HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hundreds gathered in Honolulu for an important celebration of Hawaiian sovereignty and culture.
La Ho’iho’i Ea is a day of unity and educational outreach that many kanaka say also feels like a family reunion.
“It has become a critical part of our community today in terms of our restoration of our history, our culture, our language, as well as our national identity all of those things have become incredibly important,” said Imaikalani Winchester, kanaka educator and cultural practitioner.
July 31st marks the 183rd anniversary of La Ho’iho’i Ea — honoring the day when Hawaiian sovereignty was restored to King Kamehameha III following a five-month British occupation.
Rear Admiral Richard Thomas raised the Hawaiian Flag on the site now known as Thomas Square.
The public was invited to engage with cultural practitioners and learn about the Kingdom’s fight for preservation and self-determination.
“We live as a community and for visitors and for people who call Hawaii their home, it’s important. to also begin to understand and experience, and learn about the important history that we as a community here as the native people, as the first nation of this place to really learn and grow with each other,” Winchester said.
Educator Leeanne Bennett Jeremiah had a booth to raise awareness for a mission to change all DOE schools to have Hawaiian names.
“It’s showing we took our culture back, like the nation was taken away and through right ways and looking at treaties, that’s how it was done and it was honored that way.”
The event also featured a lei-draping ceremony, protocol, music, retail vendors and food.
“We’re the only real public sort of celebration that has a live imu here at the park and we’re able to feed, which to us is a powerful expression of our people, of our community and the vitality that we have and so it’s exciting,” Winchester said.
“A hundreds years ago our culture was almost dead,” said Kuakaloa Robinson with Native Books. “It was decimated and so when I think about that history about what ourupuna had to go through and to see how we’re able to be in the same space and not only be in it but to hold it to take our space and to have our kanaka here and rejoice in it. It’s such an impactful feeling that I’m just so proud to be a part of.”
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