The Hawaiian Genocide of 1893
August 21st marked 61 years since Hawaii unwillingly became part of the United States. In 1893, the United States colonized and used excessive force to conduce a genocide to take over the Hawaiian's Hawaii. It has now been 124 years since the illegal occupation of Hawaii.
In 1893, the United States' army overthrew Hawaii's Queen Liliʻuokalani. Thirteen businessmen had their eyes set on setting up a coup in Hawaii which would benefit American sugar plantation owners. Shortly after American government and influences moved into Hawaii, they tried to assimilate natives to american culture. Their languages and cultural observations such as traditional tattooing were no longer accepted. Children had to attend schools where their history would not be built into the history curriculum nor offering their languages as an elective.
A settlement between Hawaii and the Clinton administration gave 45 acres of land back to natives as they peacefully protested for roughly 15 months prior. However, his public apology for the gentrification of Hawaii was an apology without change. The land given back to the people did nothing to ease the tension. But the movement pushed by the "Nation of Hawaii" helped ring some noise into the ears of the American government.
Today we still have US military bases in Hawaii along with the wealthy such as Mark Zuckerberg continuously destroying Hawaiian culture by pushing natives off of their land. Likewise, the United States is trying to set up a telescope on Hawaii's main island despite that location being a sacred space and temple for Hawaiians. What many Americans don't know or see because it is far from the tourist destinations, there is a small native town, Waimanalo. This is the epicenter of the sovereignty movement and the primary place of living for any Hawaiian native. Luckily there are optimistic activists in Waimanalo and other villages that practice their traditions and protect their territory. In the end of the day American's need to recognize one simple fact: America stole Hawaii's sovereignty.
