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“WHAT IMPORTANT GROUP IS LEAVING HAWAI`I?”

Theyʻre Leaving So Fast Thereʻs Almost None Remaining.

Yet Theyʻre Critical To Hawai`iʻs Future.

Who Is This Key Group Of Hawai`iʻs Residents?

Watch This To See Who They Are & Why Hawai`iʻs Future Is At Risk Without Them.
 

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - MAY 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Live in the Hawaiian Kingdom!
 

In my 26 years serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hawaiian Kingdom, I have often talked about thinking like a Hawaiian instead of an American. That is important because it helps to reorder our minds, so we can better understand our situation and adjust our actions accordingly.

But because it took years of indoctrination and training to acquire the habits of an American mindset, you can’t just tell yourself to change to a Hawaiian mindset. You have to consciously and purposefully retrain your mind. Some things are not that hard. Others, take more work.

There are simple things we can do like, instead of using the word “mainland” when referring to the United States, use “the US” or ‘the states” or “the continent” or “America”. After a few times of consciously catching yourself, your mind will reset and you’ll find yourself not saying mainland anymore.

Some phrases like, the “State” when referring to the Hawaiian Islands take a little more work. But again, if you catch yourself as you’re saying it, after a while, you’ll find yourself doing it less. The good thing is that it changes not just the words you use, it changes your mindset as well.

For some reason, it gets harder to change the concept of where we live — the State of Hawaii or the Hawaiian Kingdom? That one takes more effort.

To get my mind to grasp and express that I live in the Hawaiian Kingdom took more effort because of being daily faced with the ubiquitous reality of the operations and institutions of the State of Hawaii all around us.

Everywhere we look, everything we read, watch, travel on, interact with, services we receive, regulation of our activities, etc., tells us — no, they scream at us — This is the State of Hawaii! And yet the truth is, we are in the Hawaiian Kingdom.

What we have learned over the past 33 years since the US Apology clearly admitted that we the Hawaiian people never relinquished our sovereignty or our lands, means just that: the Hawaiian people never relinquished their sovereignty or their lands! If you don’t relinquish it, it is still yours.

That means all that we see around us that looks like the State of Hawaii is really the Hawaiian Kingdom! That’s the truth!

Yes, we know this intellectually, but we still have to convince ourselves that what our eyes, ears and our minds have told us all these years is not what’s really there. It’s an illusion.

So how do we change our minds about this embedded image? I found what worked for me was to constantly tell myself: “I live in the Hawaiian Kingdom.” I told myself, I woke up in the Hawaiian Kingdom, I brushed my teeth in the Hawaiian Kingdom, I ate my breakfast in the Hawaiian Kingdom… I breathe the air of the Hawaiian Kingdom. I look around me and everything I see is in the Hawaiian Kingdom. The house I’m in is in the Hawaiian Kingdom; all the roads I drive on are in the Hawaiian Kingdom; the places I shop are in the Hawaiian Kingdom. You get the drift?

Yes, I live in the Hawaiian Kingdom. So does everyone else living in these islands whether they believe it or not; whether they consider themselves Hawaiian nationals or not; whether they believe in sovereignty or not; we all live in the Hawaiian Kingdom. What looks like the State of Hawaii is a façade that will disappear in a few years. So, we might as well get used to the fact that those of us who are living in the Hawaiian Islands, are actually living in the Hawaiian Kingdom.

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.
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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.

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"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
Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hawaiian Kingdom (since 2001)

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WE ARE THE OCEAN ON “VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`IʻS FUTURE"

“We Are The Ocean - A Visit With Dr. Brittany Kamai, PhD"

On a beautiful late afternoon we met with Brittany Kamai, a Hawaiian astrophysicist, for a walk along the beach. She shocked us right away by telling us that if the ocean dies, we die. She also reminded us that our oceans replenish half of the worldʻs oxygen and they are now calling for our help to stop deep sea mining which would disturb the oceanʻs ability to supply that oxygen. Filmed along the shore of O`ahuʻs westside, join us in our fascinating visit with Brittany who not only impressed us with her amazing knowledge, but inspired us to answer the oceanʻs call - 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.

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HOT MAKES HISTORY WITH “KAMALEHUA” AT THE CONCERT HALL

 

 

 

 

Review Of "Kamalehua - The Sheltering Tree" By John Berger

Hawai‘i Opera Theatre General Director & CEO Andrew Morgan, left, and kumu hula Patrick Ke‘anini‘ulaookalani Makuakāne, welcomed the opening night audience to the official world premiere performance of “Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree,” the world’s first full-length professionally staged and professionally produced Hawaiian-language opera, May 1, in the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Makuakāne is the director and the choreographer — he can also be spotted in several of the crowd scenes.

The opera celebrates the life of Hawaiian diplomat Timoteo Kamalehua Ha‘alilio a long-forgotten hero in Hawaii’s history, whose diplomatic mission to the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, and France, in the early 1840s, resulted in the international recognition of Hawaii as a modern independent and sovereign nation, and also in the British government’s repudiation of the criminal overthrow of the Hawaiian government by a British naval captain in 1843.

Internationally acclaimed Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kamakanalani Kelsey gives a superb performance – many may well say “a career best performance” – as Ha‘alilio. Kelsey commends attention with the power and richness of his voice. Kelsey conveys the turbulent emotions Ha‘alilio experiences with equal skill.

Kelsey has two powerful male co-stars. One is Brandon Boyle as Kauikeaouli, better known 180 years later as Kamehameha III, who selects his life-long friend for secret mission essential to the survival of Hawaii as a free nation, and then steers the kingdom through the time of the greatest peril it would face until 1887. I wish Kauikeaouli could see how Boyle is portraying him 180 years later.

Kelsey’s other powerful male co-star is Joshua Jeremiah as William Richards aka Rikeke. Richards came to Hawaii as a missionary but left missionary service and became a loyal and trusted member of the Hawaiian government. Kauikeaouli selects Richard to accompany Ha‘alilio – the result is several memorable duets by Jeremiah and Kelsey as the story takes Ha‘alilio and Rikeke half-way around the world.

Kelsey has a phenomenal leading lady in Hawaiian soprano Tasha Hokuao Koontz playing his wife, Hana Hooper Ha‘alilio, It should not be seen as taking anything away everything that comes before to give credit where it’s due and say – spoiler alert! – the first notes of Koontz’ s first aria are an “Oh wow! Jump start my heart!” moment. Koontz replicates that experience with each of her arias that follow.

Hawaiian Mezzo-soprano Blythe Iakuinipuaʻokahana Kelsey (Quinn's sister) is a commanding presence as Kekauluohi, the Kuhina Nui, a political equivalent to the haole (non-Hawaiian) office of prime minister or regent. Kelsey has several excellent scenes with Boyle, and a fine comic moment with another actor was well.

Librettist Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl may have taken liberties with history – I wasn’t there in 1843 – but John Pickle is delightful throughout as one of the story’s designated villains, Alexander Simpson, attaché to the British consul in Hawaii,  who persistently attempts to seduce Hana during her husband’s lengthy absence. Is Simpson sincere in his sentiments or only looking for a bit of spare? A single comment by a third character suggests it’s the latter, but whatever Simpson’s intentions in his heart-of-hearts may be, Koontz and Pickle have several great scenes together.

One of the most powerful dramatic moments in the show comes after – spoiler alert! – Admiral Thomas, for whom Thomas Square, on the mauka side of King Street across from the concert hall, is named, has arrived in Honolulu and put things right, and Kauikeaouli leads the people of Hawaii in chanting "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono!”

Many in the opening night audience joined in, and everyone applauded their approval when he finished.

Another dramatic highlight comes when six members of Makuakāne’s Hālau Hula Nā Lei Hulu i ka Wēkiu lead the entire cast in a dramatic defiant hula.

And there’s more! Credit for the artistic and cultural success of this magnificent milestone also goes to Leslie Goldman (Clarissa Lyman Richards), Adam Flower (Hawaii loyalist James Fowle Baldwin Marshall), Dr. David Young (United States Secretary of State Daniel Webster), Kawaiola Niukukahi-Holi Murray (“a retainer”), and Kip Wilborn, who makes a welcome return to the local stage playing both of the story’s villains – British Consul Richard Charlton and Capt. Lord George Paulet.

Credit also to Principal Guest Conductor Lance Inouye, the Hawai‘i Opera Theatre Scenic Department for its superb series of sets, to Props Manager Gen Boyer, and to Cheryl Flaharty (Costume Design) and Sarah Hodges (Dancer) for the angel that figures prominently in one scene….

….“Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree” is a first-time milestone in the history of Hawaiian culture, of Hawaiian language and of Hawaiian music that should not be missed.

FREE HAWAII NEWS SHORT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHO IS THIS GUY?

FREE HAWAII NEWS SHORT

WATCH IT HERE

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

KAMALEHUA - THE SHELTERING TREE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kamalehua - The Sheltering Tree - Hawaiian Opera Sung In `Ōlelo Hawai`i Telling The Story Of The Great Kanaka Maoli Patriot Timoteo Ha`alilio

Photos - Tasha Hokuao Koontz

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“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

 

Just Who Do You Think You Are?

You Probably Think Youʻre One Thing.

But Youʻre Thinking & Actions Say Something Else.

Watch This To See What We Mean & How You Can Fix It

 

 FREE HAWAI`I

 

KOA WĀHINE RETREAT IN HILO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BigIslandNow.com

While in lockdown in Oregon in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Native Hawaiian Ke‘ala Hill created a vision board with images of Hawai‘i, including one of Kumu Lua Michelle Manu.

“I had an old Hawaiian Airlines magazine with Kumu Manu in there,” said Hill, who was born and raised in Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu. “I didn’t know who she was, but there she is in all her glorious warrior poses.

It sparked a desire for Hill, who had been living on the West Coast for more than 20 years, to be grounded in her Hawaiian roots — and to meet Manu, the first and only Woman Knight Commander (Dame) in the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, a 10th-degree Black Belt, ‘Alihikaua (General), and Kumu Po‘okela in the indigenous Hawaiian warrior art of Lua (Kaihewalu and Manu lineages).

Four years ago, Hill moved to the Big Island, where she visited family growing up. She met Manu by purchasing tickets for herself and her daughter to attend a martial arts class the kumu lua was teaching at Hulihe‘e Palace in Kona.

At the class, Hill showed Manu her vision board and they took a selfie together after the class.

That meeting led to Hill and Manu, both 51, teaming up to form Koa Wāhine Productions, a company with the vision to create transformational experiences, media, education and community initiatives that uplift and empower women now and for future generations.

Hill, who has a master’s degree in marketing from Florida-based Full Sail University, is behind the marketing of Manu’s vision to bring Hawaiian cultural practitioners together to share their expertise in supporting Hawaiian women through understanding their health, feminine gifts and identity.

Koa Wāhine Productions will host its first event, the Koa Wāhine Retreat, May 21-24 at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, where participants can “rise to their inner koa (warrior) and reclaim personal sovereignty through Hawaiian ancestral practices.”

Hill has owned several businesses in the past where she has consulted with companies to promote events, including Hollywood films like “Sex and the City.” Hill said she put together a fashion show for the movie’s opening.

This is the first time Hill has promoted a retreat.

Koa Wāhine Productions is different from other businesses Hill has run in the past, “because it’s heart-based work.”

As of now, Hill and Manu are the two driving forces behind the production company using their experistise to bring this platform to life. The women have been hosting live Instagram stories over the past few weeks to promote the upcoming retreat.

In describing a wāhine (woman) lua warrior of old, Manu said they weren’t necessarily out on the battlefield.

“They were used surreptitiously,” she explained. “They were open but not obvious. They were entering spaces that the kāne (men) weren’t necessarily able to get into.”

Looking at a modern-day wāhine lua warrior, Manu said women similarly have to blend to maneuver in a system that isn’t always working for them.

Manu’s hope with the retreat and future events is to bolster women in their Hawaiian identities and help the next generation.

“We’re a ripple effect,” she said. “We affect one another greatly when we create an alternate community.”

Hill said: “Our intention is to inspire women and young girls throughout Hawaiʻi and across the diaspora to reconnect with their inner strength, personal sovereignty, and what we call the Koa Wāhine (woman warrior) way of life.”

Hill said the goal of their work at the retreat, as well as in the production company, is to create a space for ancestral wisdom that often remains unseen or undiscussed to be thoughtfully shared and applied in modern life.

“Through the guidance of our kumu founder and other contributing kumu of various sacred traditions, these teachings help people understand identity, responsibility, sacred balance, and the deeper roles wāhine have always held in society,” Hill said. “Much is often said about women as nurturers, which is true and valuable. “Koa Wāhine also highlights the traditional role of wāhine as protectors, leaders, strategists, and carriers of mana.

“By restoring that understanding, we believe this work can contribute to healing, empowerment, and stronger communities for our lāhui and beyond.”

Also presenting at the retreat will be Kumu Kekuhi Kealiʻikanakaʻole, who is founder of Hālau ʻŌhiʻa, a former kumu hula of Hālau o Kekuhi, and an award-winning chanter and educator. She is a cultural leader dedicated to ʻoli as living technology. She also bridges ancestral wisdom, ritual, chant and conscious leadership for kinship, conservation and education.

Future projects from the production company include video and storytelling content, live events, educational gatherings, and collaborative programs designed to celebrate and share ʻike rooted in Kānaka ‘Oiwi matters….


…“Sovereignty means belonging fully to yourself — your body, energy and choices,” Manu said. “No more shrinking or surrendering your power. A Koa Wahine stands as protector of what is sacred in her life, knowing her worth and guarding it with courage.

“In this container, you will reclaim yourself and learn to protect what you reclaim. Remember who you are. Protect what matters.”

Attendees of the retreat will learn lua (Hawaiian warrior arts), lualomi (warrior massage), ʻoli as embodied relation technology, voice work, pule (prayer), movement, stillness and practical tools for mana manipulation, nervous system health and feminine law.

Participants also will explore warrior sovereignty as both weapon and field, connection with elemental spirits, and integration of combat, healing and relational practices – all held with strict protocols and cultural integrity.

The Koa Wāhine Retreat is intentionally exclusive and application-only, welcoming Kanaka Maoli, kamaʻāina, and women who deeply respect and embrace Hawaiian culture.

Girls ages 12–17 may attend with a legal guardian.

“This is a powerful commitment to your sovereignty and your future self — especially amid the chaos of modern life,” Manu said. “The kāhea (call) has been issued for wāhine ready to move beyond surface-level wellness and rise to the warrior within.”

Email koa.wahine.retreats@gmail.com for more information.

HOW HAWAIIANS SAVED THEIR NATION ON “VOICES OF TRUTH - ONE-ON-ONE WITH HAWAI`IʻS FUTURE"

"How Hawaiians Saved Their Nation - A Visit With Kale Kanaeholo"

As a history student at UH, Kale Kanaeholo came across an event he had no recollection of even though it had happened only ten years before. The US Department of Interior had held meetings throughout Hawai`i in 2014 to see if Hawaiians wanted to become a US federally recognized tribe. Thousands of Hawaiians attended the meetings to say no, they wanted independence for Hawai`i instead. Kale was fascinated because it tied right back into a similar event from 1897. So he decided to write his graduate thesis about it. Join us in our visit with Kale as he tells us the amazing story of how Hawaiians saved their nation not once, but twice - 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

 

 

MAY FREE HAWAII NEWS - WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COLLAPSE THE HAWAIIAN CULTURE?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus A World Debut In Hawaii With A New Opera Sung Completely In Hawaiian About An Amazing Patriot. Then Why Are Women Warriors Left Out Of Hawaiian History? Also Is Food Sovereignty Really That Important? Will We Need To Build A Free Hawaii From Scratch? And A Brand New Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o.

 

The May 2026 “Free Hawaii News” debuting tonight, Friday, May 1st airs at 7 PM on `Olelo Television Channel 53 on O`ahu, on all neighbor islands and also at FreeHawaiiNews.com

“We tackle a potentially game-changing question - what impact will AI have on our cultural knowledge that has been passed down for centuries from individual to individual? What will happen if AI captures and discloses sacred Hawaiian knowledge to anyone? We talk with Kumu Lua Michelle Manu about these hugely important ramifications - how can we  make sure that AI does not destroy our centuries-old ways of handing down our priceless knowledge to those trained to hold and protect it?” asks Free Hawaii News co-host Leon Siu.

“Also on the May Free Hawaii News, we interview renown Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakane, director and choreographer of ʻKamalehua - The Sheltering Treeʻ a new and first of its kind opera which tells the story of Hawaiian patriot Timoteo Ha`alilio whose remarkable achievements caused Hawaii to become recognized as a sovereign country by the great European powers of the 1800ʻs ,” states Free Hawaii News co-host Hinaleimoana Wong.

We also interview Hawaiian historian and writer Adam Keawe Manalo-Camp about why women warriors are mostly left out of Hawaiian history and then examine the importance of food sovereignty.

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 MAY FREE HAWAII NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will Artificial Intelligence Collapse Hawaiiʻs Culture?

World Debut In Hawaii - A New Opera Sung Completely In Hawaiian About An Amazing Patriot.

Why Are Women Warriors Left Out Of Hawaiian History?

Is Food Sovereignty Really That Important?

Will We Need To Build A Free Hawaii From Scratch?

And A Brand New Kumu Hinaʻs Mana`o.

Join Hosts Hinaleimoana Wong & Leon Siu Tomorrow 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  

 

“WHY YOUR RIGHTS WILL GO BYE-BYE"

If Youʻre Hawaiian, Your Rights Are Heading For The Exit.

Give Them A Wave Because Theyʻre Going.

Sacred Promises The US Made To You & Your Ohana.

Watch This To See Why Your Rights Are Going, Going, Gone.

 

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