The Bishop Museum, Hawaii’s largest museum, has opened a new exhibit called “Ku a Lanakila! Expressions of Sovereignty in Early Territorial Hawaii, 1900-1920” at its J.M. Long Gallery in Hawaiian Hall.
A banner from Hui Aloha Aina, an organization formed to promote Hawaiian patriotism. Photo Credit: Photo courtesy Bishop Museum
Focusing on the two decades following the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the annexation of the Islands, it showcases banners, adornments and other ephemera that was used for campaigns and ceremonies to assert the Native Hawaiian people’s presence in the political realm.
“Bishop Museum’s vast collections offer opportunities to tell underrecognized stories about Hawaii and its people,” said curator Sarah Kuaiwa in a news release. “This exhibition showcases the organizational and cultural efforts spearheaded by Kanaka Oiwi [Native Hawaiians] between 1900-1920, a period characterized by extensive and intentional community organizing across the islands. The objects featured in “Ku a Lanakila!” are physical representations of Kanaka Oiwi charity, ceremony, competition and campaigning.”
The exhibition runs through Aug. 10.