On November 28, 1843, Hawaiʻi gained global recognition as an independent nation and commemorated Lā Kūʻokoʻa, Hawaiian Independence Day. It was both a diplomatic victory and a celebration of aloha ʻāina, an act of Hawaiian patriotism that stands out amongst the many. Almost two years after Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown, one of Hawaiʻi’s greatest scholars, Joseph Nawāhī, captured this essence of Hawaiian patriotism in the first issue of his nūpepa:
“O ke Aloha Aina, oia ka Ume Mageneti iloko o ka puuwai o ka Lahui, e kaohi ana i ka noho Kuokoa Lanakila ana o kona one hanau ponoī”
“That which we call Aloha ʻĀina is the magnetic pull in the heart of the patriot which compels the sovereign existence of the land of his birth.”
As we celebrate Lā Kūʻokoʻa, we reflect on aloha ʻāina as both a deep personal commitment and a powerful, collective force. Throughout history, Hawaiian patriots embodied aloha ʻāina in distinct ways, contributing to the Kingdom’s strength and creating a legacy of cultural pride that endures today.
1843: The Proclamation of Independence
Lā Kūʻokoʻa celebrates the date when England and France formally recognized the Hawaiian Kingdom’s sovereignty through the Anglo-Franco Proclamation. For Hawaiians, this acknowledgment was a validation of their standing among powerful nations. It reinforced aloha ʻāina on an international scale, empowering Hawaiʻi to preserve its independence in a time of global expansion. This milestone was achieved by the tireless efforts of three diplomats – Timoteo Haʻalilio, William Richards and George Simpson.
Haʻalilio, Hawaiʻi’s first native-born diplomat, exemplified the duality of aloha ʻāina. To him, being a Hawaiian patriot meant representing his country well in foreign lands while also seeking knowledge that could uplift his people. While he was driven by a deep personal loyalty to his childhood friend Kauikeaouli, who reigned as Kamehameha III, his missions ultimately served a national purpose.
“There is no one I trust more with the welfare of our country than you,” the king had told him, underscoring how aloha ʻāina could bind both individuals and the nation in a shared cause.
The Crown Princess abroad
The young Princess Kaʻiulani embodied loyalty to her people and her nation even though she spent most of her life abroad. Raised in England to one day protect her homeland, she was proclaimed Crown Princess at 15 by her aunty, Queen Liliʻuokalani. But when the mōʻī was imprisoned following the overthrow of the Kingdom, Kaʻiulani appealed directly to the American people.
“I am coming to Washington to plead for my throne, my nation, and my flag. Will not the great American people hear me?” she declared.
Her words reveal a personal patriotism that reflected her love for her homeland as much as her kuleana to serve her people. Kaʻiulani’s plea showed that aloha ʻāina is not bound by geography but by the heart.
Pauahi’s legacy of education
A generation earlier, Ke Aliʻi Bernice Pauahi Bishop took her own path to aloha ʻāina, establishing a legacy that would endure for generations. While her love for Hawaiʻi was personal, her vision for Kamehameha Schools reflected her belief that educating future generations was vital to Hawaiians’ resilience and self-governance. By founding a school that would promote literacy and ʻōiwi leadership, Pauahi showed that aloha ʻāina could take the form of investment, a way of perpetuating Hawaiʻi’s values long into the future.
A personal aloha ʻāina
Mary Kawena Pukui loved speaking with Sam Po, an elder from Kaupō, Maui, about the meaning of Kauikeaouli’s famous motto “Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.” While many know the history of the phrase, Po saw it through a personal lens.
“To plant good things on the ʻāina so that it continues to live. As I am happy, I want the land to be happy with me,” Po said.
His words reflect a daily, personal aloha ʻāina – a reminder that the concept is as much about caring for the land as it is about maintaining a nation. This small-scale devotion represents how aloha ‘āina is as simple as loving the land under your feet.
Today and tomorrow
Today, aloha ʻāina lives on in a new generation of Hawaiians who carry their heritage wherever they go. In a recent interview, students from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama recounted how a trip to England strengthened their pride as Hawaiians. They saw themselves as cultural diplomats, bound by a kuleana to represent Hawaiʻi with pride.
“Wherever you go, you represent your people and this place,” said Nanea Armstrong-Wassel, a curator at Kamehameha Schools. “Your confidence in who you are and where you’re from dictates how the rest of the world sees you. And we are steeped in aloha ʻāina. There is no separating those things.”
Celebrating Lā Kūʻokoʻa is a reminder of the Kingdom’s formally recognized independence and honors the patriotism of both national figures and everyday people alike. It is a time to reflect on aloha ʻāina as a personal commitment and national pride and how we carry it forward for generations.
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lā kūʻokoʻa,hawaiian history,ʻōiwi leadership,native hawaiian identity,aloha ʻāina
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