In the nineteenth century the Kingdom of Hawaii was recognized internationally as a sovereign and independent country, with treaties with every major nation at that time, including several with the United States.

In 1893, a group of mostly white American businessmen, backed by U.S. Marines, illegally overthrew the constitutional monarchy of Hawaii and instituted their own oligarchy. Although President Cleveland condemned the act and called for the restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy, in 1898 President McKinley pushed through a joint resolution of annexation, rather than the required treaty, in violation of international law and the United States Constitution.

After 1900 Hawaii was a territory of the U.S., until the statehood vote in 1959, but today many challenge the legitimacy of this vote and statehood itself.

In 1993, the U.S. Congress and President Clinton officially apologized for the overthrow, acknowledging the illegality of it and the annexation, and recognizing the inherent sovereignty and right to self-determination of Native Hawaiians. Today the Hawaiian sovereignty movement is highly active, and even mainstream political leaders recognize that it is not a matter of if, but when and in what form sovereignty will come to the islands. Some advocate a nation-within-a-nation concept similar to American Indians or other integrated models, but a growing number favor the restoration of total independence for Hawaii.

This political movement parallels the cultural renaissance, and the struggle for other Hawaiian rights, much of which centers on land and water, which are sacred to the Hawaiian people as the caretakers of these islands. It is important for visitors to have some awareness of the history and the current struggles, and to respect the fact that Hawaii is not like other American states.

The websites linked here offer a range of in-depth perspectives on sovereignty and self-determination in Hawaii.

Newsgroups, Discussion Forums / Msg Boards, Chat Rooms, and Listservers

Have a question about your vacation destination? Curious about some aspect of Hawaiian culture? Wondering where to find authentic cultural experiences? The newsgroups, chat rooms, discussion forums and listservers shown here provide the opportunity to interact with locals who can answer your questions or direct you to more information. Even if you don't want to post anything yourself, just lurking can be most informative.