Statehood: Catalyst of the Twentieth-Century Kanaka ‘Ōiwi Cultural Renaissance and Sovereignty Movement

Unexpectedly, by the 1970s, rather than fully integrating Hawai‘i’s people into American life ways, statehood had laid the foundation for a Kanaka Oiwi cultural renaissance and revival of their historic sovereignty movement. The quest for Kanaka Oiwi sovereignty began when the U.S. government invaded Hawai'i on January 16, 1893. Critiques of Kanaka Oiwi sovereignty as unviable in a global post colonial social system cannot derail a quest that has been instilled in the hearts and minds of a people for generations. This article identifies post-statehood economic and political developments and traces the emergence of the Kanaka Oiwi movement.