Hae Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian flag), mele (song) and oli (chants) filled the streets of Honolulu and Nuʻuanu as participants of the 32nd ʻOnipaʻa Peace March travelled 1.8 miles down to Hale Aliʻi ʻo ʻIolani (Iolani Palace) from Maunaʻala (Hawaiʻi’s Royal Mausoleum), remembering the 132 anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. “I ku mau mau i ka hulu hlu i ka lanawao,” echoed in the streets from Kānaka Hawaiʻi (Native Hawaiians) and allies who marched down the streets to ʻIolani Palace.
“ʻI kū mau mau’ is a call to hoʻokuʻikahi, to unite as one. It is a call for everyone to come together to accomplish a singular purpose: for us to unite and remain steadfast in our Aloha ‘Āina, which charges us to remain active in the protection of ‘Āina, our communities, and ourselves, said Kyson Kainalu James-Foree, kākoʻo with Hawaiian Church of Hawaiʻi Nei.”
Organized by Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi Kōmike Kālaiʻāina, the annual march serves as a reminder of the ever growing movement of sovereignty and independence for the Hawaiian Kingdom. Illegal occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the topic of the march, encompasses many issues Hawaiʻi faces, including Defueling Kapukākī (Redhill), Mālama Mākua (returing military lands to Native Hawaiians) and Ola i ka wai (protecting Hawaiʻi’s freshwater sources).
“We are all coming together to demonstrate that we’re committed to a future of Hawaiʻi that’s much better than the one that we’re currently living under, that we haven’t forgotten where we come from,” said Kainoa Azama, organizer and speaker at the ʻOnipaʻa Peace March. “We’re committed to unwriting that seemingly unwritable wrong (the illegal overthrow). To me, that’s the huge significance of today. It’s not just about the remembrance of something that happened wrongfully and illegally 132 years ago, but the commitment and the shared commitment and responsibility we have to the future generation as well as the future of our islands.”
Protocol was initiated by Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong and Hawaiian Church of Hawaiʻi Nei with an oli komo respecting the grounds and creating space for organizations and participants to gather inside the Royal Mausoleum. Schools such as Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau and Kamehameha Schools Kapālama provided hoʻokupu to Maunaʻala and aliʻi (chiefs) with oli, mele and hula.
Kanaeokana, an organization dedicated to growing a Native Hawaiian education system built on a strong ʻōlelo Hawai‘i and ʻike Hawai‘i foundation, released a documentary, “Paʻa Ke Aupuni: The Reel History of Hawaiʻi,” explaining how the American government supported the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.
Hui Aloha ʻĀina o Honolulu, a politically committed organization dedicated to deoccupation and demilitarization of the Hawaiian Kingdom was also in attendance. Members shouted messages of deoccupation to Hawaiʻi. “Stop the desecration,” and “The people united will never be defeated” gave marchers moral and remembrance to continue to advocate for a de-occupied Hawaiʻi.
“I have the opportunity to stand with my kūpuna who were afraid to stand up, afraid to come out. I have that privilege of being here today without fearing that I have nobody else to support me. We’re illegally occupied and so we need to be strong,” said Makanamaikalani Montalla, a participant in the march.
Events such as the ʻOnipaʻa Peace March are opportunities for Kānaka Hawaiʻi to connect with their kūpuna (elders) and to envision and live in a future where Hawaiʻi is for Kānaka Hawaiʻi.
“The overall goal I dream of and will always dream of is decolonization; ‘Onipaʻa opens the door for wider discussions on how it is achieved,” said James-Foree. “The goal of every march should be change and the ‘Onipaʻa Peach March cultivates that change by bringing together thousands of like-minded individuals and granting exposure to many different ways people of practicing Aloha ‘Āina through their presence at the march itself and at the community booths on the palace grounds.”
The ʻOnipaʻa Peace March is a puzzle piece to the overall puzzle of a deoccupied Hawaiʻi. Advocates, and ones willing to learn can look forward to events such as Ola ka ʻĪ, in February, event(s) dedicated to perpetuating ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and uplifting Kula Kaiapuni, Hawaiian-Language immersion schools; Ola ka ʻĪ will kick off on Saturday, February 1 at Windward Mall from 10am to 3pm.
