Honolulu’s Thomas Square Park hosted the 183rd anniversary of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea on Sunday, marking the return of sovereignty to King Kamehameha III after British occupation. Event organizer Imaikalani Winchester said, "The oldest Hawaiian National Holiday, ka Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, celebrates the strength and resiliency of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the enduring struggle for justice, sovereignty and self-determination," according to KHON2. The event also recognized Hawaiian independence advocates Likookalani Martin and the late Abel Simeona Lui.
Alongside historical remembrances, the event focused on efforts by Hawaiians to reclaim their culture, with another gathering held the same weekend. Imaikalani Winchester, a kanaka educator and cultural practitioner, told Hawaii News Now, "It has become a critical part of our community today in terms of our restoration of our history, our culture, our language, as well as our national identity all of those things have become incredibly important." Attendees also engaged with cultural practitioners to learn more about the Kingdom's history and current efforts for self-determination.
La Hoʻihoʻi Ea included a lei-draping ceremony, live music, retail vendors, and educational activities about Hawaii’s past and present. Educator Leeanne Bennett Jeremiah discussed an initiative to rename Hawaiian State Department of Education schools with Hawaiian names, saying, "It's showing we took our culture back, like the nation was taken away and through right ways and looking at treaties, that's how it was done and it was honored that way." Kuakaloa Robinson of Native Books noted, "A hundred years ago our culture was almost dead. It was decimated and so when I think about that history about what our kupuna had to go through, and to see how we're able to be in the same space and not only be in it, but to hold it to take our space and to have our kanaka here and rejoice in it. It's such an impactful feeling that I'm just so proud to be a part of," as mentioned by Hawaii News Now.
