I don't think it's a radical ideal for the want of Hawai'i to become their own independent country. It should have never been taken over by the US in the first place. For a country whose entire foundation is based upon "separation from a colonial country" it's laughable that they made an entire population that was self governed into a state. It's insulting. It's already blatantly obvious that this whole country was based on lies and blood, and it only continues to perpetuate that. I'm shocked that the Hawai'ian sovereignty movement isn't mainstream even though they have been fighting for it since 1997. Fuck the American government.

What is a Native Hawaiin Organization (NHOs) and how to become one?

An 8(a) Native Hawaiian Organization is a business that is at least 51% owned by a Native Hawaiian, or a group of Native Hawaiians. In order to be eligible for the 8(a) program, a business must be for-profit, and it must be small as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

To become an NHO, an organization must submit a request for certification to the SBA District Office nearest to their principal place of business. The request must include evidence that the organization is at least 51% owned by Native Hawaiians who are of racial descent from the aboriginal peoples who inhabited and exercised sovereignty in the area that now comprises the State of Hawaii prior to 1778; and such ownership must be evidenced by stock ownership or equivalent means. Additional information on requirements and the application process can be found on the SBA website.

As of 2022, there are approximately 200 8(a) Native Hawaiian Organizations in the United States.

[ASMR] Tsunoda from Aggretsuko eats three Dairy Queen Blizzards while explaining to you the history of the Hawaiin Sovereignty Movement.

The Body – A Transnational Approach (Unit 3)

Unit 3 of GWS 302-001 has maintained a central focus on the transnational body, illuminating the historical traumas of Indigenous peoples and how their tragic history impacts how they move through the world today (systematic oppression, impoverished communities, cultural death, etc.). In the eye-opening documentary from PBS, Unspoken: America’s Native American Boarding Schools, the violent assimilation of Native Americans into Euro-“American" culture is brought to light through personal stories of native peoples. (“American” is in quotations here because technically American culture is Native American culture --- this is their land; they deserve the title of American much more than any of us who descended from white colonial settlers.) But, as it always seems to be, white settlers have acquired this fabricated notion that whiteness is synonymous to superiority, authority, intelligence, entitlement and ownership. This disgraceful way of thinking stems from white supremacist patriarchal heteronormative European culture, and has facilitated numerous mass tragedies throughout history (I.e. slavery, the Holocaust, Japanese Internment Camps, etc.), including the gentrification and assimilation of Native Americans. As discussed by Alyosha Goldstein in her work, “Possessive Investments: Indian Removals and the Affective Entitlements of Whiteness”, the misfortune of the ‘Baby Veronica Case’ highlights a deeper issue; In her case, the authority of her tribe was questioned solely based off of her blood quantum; In Justice Samuel Alito’s opening statement, he undermined the cultural relevancy of the case, pointing out that the child was [only] 1.2% Cherokee. (Goldstein, 2014). “Alito’s focus on the calculated fraction of ‘Indian blood’ is an attempt to misconstrue the political relation of Cherokee citizenship as if it was a matter of race... [this attempt is seen by many as a] reassertion of white heteronormative rights to possess and to deny culpability for the ongoing consequences of colonization and multiple forms of racial violence in the present moment.” (Goldstein, 2014). Additionally, in Nirmala Ervelles work, “The Color of Violence: Reflection on Gender, Race, and Disability in Wartime”, the question of who is considered able to birth US citizens is explored; Prior to the 1924 U.S. Immigration Act, despite the extremities of health issues faced by Mexicans at the time, Mexican men were deemed as healthy and physically able due to their generally strong physique (and more so, directly tied to the services they would then be able to provide whites through their labor). On the flip side, “...high infant mortality rates in Mexican communities were perceived as evidence of Mexican women’s ill health, lack of education, and poor parenting skills, not as a consequence of poor economic conditions and inadequate prenatal care. In this way, Mexican women were cast as diseased reproducers of unfit citizens and, thus, as undeserving of the privilege of legal immigration.” (Ervelles, 2011).  

In the works of J. Kehaulani Kauanui and Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar, the issue of the proposed construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the sacred land of Mauna Kea is analyzed. In July 2019, the Royal Order of Kamechamecha gave the base of Mauna Kea the name, Pu‘uhonua o Pu‘uhuluhulu. Pu‘uhonua o Pu‘uhuluhulu is meant to provide the community with a safe place to go during conflict, as it is a Hawaiian tradition to do so. This was done in anticipation of the construction of TMT, “a $1.4 billion project for an eighteen-story observatory on this mountain that is the highest in the world at 32,000 feet,” (J. Kehaulani Kauanui, 2019). The proposal of this project is a clear indicator of a heartless and ignorant system that fails to recognize, protect, and honor Hawaiin people, their traditions, and their sacred land. Soon after the proposal of TMT, thousands of Hawaiians and allies successfully blockaded the base of the mountain in a protective rebellious act. In response to this peaceful, culturally-motivated protest, the state governor declared a “state emergency” on July 17th, unjustly calling in the National Guard and riot police. “I cried watching in horror as riot gear-clad state and county police—equipped with pepper spray, tear gas, batons, side arms, and a “noise cannon”—lined the road, poised to crack skulls; many with tears in their own eyes as many were also Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian).” (Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar, 2019). Reading this quote from Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar broke my heart; To hear these lived experiences, the tragedies, the historical traumas---it has all opened my eyes so much. We must open our eyes. In the wake of a new day, in optimism and determination, I salute the Hawaiian people, their allies, and their beautiful culture. May Mauna Kea remain protected, as her symbolism of peace and unity will endlessly overpower all that tries to profit off of or take advantage of her (“her” in reference to the land, Mother Earth). “Onipa‘a! Kūʻē! [roughly translating to Steadfast! Resist!]” (J. Kehaulani Kauanui, 2019).  

References

Unspoken: America’s Native American Boarding Schools,”. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/video/unspoken-americas-native-american-boarding-schools-oobt1r/.

Alyosha Goldstein. 2014. “Possessive Investments: Indian Removals and the Affective Entitlements of Whiteness. American Quarterly 66 (4): 1077-1084.

Nirmala Erevelles. 2011. “The Color of Violence: Reflection on Gender, Race, and Disability in Wartime.” In Feminist Disability Studies.

"Enduring Hawaiian Sovereignty: Protecting the Sacred at Mauna Kea, Introduction," by J. Kehaulani Kauanui. Retrieved from https://www.radicalhistoryreview.org/abusablepast/?p=3250.

"In Ceremony and Struggle: The Lāhui at Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu," by Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar. Retrieved from https://www.radicalhistoryreview.org/abusablepast/?p=3229.