Finally Recognizing Hawaiian History Month with Queen Liliuokalani’s Upcoming Birthday

Queen Lili'uokalani's September 2nd Birthday Goes Virtual in 2020 & Marks Announcement of Hawaiian History Month

Hawaiian History Month Marked by Queen Lili’uokalani’s September 2nd Birthday with Events Debuting via All-Virtual Formats in 2020

by Dina Pinos

Honoring Hawai’i’s last reigning monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani’s 182nd birthday, the 14th annual Onipa’a Celebration organized by the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Foundation/Coalition plans to alter the format of their annual celebrations this year. Special programs will be featured during a five week series of virtual events. What will make this year’s celebrations especially important will be the announcement of September being designated as Hawaiian History Month.

Queen Liliuokalani birthday celebration event at Iolani Palace in Honolulu, HI. (Photo courtesy of Meleana Meyer)

Scheduled events commemorating Queen Lili’uokalani’s September 2nd birthday including Onipa’a and the Mai Poina walks on the ‘Iolani Palace grounds with tributes of hula, oli and mele; free tours of the palace and a full range of community programing— will all be virtual this year.  Having attracted thousands of attendees over the years, this year’s virtual presentations will allow potentially hundreds of thousands to participate online in a streaming rich variety of programs of music, poetry, dance, theatre, palace tours and educational panel discussions, as well as an Interfaith service meant to commemorate the Queen’s great wisdom of tolerance for all spiritual traditions that have found a footing in Hawai’i since her time – Christian, Baha’i, Buddhist and others.

Hawaiʻi’s last sovereign Queen Lili’uokalani was a woman of many talents, a skilled musician, an educated royal, also known as a leader for peace and social justice. Thus designating September as Hawaiian History Month would be an appropriate way to honor Hawaii’s Queen and also recognize the many and numerous contributions of the native Hawaiian community, and Ali’i organizations. The goals of this coalition of members is to put forth a Hawaiian agenda, recognition of social justice and reconciliation of historical and cultural wrongs in Hawai’i which still linger today.

The Hawai’i State Legislature has been presented with the resolution to sign a proclamation designating September as Hawaiian History Month. Although the March hearing on Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 55 was postponed due to Covid19, this is not preventing the presentation of Hawaiian History Month with the virtual Onipa’a Celebration to honor the Hawaiian Queen and to share Hawaiʻi’s true history along with the contributions of the native Hawaiian community. Whereas Prince Kūhiō Day and Kamehameha Day are official state holidays honoring Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole and King Kamehameha I, there is no Hawaiʻi state observance or holiday recognizing Queen Liliʻuokalani.

Queen Liliuokalani birthday celebration event at Iolani Palace in Honolulu, HI. (Photo courtesy of Meleana Meyer)

Advocate, community organizer, former President of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs (AHCC), and President of the Hawaiʻi Pono;ī Foundation, Soulee Stroud explained, “Hui Hawaiʻi o Utah Hawaiian Civic Club, which I am a member of, submitted the resolution, “Urging the Declaration of Establishing September as Hawaiian History Month,” at the AHCC Annual Convention held in Maui on October, 2019. The resolution was received and debated in committee, presented to the House of Delegates, and was accepted as an official resolution of the AHCC. “

Formed in 1959, the AHCC is the oldest Hawaiian community-based advocacy movement made up of a confederation of individual Hawaiian Civic Clubs on all the islands of Hawaiʻi and throughout the continental United States. The first Hawaiian Civic Club was the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu founded on December 6, 1918 by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole.  The AHCC has and continues to be a voice for the Hawaiian people.

Artist, educator, filmmaker, community activist and one of the original founding members of the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, Meleanna Meyer stated, “Hawaiian History Month is being talked about it as if it existed already. Already we have Black History month, Women’s History month, wonderful festival celebrations for Asia and Pacific cultures along with Okinawan and Greek festivals, and numerous other cultural celebrations.  And, we have a legitimate reason to focus on the month of September because in addition to celebrating her birthday, the International day of Peace is celebrated on September 21st. Our Queen Lili’uokalani has always been a woman of peace, as she strived for justice and pono – righteous action. She is our Gandhi, our Mandela, having devoted her life to her Nation and its return, to the land, and to her beloved Lahui – to her people.”

Queen Liliuokalani birthday celebration event at Iolani Palace in Honolulu, HI. (Photo courtesy of Meleana)

During this upcoming Hawaiian History Month, links to historical documents will be put up on the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī 5 week virtual event website – first person sources including the Queen’s Diaries (newly published by Hui Hānai), will be featured, along with other critical source materials.  Since Queen Lili’uokalani’s time there has been ongoing advocacy for restoration of the Kingdom. For example, through the Kū’ē Petitions of 1897, where 38,000 signatures were collected against the illegal annexation of Hawaii, the kind of information that must continue to be shared. There were songs written and compiled in Puke Mele Lahui ( A book of National songs) from patriots in 1895 after the overthrow in 1893.  Po’e Aloha ‘Āina-patriots from the past as well as the present are bringing their voices to Hawai’i’s greater conversations about educating others regarding Hawai’i’s past history.  

Meyer points out that Hawaiian history month will serve as a forum of education and cultural awareness of the illegal annexation and overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. “Although it will be a month of celebrations, most importantly it will be a month of education – we as a Lāhui — nation, have been doing this work steadily during our Queen’s time up until the present— especially in the last 40 years. We are continuing this legacy of advocacy for our country’s independence and its people.”

Attention has been focused to honor the Queen’s work and to celebrate her birthday since the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Foundation/Coalition was formed in 2006 out of a need for Hawaiian groups to coalesce around the larger ideas of health and wellness for the Hawaiian community. The Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Foundation/Coalition’s mission is to educate those who live in and visit the islands about Hawaiʻi’s true history, the Native Hawaiian people, and the culture that makes Hawaiʻi a place like no other.

by Dina Pinos

Dina Pinos is a Canadian-born Greek, former UH graduate student and EastWest Center grantee. Thriving world traveler, seeking to uncover passionate stories to share with and serve the community.