September in Hawaiʻi now carries an even deeper meaning. With the signing of Act 167 earlier this year, the State of Hawaiʻi has officially designated September as Hawaiian History Month – a long-awaited recognition of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s enduring legacy and the many contributions of the Native Hawaiian community.
“This designation affirms our collective responsibility to share Hawaiʻi’s true story,” said Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who sponsored the legislation. “It honors Queen Liliʻuokalani while inspiring civic participation rooted in aloha ʻāina.”
The measure reflects decades of advocacy and cultural work led by the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, founded in 2007 to educate residents and visitors about Hawaiʻi’s true history. That same year, the coalition launched the ʻOnipaʻa Celebration at ʻIolani Palace, honoring the queen and igniting community engagement through history, culture, and the arts.
In 2019, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs passed a resolution calling on the state to officially designate September as Hawaiian History Month. This year, that call was finally answered.
Honoring the Queen’s Legacy
Born in 1838, Queen Liliʻuokalani was Hawaiʻi’s last reigning monarch and a fierce protector of her people and their sovereignty. She was a gifted composer, advocate for education, and an unwavering symbol of aloha ʻāina even through the painful overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. Hawaiian History Month is timed to coincide with her birthday on September 2, ensuring that her memory and contributions are central to the month’s celebrations.
Throughout September, communities will gather for celebrations of mele, film showcases, walking tours, and cultural presentations to reflect on the past, engage in dialogue about the present, and imagine Hawaiʻi’s future.
Step Into History: Mai Poina Tours Return This September
One of this year’s most anticipated events is the return of Mai Poina: The Overthrow walking tours. Originally developed in 1993 by acclaimed playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, the tours were created as part of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Reimagined for today’s audiences, the tours take participants through six stations around ʻIolani Palace, where actors bring to life the pivotal days of January 1893. These dramatic interpretations highlight perspectives often left out of mainstream narratives – Native Hawaiians, as well as Japanese, Chinese, and European immigrants, whose lives were deeply affected by the overthrow and the unlawful annexation that followed.
Accompanied by scholarly discussions and a detailed viewer’s guide, the Mai Poina experience is designed not only to inform but to provoke reflection and dialogue. By walking the very streets where history unfolded, participants are invited to consider both the injustice of the past and the resilience of those who carried aloha ʻāina forward.
The Kumulipo Experience: A Sacred Cultural Offering
Another centerpiece of this year’s observance will be the Kumulipo Experience scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on September 14 (Kamaʻāina Sunday) on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace.
The Kumulipo, a 2,102-line cosmogonic genealogy chant that connects Kānaka ʻŌiwi of today to over 100 generations of their ancestors, tracing back to the time of source darkness, the genesis of the universe. It is a sacred text of ancestral knowledge and worldview, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all existence.
In 1999, Kumu Kamuela Chun revived a complete three-hour performance of the chant, a feat not witnessed for over 200 years. This year, Chun (Hawaiʻi Island) joins forces with Kumu Kalani Akana (Oʻahu), Kumu Kalei Nuʻuhiwa (Hawaiʻi Island), Kumu Mehanaokalā Hind (Oʻahu), and Kumu Kaponoʻai Molitau (Maui) to present the chant once more. Their performance will be both a cultural showcase and an offering in honor of Queen Liliʻuokalani during the month of her birth.
As the sun sets over ʻIolani Palace, the voices of chanters will rise to affirm continuity between generations, honoring the queen’s role as both leader and cultural torchbearer.
A Living Month of History
Other highlights include the Eō e Liliʻu concert at Kawaiahaʻo Church, birthday festivities at Kapolei Satellite City Hall, free palace tours, a Student Film Showcase at Aliʻiōlani Hale, and virtual programs telling the stories and history of Hawaiian communities abroad in Utah and California. Together, these events offer opportunities for families, students, and visitors to engage with history in meaningful, memorable ways.
For the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, the recognition of Hawaiian History Month is not an end, but a beginning. It provides a foundation to expand education, encourage dialogue, and ensure that the queen’s vision of justice, compassion, and aloha continues to guide Hawaiʻi into the future.
“By designating September as Hawaiian History Month, the state has given us space to reflect and to celebrate,” said Soulee Stroud, Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition organizer. “But more than that, it reminds us of our responsibility to carry forward the values Queen Liliʻuokalani stood for – aloha, resilience, and hope for her people.”
For the full schedule of Hawaiian History Month events, visit hawaiianhistorymonth.org
