Hawaiian Heritage: Exploring Cultural Roots and Traditions

Hawaiian History

Early Human Settlement

The placement of Hawaii in the Pacific has meant that it had remained uninhabited by humans until relatively recently. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest habitation of the islands arrived around 1,000 – 1,200 AD.

These first inhabitants are thought to have arrived from the Marquesas Islands and to have been Polynesian in origin. This initial wave of migration would be followed by groups from Raiatea and Bora Bora during the 11th century.

The population of Hawaii would gradually grow and chiefdoms would expand from small groups to eventually encompass entire islands in the chain. Chiefs were known as Ali’I and served as the rulers of their settlements. They also had the power to launch war with neighboring chiefdoms to try and extend their power.

Under the Chiefdoms Hawaii was a caste-based society, akin to that of Hindus in India. The growth of the population was achieved through ecological and agricultural practices. These would include upland agriculture (manuka), ocean fishing (makai), fishponds and gardening systems. The spiritual and religious beliefs of the islands, like the lokahi, served to support the systems of the population's survival.

Europeans

Relatively speaking the reign of native Hawaiians would not last long as less than 800 years after the first Polynesians settled in the islands the Europeans arrived in the region. It was in 1778 that British explorer Captain James Cook first made contact with the peoples of Hawaii.

Cook would dub the islands the Sandwich Islands in honor of his patron and sponsor John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. He would publish the islands' location and listed the native name for the islands as Owyhee. This is a name that is still used today as place names in the region.

There is an indication that Spanish explorers may have sighted and recorded the islands in the 16th century but this can not be confirmed as recorded historical details about location do not completely match.

Kingdom of Kamehameha

Soon after the European first contact internal power struggles between chiefs would begin spanning the 1780s and 1790s. A series of battles would ensue that would culminate in 1795 when the inhabited islands were all subjugated under just one ruler. The ruler would become known as King Kamehameha the Great.

The king would establish the House of Kamehameha, a dynasty that would rule the islands until 1872. Under his successor Kamehameha II in 1819 American protestants started to visit the islands and began converting the Hawaiians to Christianity.

These missionaries are considered as having provided a moral means to rationalize conquest and large scale conversion of perceived heathens. Although the Hawaiians were converted to some degree they still held on to many of their former beliefs as well. They would merge the two systems together but this did not satisfy the missionaries who strive even harder to end traditional practices.

Demise of the Kingdom of Hawaii

Following the death of the bachelor King Kamehameha V who left no heir a popular election took place placing Lunalilo (grandnephew to Kamehameha I) in control. Lunalilo died the next year, and did not himself name a successor. This would ultimately lead to his former electoral opponent Kalakaua being elected as the final Hawaiian monarch.

The decision was not popular and riots broke out. This would lead to the U.S. and Britain landing troops on the islands to restore order. Ultimately the Legislative Assembly would choose King Kalākaua as monarch by a landslide vote of 39 to 6 on February 12, 1874.

Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a document drafted by white businessmen and lawyers which stripped the monarch of his authority. It also established rules for voting which essentially disenfranchised native Hawaiians from being able to vote. In 1887 after just 7 years on the throne King Kalākaua was forced to sign this document.

Voting in Hawaii became the privilege of the wealthy white elite while Hawaiians and immigrant laborers no longer had a say in the island's leadership. Referred to as the Bayonet Constitution, the threat of violence was used to get the king's signature.

Attempt to Reestablish the Kingdom

In 1893 the sister of Kalākaua, Liliʻuokalani, announced plans for a new constitution. She planned to proclaim herself an absolute monarch. This resulted in a group of mostly Euro-American business leaders and residents forming the Committee of Safety on January 14, 1893. Their intent was to stage a coup d'état against the proposed kingdom and to seek annexation by the United States.

U.S. Government Minister John L. Stevens, quickly responded to a request from the Committee of Safety, summoning a company of U.S. Marines. There was no resistance from the Queen's forces as they were not equipped to hold off such a military action.

In 1898 calls for an annexation of the islands were finally put into practice and Hawaii would become a territory of the United States. It would remain a territory until it gained statehood in 1959.

Language

There are two official languages in Hawaii: English and traditional Hawaiian. The indigenous language is of Polynesian origin and is part of the larger Austronesian language family. It was the main language taught in Hawaii until in 1896 the Republic of Hawaii decided that English would be the language taught in schools.

This shift in language priority led to a drop in native speaking Hawaiians. This would change from 1949 onwards with more emphasis being placed on promoting the native language.

Religion

As a state of the US Hawaii is considered the most religiously diverse in the union. Although Christianity is the majority faith practiced at least a quarter of the population identifies as unaffiliated religiously speaking.

Native Hawaiian religions and spiritual practices are still present but tend to be used in conjunction with Christian beliefs as well. Traditionally Hawaiians practice a polytheistic animistic religion. It encompasses the belief of spirits within objects such as the waves and the sky.

There are 4 main deities of the Hawaiian faith:

Kāne: god of creation

Kanaloa: god of the ocean depicted as a squid or octopus

Kū: god of war and male pursuits

Lono: god of peace, rain and fertility

Aside from these 4 main gods there are forty male gods (ka hā) and a further 400 gods and goddesses as well as spirits and guardians. This traditional religion is today protected under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

Culture

True to its roots the native culture of Hawaii is strongly Polynesian in nature. The bulk of the traditions are no longer everyday observances but they are commonly seen and practiced for the entertainment of tourists.

Cultural influences such as lūʻau and hula, have become so popular that they have even made it into aspects of mainland US life.

Food

With Hawaii being so ethnically diverse the cuisine of the island reflects this but does tend to center around seafood which is in abundance in the oceans surrounding this island chain. Traditional foods include taro but largely most foods are imported and based on Asian and European influences.

Customary Good Guests

As a source of etiquette it is traditional in Hawaii to show good manners when visiting someone else's home. This includes a small gift for the host, and removing of the shoes upon entering. Generally speaking Hawaiians make great house guests.

Final Thoughts

Much of the traditional flare we see of Hawaii is practiced for the benefit of the tourist trade although some Native Hawaiians do practice some level of their traditions and early beliefs. Humans have been inhabiting the islands for a little more than 1,000 years at most meaning the Hawaiian culture is quite young. It derives from Polynesian roots and is polytheistic.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

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