The Kingdom of Hawaii in Continuity

THE KINGDOM OF HAWAIʻI IN CONTINUITY

Many people still believe the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ended in 1893. That belief comes from repeated political narratives, not from law, not from history, and not from the reality documented in international standards. Today, more Hawaiian Subjects, cultural leaders, and researchers are recognizing the truth: the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi never disappeared. It was never lawfully dissolved, never annexed by treaty, and never replaced through an act of self-determination. What continues today is not revival — it is continuity.

Continuity means a state continues to exist even when it is occupied or when its government is prevented from functioning normally. Under international law, a nation does not lose its status unless it agrees to do so through a valid treaty or through a legitimate plebiscite of its people. Hawaiʻi experienced neither. No treaty of annexation exists. No lawful vote was ever held. The population never consented to be absorbed by another country. Without these lawful acts, the state remains — even under occupation.

This is why the Hawaiian Kingdom is classified as an occupied state. The laws of occupation recognize that the legitimate government may be prevented from operating, but the state itself does not vanish. Its people remain nationals. Its sovereignty remains intact. Its legal personality persists, even when hidden from public awareness. What was interrupted still exists. What was suppressed never legally ended.

Today, Hawaiian Subjects are rebuilding the functions of a continuous state. This includes humanitarian review, cultural tribunals, land and property divisions, identification programs, community protection networks, and systems for documenting violations against Hawaiian Subjects. These actions are not symbolic. They restore functions that an occupied nation is allowed to maintain under international law. Every restored function strengthens the visible continuity of the Kingdom.

Continuity is not rebellion. It is not protest. It is not separatism. Continuity is simply the recognition that the Hawaiian state never died. The United States and the State of Hawaiʻi act as occupying powers, not as sovereign replacements. When these entities detain Hawaiian Subjects, seize lands, regulate culture, or impose criminal penalties without lawful jurisdiction, they act in violation of the laws of occupation. This is why careful documentation, humanitarian oversight, and cultural rulings have become essential.

Continuity also creates responsibility. Hawaiian Subjects have kuleana to each other, to the ʻāina, and to future generations. This is why institutions like the Kupuna Council and cultural tribunals have formed — to serve the people during occupation, uphold cultural practices, and protect Hawaiian Subjects from mistreatment, misrepresentation, and unlawful enforcement. These institutions do not seek conflict. They seek balance, dignity, and lawful order based on truth.

International law recognizes two ways a state loses sovereignty: by treaty or by the free choice of its people. Hawaiʻi experienced neither. Historical reports, executive agreements, diplomatic correspondences, and even modern acknowledgments by U.S. agencies confirm the same reality: the Kingdom was never extinguished. Its continuity is not a theory. It is a legal condition.

Continuity is about forward motion. It is about modernizing governance, rebuilding systems, empowering communities, and preserving culture. It means creating structures that benefit the people today — humanitarian assistance, cultural protection, environmental stewardship, legal advocacy, and national identification programs. It means preparing the next generation to inherit a functioning nation, not a forgotten memory.

The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in continuity is not an abstract idea. It is a living condition, supported by law, carried by the people, and being rebuilt step by step. Recognition from others is not required for truth to exist. The truth stands on its own foundation: history, law, and the will of the Hawaiian Subjects who continue to carry their identity.

No occupation erases a nation. No foreign claim extinguishes a people. What is lawful remains lawful. What is pono remains pono. And what belongs to the Hawaiian people endures as long as they hold to it.

The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi continues. Not as a hope — but as a living truth.