The Hawaiian Kingdom was the first non-European state to be recognised as an independent nation by other countries but was illegally overthrown.
This happened on January 17, 1893, 132 years ago, and the day is commemorated with the ‘Onipa’a Peace March.
Te Ao Māori News spoke with Kainoa Azama, a Kānaka Maoli youth leader who will be a speaker at this year’s march.
‘Onipa’a translates to steadfast and can be split into root words ‘oni which means to shake or shift, and pa’a, which means affixed or set solid.
Mary Kawena Pukui uses the metaphor of ‘opihi, which are limpets that live on the rocks of shorelines that withstand the constant pounding waves at high tide but remain firm on the rocks.
“To be steadfast is to be really firm amongst these changing times,” Azama explained.
Azama hails from Heʻeʻia in the Koʻolaupoko district on the island of Oʻahu and said the Toitū Te Tiriti movement is similar to ‘Onipa’a and the movements are connected in their commitment to creating a better future for all.
“All of our great work is weaving together to make sails to navigate us into the future,” Azama said.
“The day is a reminder... we haven’t forgotten the past wrongs that America has done to our people.”
‘Onipa’a was also part of the last reigning monarch of Hawai’i, Queen Liliʻuokalani’s motto, which was “E ‘onipa‘a...i ka ‘imi na‘auao” be steadfast in the seeking of knowledge.
Azama went on to say that in the late 1800s, there was a lot of turmoil in the Pacific with increased colonisation.
He believes indigenous people are at a pivotal point of ‘onipa’a again, of needing to remain steadfast in changing times—with increased militarisation, climate change, and the geopolitical tensions between superpowers in the Pacific.
“We’re in historic times; there are lots of drastic changes happening, so what prevents us in the Pacific from being a part of that drastic change rather than having to live with it?”
Challenging the notion of ‘incremental change’
Azama challenges the view of incremental change and says global superpowers make big, drastic changes that affect Pacific Islanders, such as deep-sea mining or Fukushima nuclear wastewater dumping.
“Why is it that change is incremental only for us?” he asked rhetorically.
“There is no time to waste; we need drastic change to restore balance and harmony to the world.
“It’s time to elevate a blue consciousness, and who better to do that than the people who could survive on atolls, on islands with limited resources, and yet we thrive.”
Azama says now is the time to translate the messages of blue consciousness into action.
“We’ve really let a small number of people change the course and trajectory of our futures.
“Imagine what 20,000 of us can do if we put our minds to it. So it’s time for us to really take that into action for ourselves and not just for ourselves but for the generations.”
Reinstating the monarchy?
The reinstatement of the Hawaiian monarchy, Azama says, is a tough and complex question to answer because of the 132 years of illegal occupation.
“Overall, one thing that unifies our people is we are interested in regaining the autonomy to govern ourselves,” Azama said.
“The question of ”how" remains open for discussion."
Azama personally believes the Kingdom of Hawai’i was a model of governance for the people, emphasizing innovation, equity, and the decentralization of power.
“In the 1800s, our leaders were already thinking about how governance could serve the people, laying a foundation for what could be a healing blueprint for the world today.
“Hawai’i was ahead of its time; it had electricity before Buckingham Palace or the White House and universal healthcare.”
From 1820 to 1832, Hawai’i had one of the highest rates of literacy in the world, at a minimum of 91 percent, and Azama attributes this to the universal education they had.
“Reflecting on this legacy offers us a chance to think about how we can achieve similar progress in the future.”
