Hawaiian sovereignty movement

The Hawaiian sovereignty movement is comprised of a loose coalition of groups that seek self-determination and self-governance for Native Hawaiians (or more broadly Hawaiian nationals regardless of ethnicity), and redress from the United States for its alleged role in the 1893 intervention and overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, and what is seen as a prolonged military occupation beginning in 1898. While these groups share this common concern, their views on how these ends should be achieved vary greatly.

History of resistance to U.S. rule

The current Hawaiian sovereignty movement is not the first upwelling of Hawaiian resistance to U.S. rule or American domination. See also Wilcox rebellions and Home Rule Party of Hawaii.

Related Topics:
Wilcox rebellions - Home Rule Party of Hawaii

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Liliʻuokalani's own response to her overthrow changed over the years. Although at first she worked to effect a counter-revolution, eventually she reconciled herself to the course Hawaii had taken. Opponents of the Hawaiian sovereignty movements see this as ex post facto justification for the overthrow, whereas sovereignty advocates dismiss this as a purely personal position taken by the ex-Queen that does not bear on their legal assertions.

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:The best thing for that could have happened was to belong to the United States. - written in the 1903 autobiography of Senator George Hoar (R. Mass.), attributed to Liliʻuokalani.

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:Tho' for a moment it cost me a pang of pain for my people it was only momentary, for the present has a hope for the future of my people. - former Queen Liliʻuokalani in her diary, Sunday, September 2, 1900; from a photostatic copy in the Hawaii State Archives (See DeSoto Brown's article in the Honolulu Weekly, June 4-10, 2003, Page 4)

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Although there was some controversy as to the accuracy of the second quote, research done by DeSoto Brown of the Honolulu Weekly, who was originally doubtful, was able to prove its authenticity. A further discussion of the two articles written by DeSoto Brown have been discussed on the Honolulu Advertiser discussion boards.

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