KE AUPUNI UPDATE - FEBRUARY 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What Happened to Hawaii” at the Superbowl
 

It was not just a mention of “Hawaii”, but a reference to “what happened to Hawaii”.  To English-speaking viewers, the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show looked like a joyful, high-energy performance. Not being Spanish speakers, we didn’t know until later that Ricky Martin’s performance of Bad Bunny’s song, “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii” (What Happened to Hawaii) was a direct warning for Puerto Rico to be careful with their future, so “what happened to Hawaii” doesn’t happen to Puerto Rico.

Here is a translation of the chorus.
They want to take my river and my beach too
They want my neighborhood and grandma to leave
No, don't let go of the flag nor forget the lelolai
'Cause I don't want them to do to you what happened to Hawaii.

The word, lelolai refers to a traditional Puerto Rican musical vocal technique, often used in jíbaro (folk) music. It acts as a symbol of cultural identity, pride, and resistance, with the lyric "no olvides el lelolai" urging Puerto Ricans to maintain their heritage and resist assimilation, similar to the Hawaiian concept of ea (sovereignty).

One of our main challenges is “invisibility”. We think because we’ve been immersed in restoring Hawaii’s sovereignty the last 30-40 years, that the rest of world knows what we’re talking about. Well, they really don’t.

Most people have never heard that there is an active independence movement in Hawaii. In fact, only a relatively small number of people here in Hawaii (including Kanaka Maoli) have seriously thought about it.

Most people around the world have no clue that there really is a problem with Hawaii being a State of the United States. And those who know there is a problem, think there’s no way to fix it.

The main challenge facing us is that most people can’t see us… and those that do, have a distorted view. Through decades of false narratives, the US has successfully kept our nation hidden in plain sight by giving the world a counterfeit image of who we are… friendly, docile, contented people living in paradise.

People who have gotten used to seeing us in a certain way need to begin seeing us in a different way. We need to set the record straight and recalibrate our image and our future.

Not only did Bad Bunny put Puerto Rican independence in front of 128.2 million viewers, he also put what happened to Hawaii in front of 128.2 million viewers. Now that’s exposure!

This is how we reach the masses. Not through more scholarly studies or court briefs; not through plodding documentaries, but through the popular media. It’s time to show and tell our story to the nations!

Mahalo nui to Bad Bunny and the NFL for putting What happened to Hawaii on the global stage.

Aloha ʻĀina —
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani

Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
------
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.

-----
"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."

PLEASE KŌKUA…
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to:

• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII

• PayPal – log in to PayPal and pay to the account, info@HawaiianKingdom.net

• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net  

Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National

FREE HAWAII NEWS SHORT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT ARE BOWTIES DOING ON THIS BOWL?

WATCH IT HERE

Want More? Watch The Full Episode Here - FreeHawaiiNews.com

HAPPENING TOMORROW - DONʻT MISS IT

FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK  

“HAVE YOU BEEN ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS?"

 

No Wonder Youʻve Been Getting All The Wrong Answers.

Youʻve Been Asking Al The Wrong Questions.

So What Does This Have To Do With A Free Hawai`i?

Watch To Discover Why It Could Solve Everything.

 

IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN HAWAI`I & PUERTO RICO IN BAD BUNNYʻS HALF TIME PERFORMANCE AT THE SUPER BOWL? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Mattered - and Why It Moved So Many Hispanics to Tears

 

To English-speaking viewers, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show looked like a joyful, high-energy performance: Spanish music, dancing, famous guests, and a festive atmosphere. But for millions of Hispanic and Latino viewers - especially Puerto Ricans and immigrants - it was something far deeper. It was emotional. It was heavy. And for many, it was overwhelming in a way that led to tears.

 

This was not because of celebrity or spectacle. It was because the performance reflected a lived reality - one that is rarely allowed to exist fully or honestly on America’s biggest cultural stage.

 

Spanish wasn’t a feature - it was the foundation

 

From the opening moment, the show made something unmistakably clear: Spanish was not being translated, softened, or treated as an accessory. It was the dominant language. Fo rus, Spanish is the language of home, of parents and grandparents, of memory, discipline, laughter, and prayer - but also the language they’re often told to hide or “fix” in public.

Hearing Spanish fill the Super Bowl without apology felt like recognition. It said: Our language doesn’t need permission to exist here.

 

Building “La Casita”: placing home at the center

 

Instead of a futuristic or abstract stage, the performance was built around a modest Puerto Rican home - “La Casita.” This was not decoration. It was narrative.

 

For Puerto Ricans and Caribbean Latinos, home is deeply emotional. Some were raised on the island. Some were raised far from it but shaped by it. Some lost their homes to hurricanes, economic collapse, or forced migration. Seeing a familiar home placed at midfield - on the most watched stage in the country - felt intimate and validating.

It was a declaration: This is not background culture. This is a center.

 

The neighborhood came with it: food stands, street life, and community

Surrounding the house were details that many viewers may not have consciously registered but many Latinos felt immediately: street food stands, informal vendors, and the open flow of neighborhood life.

 

In Latino communities, food stands are how families survive, how culture is passed down, how neighbors know each other. The street is not just infrastructure - it’s an extension of the home. Life happens outside, together.

 

Seeing these everyday realities represented—not romanticized, not caricatured - felt like being seen accurately rather than symbolically.

 

The electric poles: power, neglect, and survival

 

One of the most powerful visual moments for Puerto Rican viewers was the sight of dancers climbing electric poles.

 

This may have looked like dramatic urban choreography. To Puerto Ricans, electric poles are loaded symbols. They represent years of unreliable power, constant blackouts, government neglect, privatization failures, and the aftermath of hurricanes that left people without electricity for months or years.

 

Images of fallen poles and people risking their lives to restore power are part of collective memory. In many cases, communities had to climb, reconnect, and improvise because no one else came.

 

By placing bodies on those poles, the performance wasn’t just referencing electricity. It was referencing resilience. It said: When the systems failed us, we climbed back to the light ourselves.

 

That image alone carried years of frustration, grief, and strength - and it needed no explanation for those who lived it.

 

Reggaetón as legacy, not trend

 

Bad Bunny did not present reggaetón as a modern novelty. He honored its pioneers - artists who built the genre when it was dismissed as inappropriate, dangerous, or unworthy of mainstream respect.

 

Reggaetón was once something parents worried about, schools banned, and media mocked. Seeing it treated as heritage - on the Super Bowl stage - felt like long-overdue validation.

 

It wasn’t just music. It was history finally being acknowledged.

 

The diaspora was acknowledged

 

The performance also spoke directly to Latinos living between worlds - the diaspora. References to iconic community spaces and shared cultural landmarks recognized that Latino identity doesn’t disappear when people migrate.

 

To us, this mattered deeply. It said: You are not diluted. You are not “less than.” Your experience is real.

 

Ricky Martin and “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii”: history speaking to the present

 

Ricky Martin is not just a guest star. For Puerto Ricans, he represents an earlier generation—artists who fought for visibility in American pop culture when Spanish-language music had to be softened, translated, or reshaped to be accepted.

 

The song itself carries deep symbolic meaning. Its title - “What Happened to Hawaii”—has long been understood as a reflection on colonization, cultural erasure, and what happens when a place is slowly transformed by outside control. For Puerto Rican audiences, the parallel is unmistakable. It speaks to fears of displacement, loss of land, loss of autonomy, and the feeling of watching your home change in ways you didn’t choose.

 

That moment connected generations. It said: This didn’t start with us. And it isn’t over.

 

The child: fear, memory, and the immigrant experience

 

A quiet but heavy element of the performance was the presence of a young boy woven into the show’s imagery. For us Latino viewers, the child symbolized something painfully familiar: children shaped by immigration fear, instability, and the possibility of separation from family. Even without a literal backstory, the image resonated deeply. It reminded people of growing up cautious, of learning fear early, of understanding vulnerability before understanding safety.

 

That is why the moment felt heavy. It wasn’t abstract - it was personal.

 

Joy was the protest

 

Despite these themes, the performance was joyful. And that was intentional. Latino joy is often treated as excessive or threatening. By choosing celebration instead of anger, Bad Bunny made a statement: We don’t need to perform suffering to be legitimate. Joy didn’t erase the struggle. It existed alongside it.

 

Redefining “America”

 

Near the end of the performance, flags from across the Americas appeared. This wasn’t random. In much of the Spanish-speaking world, “America” refers to the entire hemisphere - not just one country. The message was subtle but powerful: America is bigger than one language, one culture, or one story. It challenged a narrow definition of belonging and replaced it with a broader one.

 

Why the backlash mattered

 

Criticism of the performance—especially objections to its language and cultural focus—only reinforced its importance. That resistance was familiar. It echoed a lifetime of being told their culture is welcome only when it is quiet, decorative, or invisible. Seeing that tension play out publicly confirmed what many already knew - visibility still comes at a cost.

 

Why Hispanics cried

 

People didn’t cry because the performance was flashy. They cried because:

Their language was honored, not translated.

Their homes were shown as worthy, not exotic.

Their struggles were acknowledged without being exploited.

Their joy was allowed to exist unapologetically.

Their resilience was recognized without explanation.

This performance didn’t ask for acceptance.

It asserted presence.

 

For once, millions of people who have spent generations adapting themselves to fit America watched America adapt to them.

 

That is why it mattered. That is why it hurt. That is why it healed. And that is why so many Hispanics were in tears.

DONʻT MISS IT THIS FRIDAY

WAVES OF RESISTANCE ON “VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`IʻS FUTURE"

"Waves Of Resistance - A Visit With Isaiah Walker"

Would it surprise you to learn that surfing has played a much larger role throughout Hawai`iʻs history than most everyone realizes? Surfing was even a significant element of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government in 1893. Thatʻs what Isaiah Walker discovered when he persuaded his college professors to allow him to do his doctorate dissertation on a local sport that is now a worldwide phenomenon. Donʻt miss our fascinating visit with Isaiah as he reveals how surfing was used by Hawaiians to resist the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom - Watch It Here

Now you can become a fan of Voices Of Truth on Facebook by clicking Here and see behind the scenes photos of our shows and a whole lot more.  

Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope you'll be inspired to do the same.
 
Voices Of Truth airs throughout Hawai`i on all islands and reaches over 24 million households across the US and throughout the world. Check your local cable TV listings.

For news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV. 

And for news from a kanaka point of view, watch Free Hawaii News.

All a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.

Please share our Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network videos with friends and colleagues. That's how we grow. Mahalo.

 FREE HAWAI`I

 

FEBRUARY FREE HAWAII NEWS - SHOULD YOUR HAWAIIAN BLOODLINE AFFORD YOU SPECIAL TREATMENT?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus What Is A Pewa & Why Is It So Important? Also Have Hawaiians Been Asking The Wrong Questions At The United Nations? Then Is It Possible Hawaiians Are Not Americans & Never Have Been? And A Brand New Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o Which Examines If Your Bloodline Should Afford You Special Treatment.

The February 2026 “Free Hawaii News” debuting tonight Friday, February 6th airs at 7 PM on `Olelo Television Channel 53 on O`ahu, on all neighbor islands and also at http://FreeHawaiiNews.com

“With recent threats of US plans to invade Greenland we take a look at what Hawaii has in common with Greenland and the results are guaranteed to surprise a lot of people. Hawaiian historian and author Adam Keawe Manalo-Camp reports on what he has discovered in examining both cultures as well as similarities in how both have been at risk. Our interview with Adam is a real eye-opener and not to be missed,” states Free Hawaii News co-host Hinaleimoana Wong.

“Also on the February Free Hawaii News we travel to Iao Valley on Maui to visit with Hawaiian cultural artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer to find out what a pewa is and why it plays such an important role in Hawaiian culture in healing and our relationships,” reports Free Hawaii News co-host Leon Siu.

“Then in our United Nations report we confront a curious dilemma - Have Hawaiians been asking the wrong questions on the world stage in our ongoing attempt to resolve our national status? And could that have an effect on how Hawaiians see themselves as citizens of the Hawaiian Kingdom rather than as Americans?”

Finally Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o segment takes a look at whether a personʻs bloodline alone should give them special respect and treatment in Hawaii.

Free Hawaii News presents Hawaiian or kanaka maoli perspectives on a broad range of issues and topics affecting the Hawaiian Islands, the Pacific and the world.

Brought to you by the Koani Foundation, Free Hawaii News airs every month on `Ōlelo Television on O`ahu, on all neighbor islands and on stations around the world as well as online on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Substack, Pinterest, X, BlueSky and over thirty different Facebook pages and other online sites.

Hinaleimoana Wong is a kumu hula, filmmaker, cultural activist, Hawaiian language speaker, preservationist and community leader. She has served in the past as a member of the O`ahu Island Burial Council.

Leon Siu has for many years served as Foreign Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He is active in that role at the United Nations in both New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. Besides being a diplomat, he is also an award-winning musician, composer and political analyst.

 TOMORROW ON THE FEBRUARY FREE HAWAII NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should Your Hawaiian Bloodline Afford You Special Treatment?

What In The World Does Hawaii Have In Common With Greenland?

Plus What Is A Pewa & Why Is It So Important?

Also Have Hawaiians Been Asking The Wrong Questions At The United Nations?

Is It Possible Hawaiians Are Not Americans & Never Have Been?

And A Brand New Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o Which Examines If Your Bloodline Should Afford You Special Treatment.

Join Hosts Hinaleimoana Wong & Leon Siu As They Give The Kanaka Perspective On Issues In Hawaii You Wonʻt Get Anywhere Else.

7 PM TOMORROW ON `OLELO TELEVISION -CABLE CHANNEL 53 ON O`AHU - FreeHawaiiNews.com

FREE HAWAI`I TV
THE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK  

“NOT ENOUGH HAWAIIANS?"

 

Do Hawaiians Lack Clout Because Thereʻs Too Few Of Them?

Are You Convinced Hawaiians Will Continue To Be Ignored?

What If We Told You The Facts Prove Otherwise?

Watch This As We Show You How Hawaiians Are Really In The Driverʻs Seat.

 

NEVER HAS BEEN & NEVER WILL BE

BECOME A FAN OF "VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`I'S FUTURE" ON FACEBOOK 

See Behind-The-Scenes Shots Of Our Shows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click HERE To Become A Fan

HOW SURFERS TRIED TO SAVE HAWAI`I ON “VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`IʻS FUTURE"

"Waves Of Resistance - A Visit With Isaiah Walker"

Would it surprise you to learn that surfing has played a much larger role throughout Hawai`iʻs history than most everyone realizes? Surfing was even a significant element of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government in 1893. Thatʻs what Isaiah Walker discovered when he persuaded his college professors to allow him to do his doctorate dissertation on a local sport that is now a worldwide phenomenon. Donʻt miss our fascinating visit with Isaiah as he reveals how surfing was used by Hawaiians to resist the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom - Watch It Here

Now you can become a fan of Voices Of Truth on Facebook by clicking Here and see behind the scenes photos of our shows and a whole lot more.  

Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope you'll be inspired to do the same.
 
Voices Of Truth airs throughout Hawai`i on all islands and reaches over 24 million households across the US and throughout the world. Check your local cable TV listings.

For news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV. 

And for news from a kanaka point of view, watch Free Hawaii News.

All a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.

Please share our Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network videos with friends and colleagues. That's how we grow. Mahalo.

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JANUARY 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asking the Right Questions

 

The United Nations was founded in 1945 right after the horrible devastation of World War II. All the nations were bent on keeping that kind of mass destruction from ever happening again.

 

The United States was the primary driver and sponsor of the United Nations, whose main purpose is to settle international disputes through peaceful means

 

But wars didn’t end. Conflicts broke out, like the Korean War, euphemistically called a “police action”, the Vietnam War and many others, that involved multiple combatants. But they were not on the scale of a World War. So, in essence, the UN was successful in avoiding major conflagration like a World War, but the UN was not successful in avoiding all wars. Smaller “regional” conflicts have never stopped in the 80-year history of the UN.

 

What does that mean to us in Hawaii? What about all the work we have been doing over the past decades to inform the world about our situation? And what about the progress we’ve been making at the UN in promoting independence for Hawaii?

 

It seems like all recent US actions, like the intrusion in Venezuela, and the proposal to annex Greenland run contrary to the prospects for a Free Hawaii.

 

However, the strategies we are using at the international level should work as they are non-confrontative and call for negotiations to settle a long-time dispute in which Hawaii was totally innocent, and the US was totally at fault.

 

The key is, and has always been… ‘how do we find a graceful way for the US to withdraw in a peaceful, orderly way?’ Will we be able to convince the US that settling the long-standing occupation would be in their best interests? As well as in ours… And the rest of the world’s.

 

A wise man once said, “If they can get you to ask the wrong question, they don’t have to worry about giving the right answer.” 

 

When we started, prospect for Hawaii’s independence looked very bleak. Yes, we knew about all the illegal acts that led to our captivity and Hawaiian scholars added volumes more evidence proving those illegal acts many times over. Our understanding began to improve but still we weren’t asking the right questions. Therefore… no answers

 

We are now asking the right questions at the right venues: “Occupation” instead of “Colonization”; “Political Question” instead of “Legal Question”; “Personal Injury” instead of “Legal Principles”; “the UN’s obligation to the Hawaiian people” instead of the United States obligation to the Hawaiian people”; other countries’ obligation to the Hawaiian people, etc. 

 

These approaches of asking the right questions are gaining traction, and are moving inexorably toward getting us the answers, and soon, the international political will, to Free Hawaii.

 

Aloha ʻĀina —

“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani

Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
------
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.

-----
"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."

PLEASE KŌKUA…
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to:

• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII

• PayPal – log in to PayPal and pay to the account, info@HawaiianKingdom.net

• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net  

Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National

FREE HAWAII NEWS SHORT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KUMU HINAʻS MANA`O

WATCH IT HERE

Want More? Watch The Full Episode Here - FreeHawaiiNews.com