Native Hawaiians


Native Hawaiians are the Indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiʻi was settled at least 800 years ago by Polynesians who sailed from the Society Islands. The settlers gradually became detached from their homeland and developed a distinct Hawai'ian culture and identity in their new home. They created new religious and cultural structures, in response to their new circumstances and to pass knowledge from one generation to the next. Hence, the Hawaiian religion focuses on ways to live and relate to the land and instills a sense of community. Though a unique civilization, they have retained synergy with other Polynesian peoples across the Pacific. The Hawaiian language, for example, shares many similarities with other Polynesian languages.
The Hawaiian Kingdom was formed in 1795, when Kamehameha the Great, of the then-independent island of Hawaiʻi, conquered the independent islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi to form the kingdom. In 1810, Kauaʻi and Niʻihau joined the Kingdom, the last inhabited islands to do so. The Kingdom received many immigrants from the United States and Asia. The Hawaiian sovereignty movement seeks autonomy or independence for Hawaiʻi.
In the 2010 U.S. census, people with Native Hawaiian ancestry were reported to be residents in all 50 of the U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Within the United States in 2010, 540,013 residents reported Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ancestry alone, of which 135,422 lived in Hawaii. In the United States overall, 1.2 million people identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, either alone or in combination with one or more other races. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population was one of the fastest-growing groups between 2000 and 2010.

History

The history of Kānaka Maoli, like the history of Hawaii, is commonly broken into four major periods:
One theory is that the first Polynesians arrived in Hawaiʻi in the 3rd century from the Marquesas by travelling in groups of waka, and were followed by Tahitians in AD 1300, who conquered the original inhabitants. Another is that a single, extended period of settlement populated the islands. Evidence for Tahitian conquest include the legends of Hawaiʻiloa and the navigator-priest Paʻao, who is said to have made a voyage between Hawaiʻi and the island of "Kahiki" and introduced many customs. Early historians, such as Abraham Fornander and Martha Beckwith, subscribed to this Tahitian invasion theory, but later historians, such as Patrick Kirch, do not mention it. King Kalākaua claimed that Paʻao was from Sāmoa.
Some writers claim that earlier settlers in Hawaiʻi were forced into remote valleys by newer arrivals. They claim that stories about the Menehune, little people who built heiau and fishponds, prove the existence of ancient peoples who settled the islands before the Hawaiians, although similar stories exist throughout Polynesia.

Demographics

At the time of Captain Cook's arrival in 1778, the population is estimated to have been between 250,000 and 800,000. This was the peak of the Native Hawaiian population. During the first century after contact, Kānaka Maoli were nearly wiped out by diseases brought by immigrants and visitors. Kānaka Maoli had no resistance to smallpox, measles, or whooping cough, among others. These diseases were similarly catastrophic to indigenous populations in the Americas.
The current 293,000 include dual lineage Native Hawaiian and mixed lineage/multi-racial people. This was the highest number of any Kānaka Maoli living on the island until 2014, a period of almost 226 years. This long spread was marked by an initial die-off of 1-in-17, which would gradually increase to almost 8–10 dying from contact to the low point in 1950.
The 1900 U.S. census identified 37,656 residents of full or partial Native Hawaiian ancestry. The 2000 U.S. census identified 283,430 residents of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander ancestry, showing a steady growth trend over the century.

Diaspora

Some Hawaiians left the islands during the period of the Hawaiian Kingdom. For example, Harry Maitey became the first Hawaiian in Prussia.
Kiha Kaʻawa, born at Palawai, Lānaʻi, was adopted as a young man by Sandwich Islands Mormon Missionary President George Nebeker and emigrated with King Lunalilo's permission to the mainland US, where in 1873 he was the first native Hawaiian to become a US citizen. Kiha Ka’awa Nebeker stayed in the US until his death December 26, 1931.
The Native Hawaiian population has increased outside the state of Hawaiʻi, with states such as California and Washington experiencing dramatic increases in total population. Due to a notable Hawaiian presence in Las Vegas, the city is sometimes called the "Ninth Island" in reference to the eight islands of Hawaiʻi.

Culture and arts

Several cultural preservation societies and organizations were established. The largest is the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, established in 1889 and designated as the Hawaiʻi State Museum of Natural and Cultural History. The museum houses the largest collection of native Hawaiian artifacts, documents, and other information. The museum has links with major colleges and universities throughout the world to facilitate research.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society reignited interest in Polynesian sailing techniques, both in ship construction and in instrument-free navigation. The Society built multiple double-hulled canoes, beginning with Hōkūlea and followed by Makaliʻi, ''Alingano Maisu, and Mo‘okiha O Pi‘ilani.'' The canoes and their worldwide voyages contributed to the renewal and appreciation of Hawaiian culture.

Religion and society

Native Hawaiian culture grew from their Polynesian roots, creating a local religion and cultural practices. This new worship centered on the ideas of land and family. Land became a sacred part of life and family. Hawaiian religion is polytheistic, but mostly focuses on the gods Wākea and Papahānaumoku, the mother and father of the Hawaiian islands. Their stillborn child formed the deep roots of Hawaii, and whose second child, Hāloa, is the god from whom all Hawaiians originate.
Hawaiian culture is caste-oriented, with specific roles based on social standing. Caste roles are reflected in how land was controlled.

Land tenure

Each island was divided into moku, which were given to people of high standing and kept within the family. Each moku was split into smaller ahupuaʻa, each of which extended from the sea to the top of the nearest mountain. This was to ensure that each ahupuaʻa provided all necessary resources for survival, including hardwoods and food sources. Each ahupuaʻa was managed by managers, who were charged by the island chief to collect tributes from the residents. Splits of the ahupuaʻa were based on the level of tribute. The major subdivisions were ʻIli. Each ʻIli gave a tribute to the chief of the ahupuaʻa and another to the island chief. In contrast to the European system of feudalism, Hawaiian peasants were never bound to the land and were free to move as they chose.
Kānaka Maoli refer to themselves as kamaʻāina, a word meaning "people of the land", because of their connection to and stewardship of the land. It was also part of the spiritual belief system that attributes their origin to the land itself. This is reinforced by the cultivation of taro, a plant that is said to be the manifestation of Hāloa. The represents the deep roots that tether Hawaiians to the islands, as well as symbolizing the branching networks that Hawaiian people created.

Hula

is one of Hawaiʻi's best-known indigenous artforms. Traditionally, hula was a ritualistic dance performed to honor the gods and goddesses. Hula is typically categorized as either hula kahiko or hula ʻauana. Each hula tells a story via its movements and gestures.
Hula kahiko is a traditional style. Its interpretive dance is known for its grace and romantic feel. Dances are accompanied by percussion instruments and traditional chanting. The traditional instruments include the pahu hula, kilu or puniu, ipu, hano or ʻohe hano ihu, ka, pu, oeoe, pahupahu kaekeeke, hokio, and wi. Dancers add to the effect using ʻuli, puʻ''ili, ʻiliʻili, papahehi, and kalaʻau.
Hula ʻauana'' was influenced by later Western factors. It is accompanied by non-traditional musical instruments and colorful outfits. It became popularized with tourists and it is this form that is most widely practiced beyond the islands. ʻUkuleles and guitars are common.

Holidays

The Hawaiian people celebrate traditions and holidays. The most popular form of celebration in Hawaiʻi is the Lūʻau. A lūʻau is a traditional Hawaiian banquet, commonly featuring foods such as poi, poke, lomi-lomi salmon, kālua pig, haupia, and entertainment such as ʻukulele music and hula.
One of the most important holidays is Prince Kūhiō Day. Celebrated every year since 1949 on his birthday, the holiday honors Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, a Congressman who succeeded in helping Native Hawaiian families become landowners. It is celebrated with canoe races and lūʻaus across the islands. Every June 11 Kānaka Maoli celebrate King Kamehameha day. Kamehameha I was the king who unified the islands and established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. He was known as a fearless warrior, wise diplomat, and the most respected leader in the history of the Hawaiian monarchy. The holiday is celebrated with parades and lei draping ceremonies, where Kānaka Maoli bring lei to King Kamehameha statues located across the islands and drape them from his cast bronze arms and neck to honor his contributions to the people of Hawaiʻi.