a virtual moratorium until that claim can be addressed and resolved.”¹⁶

As Hawaiians protested commercial development, they also began organizing to reclaim a land base. Land taken from the Hawaiian government at the overthrow equals approximately two million acres. Lands awarded in compensation for military or other takings became the focus of intense organizing. Legal entities, political groups, and community coalitions called for some kind of reparation from the United States for its role in the overthrow of the Native government in 1893 and forced annexation in 1898.

The example of the “trust” lands is a good case study of the subjugation of Native Hawaiians. The American Congress allotted nearly 200,000 acres of the poorest agricultural lands to Native Hawaiians under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921. Ostensibly for farm and residential use, the lands are marginal, situated in inaccessible areas, and undeveloped. Additionally, no monies were allocated to improve the lands.

Since its creation, the Hawaiian Homes trust has been administered first by the Territory of Hawai’i and then, in 1959, by the state of Hawai’i. Allegedly, the federal government has had oversight responsibility for the trust since its inception. In practice, however, the trust lands have been a readily available pool for every use but that stipulated in the Act.¹⁷

How was the land ceded?

During the Annexation of Hawaiʻi in 1898, when the United States government transformed the Hawai’i into the self-proclaimed “Republic of Hawaiʻi” ceding approximately 1.8 million acres of land. This transfer of land remains controversial as of today. The controversy stems from the actions of the military and diplomatic officials in 1893 involving the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. This act has been recognized as illegal and a violation of international law. In 1993, the U.S. Congress acknowledged this act in the 1993 Apology Resolution which states that the transfer of lands in 1898 was “without consent or compensation to the Native Hawaiian people of Hawaiʻi or their sovereign government.”¹⁸

How is the land being protected currently?

The Hawaii Legislature passed a statute (Act 176 [2009]) stating that none of the public lands in Hawaii (whether ceded or not) can be sold or transferred without a two-thirds vote by both chambers of our legislature.

This statute has had the effect of establishing a virtual moratorium on any transfer of any lands that were formerly categorized as Crown or Government Lands during the Kingdom.

So, the “ceded lands” are the lands that were Crown Lands or Government Lands during the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, that “were illegally taken from the native Hawaiian monarchy” at the time of the 1893 overthrow, and that were subsequently “ceded” to the United States in 1898 without any compensation to Native Hawaiians. The Native Hawaiians have a powerful claim to these lands, and the lands are now being maintained under a virtual moratorium until that claim can be addressed and resolved.¹⁹

How have racial policies impacted the indigenous communities?

In the years leading up to and following the overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani, the last reigning Monarch, policies were put into place that contributed to racial segregation in Hawai‘i, including the prohibition of the Hawaiian language in schools and state government. Now, foreigners owned most of the non-government lands and profited from the value of agricultural production in Hawai‘i. Native Hawaiians joined contract laborers from Japan, China, Korea, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, working long hours on plantations for very little money. The onslaught of missionaries in Hawai‘i further undermined the national natural order of affairs; they actively influenced officials to denounce and deny the practice of Native Hawaiian cultural traditions.²⁰

How have racial policies been enforced against the indigenous communities?

Native Hawaiians were stripped of their identities upon the arrival of the Westerners. They were teased for their choice of clothing, called demonic for worshiping their Native Gods, forced to recognize Anglo ways including Christianity; and were physically and mentally punished for speaking their Native Language. Native Hawaiian healing practices were also shunned and banned, prohibiting Native Hawaiians the use of the land, plants and cultural rituals for healing and conflict resolution.

What role did sexual violence play in the colonization of Hawai’i?

As more and more westerners made their way to Hawaiʻi with their lack of knowledge and respect for the people, wahine (meaning: woman) roles were turned upside down and went from being sacred to being seen as property. Women were manipulated and exploited for sexual reasons by foreigners, sexualized for their unique beauty and talent of hula.

Prostitution was another form of exploitation brought by Western Society. Westerners’ exposure to Hawaiian culture revealed the differing interpretations of who our Hawaiian women were. The misperception that in the Pacific, women were promiscuous and would give up their “love” freely to foreigners was very different from the way Native Hawaiians perceived and treated women. Over time European and American ships that came to Hawaiʻi would exercise their power over the “Hawaiian government” and the kapu (law) that Queen Kaʻahumanu had set in 1825 was challenged on an ongoing basis. This had led to the justification of brothels in Iwilei, Oʻahu to be a “safer” way to mediate this entitlement that whalers felt they had over Hawaiian women. This led to the commodification of Hawaiian women and the devaluing of Hawaiian women roles.

Highlighted from the case of Polly Holmes age 8, a part Hawaiian female who was sold by her English father to a Western businessman.²¹ (Learn more about Polly’s story)

How have the Indigenous population‘s numbers been affected?

Before European contact, the population had reached somewhere in the range of 200,000 to 1,000,000 people. After contact with the Europeans, however, the population steeply dropped due to death caused by various diseases including measles, sexually transmitted diseases, and smallpox.²² It is estimated that 1 in 17 Native Hawaiians died between 1778-1800, which coincides with the arrival of the British explorer, Captain James Cook and his men.²³

With the introduction of shipping and trade markets from across the Pacific, Hawai‘i became a melting pot of diverse ethnicities. In small-island populations, interracial marriages occurred among all ethnicities. By the 1900s Native Hawaiians who identified themselves as “100% blood quantum” would marry outside of their Native Hawaiian culture, and the number of full-blooded Native Hawaiians diminished by 50%. At that time, the population of Native Hawaiians was estimated at over 80,000.²⁴

As a result of interracial marriages and the influx of people to Hawaii, the Kanaka Maoli blood lines have diminished in quantum. It is now rare to find anyone with 100% Hawaiian blood. “Native Hawaiian” is a racial classification used in the United States census. In the most recent Census, 690,000 people reported that they were Native Hawaiian or of a mixed race that includes Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. There may now be as few as 5,000 pure-blood Native Hawaiians remaining in the world.²⁵

What is the current effect of the small population of “full-blooded” Native Hawaiians?

As a result, the Indigenous people have to be cognizant of how they move forward in every aspect of their lives. With the increase of interracial marriages in Hawaiʻi, this caused the decrease in blood quantum for Native Hawaiians. Understanding the gradual diminishing of blood quantum is significant over time as it affects Native Hawaiians rights to claim Hawaiian Homestead. Presently under the Hawaiian Homes Commissions Act that was signed by President Warren G. Harding on July 9, 1921 and through advocacy efforts by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, 200,000 acres of land was designated Native Hawaiians, who were identified as a landless and “dying” people as the result of disease, intermarriage, and loss of lands. The intent was to rehabilitate Native Hawaiians with the land by encouraging them to become self-sufficient farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders on leased parcels of reserve land.²⁶

At the present time, Native Hawaiians with a blood quantum of 50% are eligible to apply for Hawaiian Homestead lands. As blood quantum decreases over time so does the eligibility to claim land in Hawaiʻi which further perpetuates a separation between Native Hawaiians and the land.

What is the impact of the military presence?

The American military controls over 30% of the most populated island of O’ahu, and other large land areas on the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, and Kaua’i. This includes 21 installations, 26 housing complexes, 8 training areas, and 19 miscellaneous bases and operating stations.²⁷ The largest percentage of land owned by the Military are considered ceded lands which approximates 1.8 million acres of land that was illegally taken from the Native Hawaiians.

As of 2020, the military controls approximately 112,173 acres of ceded land, representing 54% of its land holdings.²⁸ Displacing Kanaka Maoli is considered cultural genocide and despite having Hawaiian Homelands, the rate of homelessness of Native Hawaiians on their own land is egregious. In 2015, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders accounted for only 10 percent of the state’s population but were 39 percent of the 7,620 people experiencing homelessness in Hawaii. Data from 2016 show that 42 percent of 7,921 homeless individuals in Hawaii identified as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.²⁹

The presence of the United States military on the island of Hawai’i has affected the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians through large-scale historical processes, most notably Western colonization. This history has been shaped by the takeover of land for the purposes of military and commercial interests. Changes in policy and new program development are needed to improve the current poor health status of Native Hawaiians.

Currently, native Hawaiians are suffering illness from contamination due to  severe negligence for years from the U.S. Navy to care for and monitor fuel jet tanks which emptied into the most important fuel depot in the pacific. State health officials announced that the Navy’s water system contained levels of gasoline and diesel range hydrocarbons as much as 350 times higher than state standards for safe drinking water.³⁰

Despite being ordered by the Hawaii State Department of Health to pause operations the Navy has fought the order,and instead has stated it will rush water-filtration systems to the island and investigate the leak as an adequate response.³¹ In turn perpetuating struggles of many Native Hawaiians and other residents to pay for water which is a cherished resource from this ‘aina.

The presence of the military has also increased Sex Trafficking in Hawaii due to the remote location of resorts and separation of the islands from the Continental United States, Hawaii has become a prime location for this form of abuse.

What is being done to reclaim the native Hawaiian history, language and culture?

Despite the ongoing  history of racism and sexism, the Native Hawaiian people continue to thrive as a unique, distinct, and dignified people. They passionately seek measures of protection to regain and secure traditions, such as cultivating food, harvesting kalo (taro) and spear fishing and throwing nets to catch fish for sustenance. Additionally, Native Hawaiians seek to protect traditional and customary practices related to the spiritual, physical and protection of sacred places, as a means of sustaining the people. Native Hawaiians consider land as a perpetuation of their spirituality and cultural identity, as did their ancestors. Furthermore, Native Hawaiians advocate for sacred ancestral lands to be returned to the people. Native Hawaiians honor their culture and ancestors through turning to the land for healing, nourishment, safety and regaining a sense of self.

Today, many Hawaiian Language Immersion Programs (HLIM) have been established and are helping young Hawaiians reconnect with their culture, language, and customs. As a result, the younger generation are reclaiming their dignity and identity as Native Hawaiians.

Native Hawaiian holidays are recognized and celebrated openly without fear or shame of repercussion. Non-profit organizations that focus on Native Hawaiian culture support multi-generational gatherings to ensure culture is passed down from generation to generation. Reviving practices such as ho ‘oponopono (Hawaiian conflict resolution), hi’uwai (cleansing practice), oli, ( chant) hula (dance) and mo’olelo (storytelling) perpetuates the culture, ensuring it will not be lost or forgotten.

Want to learn more about the Native Hawaiian community? Check out these videos from the experts!

• Part 1
• Part 2

Want to learn more about Pouhana O Nā Wahine? Check out this video from the experts!