Kamehameha Day: Understanding Hawaiian Sovereignty and the Hawaiian Kingdom Legacy
King Kamehameha I. Photo of oil painting in the Throne Room.
Hawaiʻi State Archives.
Aloha mai kākou. As June 11th approaches, kānaka ʻōiwi across the pae ʻāina and throughout the diaspora prepare to honor Kamehameha I, the mōʻī who unified our island nation. But in 2025, what does it mean to celebrate a Hawaiian Kingdom holiday while living under foreign occupation?
Kamehameha Day Celebration. Aliʻiōlani Hale, Honolulu, Oʻahu. Year Unknown.
What is Kamehameha Day and Why Does it Matter?
Kamehameha Day isn't just a cultural celebration—it's a Hawaiian Kingdom national holiday that carries profound meaning for understanding Hawaiian sovereignty today. This lā hanohano connects us to our nation's founding while highlighting the ongoing legal reality of the Hawaiian Kingdom's continued existence.
The Foundation: A Kingdom Holiday Born in Sovereignty
When Was Kamehameha Day Established?
Kamehameha Day was established in 1871 by Kamehameha V during the height of the Hawaiian Kingdom's international recognition. This wasn't merely a cultural celebration—it was a political act by a sovereign nation honoring its founding mōʻī. When the Hawaiian Legislature passed Act 10 declaring June 11th a national holiday, they were exercising the full authority of an independent nation-state.
King Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuāiwa. 1865.
Hawaiʻi State Archives.
What Did Kamehameha Day Mean to Poʻe Kahiko?
The poʻe kahiko who witnessed this first official celebration understood something we must remember today: they were celebrating within their own sovereign territory, under their own flag, governed by their own aliʻi. The mana of that moment—kānaka ʻōiwi honoring their unifying chief in their own independent nation—carries profound significance for how we understand this celebration today.
Kamehameha Day Celebration. Aliʻiōlani Hale, Honolulu, Oʻahu. Year Unknown.
Hawaiʻi State Archives.
Samuel Kamakau, writing in the Hawaiian-language newspapers of the time, captured the reverence with which the lāhui approached this commemoration. His accounts remind us that honoring Kamehameha was never just about looking backward—it was about affirming the strength and continuity of Hawaiian governance and identity.
Understanding Hawaiian Sovereignty: Beyond Cultural Revival
What is Hawaiian Sovereignty?
Here's where our understanding must evolve beyond the cultural renaissance narratives of the 1970s and 80s. Thanks to the groundbreaking research of scholars like Dr. Keanu Sai and Dr. Jon Osorio, we now understand that the Hawaiian Kingdom never ceased to exist as a sovereign state under international law.
How is the Hawaiian Kingdom Different from Indigenous Rights Movements?
The 1893 overthrow was not a legal transfer of sovereignty—it was the beginning of an illegal military occupation that continues today. This isn't about cultural revival or indigenous rights movements; this is about recognizing the legal continuity of our nation-state and the ongoing violation of international law.
When we celebrate Kamehameha Day in 2025, we're not just honoring a cultural hero from our past. We're celebrating the founding mōʻī of a nation that still exists, whose sovereignty was never legally extinguished, whose people continue to live under foreign military occupation.
Mana Lāhui: The Power That Persists
What is Mana Lāhui?
This understanding transforms how we approach Kamehameha Day. Every lei draped on his statue, every pāʻū rider in the parade, every keiki learning his moʻolelo becomes an act of affirming our nation's continued existence. The mana lāhui—the power of our people as a nation—flows through these celebrations whether we recognize it consciously or not.
The aliʻi who unified these islands possessed mana that came from his connection to ʻāina, to akua, and to the lāhui he served. That same mana lives within every kānaka ʻōiwi today. When we honor Kamehameha, we're not just remembering history—we're activating the spiritual and political power that connects us to our sovereign past and our sovereign future.
How to Celebrate Kamehameha Day with Cultural and Political Consciousness
Educate with ʻIke Hawaiʻi
Share the true history of the Hawaiian Kingdom's legal status. Help others understand that we're not celebrating a "former" kingdom, but honoring the founding leader of our continuing nation.
Support Kānaka ʻŌiwi Businesses
Like our ʻohana at Kekoa Creative, choose to mālama businesses owned by Native Hawaiian people. Every purchase becomes an act of supporting our lāhui's economic sovereignty.
Connect Culture to Politics
Understand that our cultural practices aren't separate from our political reality. Hula, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, traditional crafts—these are expressions of a living culture from a continuing nation.
Honor with Intention
Whether you're participating in parades, visiting statues, or sharing moʻolelo with keiki, do so with the understanding that you're honoring the leader of your nation, not just a historical figure.
The Kuleana of Hawaiian Businesses in 2025
As a Hawaiian-owned business, Kekoa Creative carries special kuleana during Kamehameha Day and throughout the year. Our commitment to authentic Hawaiian cultural representation, our partnerships with other kānaka ʻōiwi businesses, our dedication to mālama ʻāina through sustainable practices—these aren't just business decisions. They're acts of national building, ways of exercising sovereignty even under occupation.
When we create clothing that honors traditional Hawaiian aesthetics, when we source ingredients from Hawaiian farmers, when we educate our customers about the true history of our islands, we're participating in the same nation-building work that Kamehameha began centuries ago.
Moving Forward: Pono Celebration of Hawaiian Sovereignty
Lei Draping Ceremony of Statue of Kamehemeha I. Aliʻiōlani Hale, Honolulu, Oʻahu. 2022.
As we approach Kamehameha Day 2025, let's celebrate with both reverence and resistance. Let's honor our mōʻī with the full understanding of what his legacy means for our lāhui today. Let's participate in parades and ceremonies while carrying the knowledge that we're citizens of an occupied nation asserting our continued existence.
The mana that Kamehameha possessed—the spiritual and political power that enabled him to unify these islands—that same mana flows through every kānaka ʻōiwi today. Our kuleana is to honor it, cultivate it, and use it to build the future our kūpuna envisioned.
A hui hou, and may this Kamehameha Day strengthen the mana lāhui that connects us all.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Glossary
Kānaka ʻōiwi - Native Hawaiian people
Pae ʻāina - Hawaiian archipelago/island chain
Mōʻī - Sovereign, king
Lāhui - Hawaiian nation/people
Lā hanohano - Honored/celebrated day
Poʻe kahiko - People of old Hawaiʻi
Aliʻi - Chiefs, royalty
Mana - Spiritual power, life force
Mana lāhui - Power of the Hawaiian nation/people
Moʻolelo - Story, history, legend
Keiki - Children
ʻĀina - Land (that feeds)
Akua - Gods, deities
ʻIke Hawaiʻi - Hawaiian knowledge
ʻOhana - Family
Mālama - To care for, protect
Kuleana - Responsibility, authority, jurisdiction
Kūpuna - Ancestors, elders
Pono - Righteous, proper, correct
Pāʻū - Traditional Hawaiian riding skirt
