Hawaii
‘We didn’t have it in schools’: Why many Native Hawaiians don’t know parts of their own history
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Ask anyone in the United States, “What day is Independence Day celebrated?” and most would respond with “July 4.”
They’re referring to the date in 1776 when the U.S. declared its independence from Great Britain.
But in 1843, the Hawaiian Kingdom had its own Independence Day, called Lā Kūʻokoʻa, celebrated on Nov. 28.
The day marks the formal recognition of Hawaiʻi’s independence by Great Britain and France.
But Lā Kūʻokoʻa, along with much of Native Hawaiian culture and history, was lost after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom 50 years later.
“They are not taught in the schools. They are not in the history books,” said Native Hawaiian historian Kauʻi Sai-Dudoit.
“In the early 1900s, posted in every government office during the territorial days, there were signs that hung in every government office that said, ‘Speak English, the language of America,’” Sai-Dudoit said.
John Waiheʻe, the state’s first and only Native Hawaiian governor, said he only recently learned about the holiday.
“We weren’t taught that much about Hawaiian history,” he said. “We didn’t have it in schools.”
Last year, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education said, “Currently the department does not have any curriculum or standards that address the topic of Lā Kūʻokoʻa.”
This year, it says it has added resources about Lā Kūʻokoʻa to its curriculum design website, but its up to teachers and schools to formulate their own curriculum:
“The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) Core Standards in social studies provide a flexible framework that allows teachers to tailor learning experiences to their students’ unique needs. HIDOE’s curriculum design website offers resources on Lā Kūʻokoʻa, accessible to all HIDOE educators. These Lā Kūʻokoʻa resources align with the key learning outcomes outlined in the required Modern History of Hawaiʻi course. This year, a concerted effort was made to inform all teachers about the added curriculum resources on Lā Kūʻokoʻa. There is nothing preventing teachers from including a Lā Kūʻokoʻa curriculum into their course studies. Curriculum is set by individual schools and teachers to best meet the needs of their students.”
In the last year, at least half a dozen public schools, not including Hawaiian language immersion schools, teach the holiday. One of them is Julie Reyes Oda, who taught the holiday last year at Nānākuli Intermediate and High School.
She told HNN she personally hasn’t met any other teacher who teaches the holiday.
“I don’t think any if they weren’t at a Hawaiian immersion school,” said Reyes Oda.
Waiheʻe and three other former Hawaiʻi governors are now coming out in support of the holiday’s teaching: Ben Cayetano, Neil Abercrombie, and David Ige.
“Kids especially need to know about the past, the full past. Right now they aren’t getting it, I think,” said Cayetano.
“As you accumulate knowledge, whether it’s about Hawaiian history or anything else, you accumulate it, you correlate it, and you pass it on,” said Abercrombie.
“I don’t think there should be any limitation,” said Ige.
“I think it ought to be encouraged and part of the curriculum,” said Waiheʻe. “Young people growing up in Hawaiʻi ought to know what our history and what our legacy is all about.”
Hawaiʻi’s current governor and first lady are echoing the sentiments of support. A statement from Gov. Josh Green read:
“In April of last year, I signed SB731 into law, officially designating November 28 as Lā Kū‘oko’a. This annual commemoration holds deep significance for both me and the First Lady, who is Native Hawaiian, as it honors the often-overlooked recognition of the Kingdom of Hawai’i’s independence. We deeply appreciate the educators who incorporate the DOE’s curriculum into their lessons, highlighting Hawai’i’s unique distinction as the only U.S. state with a sovereign royal monarchy in its history.”
Although the HIDOE has yet to commit to changes to its current standards that look at more comprehensive Hawaiian history, the work by the Hawaiian people to restore their culture is reaching new heights.
In the past several years, Lā Kū‘oko’a celebrations happening from atop Mauna Kea, the streets of Honolulu, and across the island chain. They reflect a generation wanting to reconnect to the foundation their ancestors left for them.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.
Half of the elevated deck-level seating on the stadium’s makai side was severed and toppled backward as part of demolition work that began in February.
The other half of the upper makai-side seating is slated to come down Tuesday, followed by similar sections on the mauka side and both end zones, though the concrete foundations for lower-level end-zone seating are being preserved for a new, smaller stadium to rise on the same site.
A private partnership, Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by local developer Stanford Carr, is replacing the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, which opened in 1975 and was shuttered in 2020, with a new stadium featuring up to 31,000 seats.
AHDP is using $350 million of state funding toward the cost of the new stadium, which could be $475 million or more, and will operate and maintain the facility on state land for 30 years with a land lease.
The development team also is to redevelop much of the 98-acre stadium property dominated by parking lots with a new mixed-use community that includes at least 4,100 residences, two hotels, an office tower, retail, entertainment attractions and open spaces expected to be delivered in phases over 25 years and costing close to or more than $5 billion or $6 billion.
Earlier parts of stadium demolition work led by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. included removing four covered multistory spiral walkways leading to the upper level from the ground, and concourse bridges.
Demolishing the stadium is projected to be done by August, according to Carr.
Building the new facility is expected to be finished in 2029.
Hawaii
This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tal-airbnb-one-off-tout-1465b3bde0864117b43761b0d1dd346e.jpg?ssl=1 "This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite")
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The team behind a popular Hawaii-based home renovation show is now facing legal troubles after airing content that shouldn’t have been released, according to the state.
Hawaii’s Attorney General is now involved after HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ showed uncensored images of apparent ancient skeletal remains that were discovered at a Hilo property.
In a now-deleted clip on social media, Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama, along with the production team, discovered a cave beneath a Hilo property where they found the remains deep inside.
Video documented their shock when it was found, with the hosts saying, “There’s bones back here. I got to get out of here. Are you fricken serious? I’m serious dude. Is that a skull?”
Tristyn was seen standing further back, saying “This is terrifying. I’m at my stopping point” before leaving.
Hawaii News Now is not showing the bones, but confirmed with HGTV the episode was filmed in December 2025.
Video didn’t show them touching or moving the remains, and HGTV said authorities were notified after the discovery, the property was not developed, and the site was later blessed.
At the time, police said no crime was committed, and the state AG obtained a TRO to prevent the broadcast of the images in accordance with state law.
However this week, uncensored video of the bones was posted online by the Kalamas and HGTV, and included in the episode, triggering a quick rebuke from the community.
“We don’t kaula’i iwi. We do not lay our bones out in the sun to expose him in this manner,” former Oahu Island Burial Council Chair Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu said.
She also said the release of the images was “extremely disappointing,” saying the damage was already done.
“It is irrelevant that bones were not moved. It is irrelevant that they were not disturbed, per se, because somebody didn’t touch them — but you went into their space and that space becomes kapu space once they have transitioned over to po. And when you do that, we honor that. We don’t disturb them,” Wong-Kalu added.
The AG said they took immediate legal action to prevent the unlawful broadcast of images, pointing to a TRO issued prior to the episode’s release. They also said, “We are aware that the segment aired notwithstanding the court’s order, and we take this matter very seriously. The Department will pursue additional action as necessary.”
Court Documents revealed the Kalamas and producers of the show are now facing four counts for allegedly breaking Iwi Kupuna protection rules.
“If that were our grandparent, would we want them, after they have physically transitioned to po, would we want to share our family in this manner? I don’t think so,” Wong-Kalu added.
HGTV said in a statement, “We take the concerns raised by the community very seriously and are committed to ensuring our programming is respectful and appropriate. We apologize to anyone who found any part of the episode offensive, that was not HGTV’s intention.”
They also confirmed the original episode was removed, and re-edited without the bones included.
Through our communication with the HGTV spokesperson, Hawaii News Now offered the Kalamas a chance to respond directly, but they did not. They did however take to Instagram to address the episode, saying they followed the protocols they knew, and never intended to build there. They stressed their respect for Hawaiian culture and practices.
The investigation remains active.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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