"Hawaiian at Heart" and Other Fictions

Abstract

When people lost our national sovereignty through ille gal invasion and overthrow of Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1893 and our subsequent annexation by United States of America in 1898, we also lost control over meaning of identity. In forcible trans formation from nation to American colony to American state, mean ing of became ambiguous, as residents of Territory of Hawai'i, and then of state, began to be called along with indigenous people. The terms Hawaiian and Kanaka Maoli are often used today to ensure accurate recognition of who is being discussed, but Hawaiian carries its own colonial baggage. In 1993, on 100th anniversary of overthrow, United States Congress issued a Joint Senate Resolution apologizing for US role in overthrow and admitting that the indigenous people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to United States, either through their mon archy or through a plebiscite or referendum. President Bill Clinton signed measure on Z3 November 1993 as Public Law 103-150, declaring that overthrow of Kingdom of Hawai'i on 17 January 1893 had been illegal; that it had occurred with participation of agents and citizens of United States; and that it had suppressed inherent sovereignty of Native people and deprived Native Hawaiians of our rights to self-determination. Notably, this legislation defines Hawaiians as aboriginal people who inhabited Islands prior to arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778 and their descendants; there is no mention of blood quantum restrictions imposed by US Congress