The Hawaii Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal

**Introducing the Hawaiʻi Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal:
Guided by Kupuna Authority, Serving the Lāhui**

By the Hawaiʻi Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal Communications Office

As Hawaiʻi continues to navigate the reality of an ongoing international occupation, our kupuna have stepped forward—rooted in ancestral wisdom, cultural responsibility, and lawful authority—to establish a humanitarian forum dedicated to the protection of Hawaiian Subjects. This body is the Hawaiʻi Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal (HKHT), created under the guidance of the Hawaiʻi Kupuna Council and recognized within the authority of the Hawaiian Kingdom and international humanitarian law.

At the heart of this Tribunal are two esteemed kupuna whose leadership anchors the integrity and direction of this important institution:

Chief Justice Chair Kupuna Kahilihiwa

Chief Justice Vice-Chair Kupuna Waineʻe

Their combined cultural knowledge, decades of service to the lāhui, and steadfast commitment to truth and protection form the foundation of this Tribunal’s work.

 
Who the Tribunal Serves

The HKHT exists to protect and uplift:

Hawaiian Subjects, recognized as Protected Persons under Geneva Convention IV
Families and communities who submit grievances or testimony
Cultural practitioners whose identities and traditions have been threatened under occupation
Future generations who deserve accurate documentation and pono governance
The Tribunal is not a punitive court, but a place of humanitarian review, cultural adjudication, and accountability. It is grounded in the kupuna principle of healing, not punishment—yet it operates with clarity and rigor in documenting violations for both Kingdom and international authorities.

 
Leadership: Kupuna Who Carry the Ancestral Torch

Chief Justice Chair Kupuna Kahilihiwa

Kupuna Kahilihiwa brings a lifetime of cultural authority, community service, and ancestral grounding. Her leadership reflects the kupuna mandate to protect the people, ensure truth is spoken, and guide the Kingdom through the challenges of occupation. As Chief Justice Chair, she presides over Tribunal sessions with dignity, precision, and a deep cultural understanding that shapes each ruling.

Chief Justice Vice-Chair Kupuna Waineʻe

Kupuna Waineʻe stands beside the Chair as Vice-Chair and Co-Justice of the Tribunal. Her voice brings balance, historical knowledge, and calm deliberation to the kupuna panel. Through her service, he helps ensure that every ruling reflects both the legal continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the values of Hawaiian cultural jurisprudence.

Together, Kupuna Kahilihiwa and Kupuna Waineʻe embody the ancestral integrity upon which the Tribunal is founded.

 
What the Tribunal Has Ruled So Far

Since its establishment, the Tribunal has issued several landmark rulings that affirm Hawaiian identity, restore kupuna authority, and protect the rights of Hawaiian Subjects under humanitarian law.

1. Jurisdictional Clarification: Hawaiian Subjects Are Not Under U.S. or State Authority
One of the most significant rulings asserts that:

The U.S. and its proxy, the State of Hawaiʻi, lack lawful jurisdiction over Hawaiian Subjects.
Hawaiian Subjects are Protected Persons, not U.S. citizens unless individually declared.
Any arrest, detention, prosecution, or sentencing by foreign authorities is unlawful under humanitarian law.
This ruling has reshaped how Hawaiian Subjects, families, and communities understand their rights during occupation.

 
2. Prohibition on Court Operations Against Hawaiian Subjects
The Tribunal reaffirmed that foreign courts—including the State of Hawaiʻi judiciary—cannot conduct legal proceedings over Hawaiian Subjects. This has been the case throughout the entire period of occupation, but the Tribunal has now formally documented and reasserted this prohibition.

This ruling clarified that court sessions, sentencing, and detention involving Hawaiian Subjects are not merely improper—they may constitute grave breaches under Geneva Convention IV.

 
3. Authorization of Monthly Repatriations
Under a recent historic ruling, the Office of Hawaiian Subjects (OHS) is now authorized to:

Repatriate up to 15 Hawaiian Subjects per month from State custody
Retrieve individuals regardless of whether they were given short-term or life sentences
Conduct each repatriation through a humanitarian, cultural, and kupuna-led process
This directive positions OHS as the rightful custodian responsible for the welfare and protection of Hawaiian Subjects, effectively restoring ancestral authority over the lives of our people.

 
4. Mandatory Cooperation by the State of Hawaiʻi
The Tribunal ordered that the State of Hawaiʻi must:

Work directly and cooperatively with OHS and HKHT
Provide access to records, facilities, and detainees
Cease interference with Tribunal mandates
Failure to comply results in referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC/OTP) for investigation into potential war crimes. No State agent holds immunity from such actions.

 
A Tribunal Rooted in Pono Governance

Every ruling of the Hawaiʻi Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal is shaped by:

Cultural integrity
Humanitarian law
Historical continuity
Kupuna wisdom
Alignment with the Hawaiian Kingdom’s lawful framework
Chief Justice Kahilihiwa and Vice-Chair Waineʻe ensure that each decision is pono, thoroughly grounded, and centered on the protection of Hawaiian people.

 
Looking Ahead

The HKHT will continue to:

Hear testimony from Hawaiian Subjects and families
Document cultural and humanitarian harms
Issue rulings grounded in kupuna authority
Provide recommendations to OHS, Kingdom leadership, and international bodies
Ensure accountability under humanitarian law
As the Tribunal’s work expands, more rulings will be published, more Subjects will be repatriated, and more truth will be documented for this generation and those that follow.

 
Standing Strong With Our Kupuna

The Hawaiʻi Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal represents the ancestral backbone of our nation. With leadership from Chief Justice Kupuna Kahilihiwa and Vice-Chair Kupuna Waineʻe, the Tribunal continues to guide the lāhui with courage, integrity, and deep aloha for the people.

Their rulings illuminate a pathway forward—one rooted in sovereignty, protection, and ancestral truth.