WHAT IS THE HAWAIIAN DECLARATION OF RIGHTS? - KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JUNE 2026
Dissolve The Political Bands
Long before I was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hawaiian Kingdom in the year 2000, I was an avid student of history. Of course, in the school systems of the “Territory” and then the “State” of Hawaii that meant primarily European/American history with a smattering of Asian and Hawaiian history viewed from the American perspective.
The US has been ramping up to celebrate its 250th anniversary of what it considers the birth of their country — The 4th of July. Rather than a major battle or other highly visible event, the US chose to celebrate the day the rebel’s Continental Congress, without fanfare, unanimously adopted the text of the Declaration of Independence. It was then circulated to the colonies for approval and signed by the delegates a month later on August 2, 1776.
Indeed, the Declaration was the true rebellious act. It clearly stated the reasons for the rebellion and the moral and civic duty of the people to refuse to submit to an unjust government.
The Preamble famously states:
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
The document went on with a statement of principle, a list of grievances, ending with formally declaring the 13 colonies to be "free and independent states," fully absolved of all allegiance to the British Crown.
Why is this celebration of America’s Declaration of Independence important to us Hawaiians? Because it was fully embraced by King Kamehameha III when he issued the Hawaiian Declaration of Rights in 1839 and the first Hawaiian Kingdom Constitution in 1840.
And it is important for us today because “to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them.” lays out the rationale for the reinstatement of the Hawaiian Kingdom as a sovereign, independent nation-state.
Now that the U.S. is celebrating the fundamental principles of liberty upon which their country was founded, this is a good time to remind them that to Hawaii, the United States of America today, is the oppressive, lawless and despotic Great Britain of 250 years ago. In fact, worse.
The British Crown claimed, and the 13 colonies agreed, that these colonies were founded and owned by Great Britain. On the other hand, the Hawaiian Islands was never a colony or possession of any foreign colonial power.
In fact, the Hawaiian Kingdom was recognized as a sovereign nation by the United Kingdom (Great Britain), France, Belgium, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Norway, Switzerland, the United States and more.
So the United States claim of “possession” of the Hawaiian Islands is only the result of self-admitted, unlawful invasion and usurpation, perpetuated by a persistent, deceptive narrative.
If the people of the United States truly believe that breaking away from its long-standing legal and political ties with Great Britain was justified and worthy to be celebrated 250 years later, then how much more justified would it be for Hawaii to likewise “dissolve the political bands which have [illegally] connected them with” the United States?
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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Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hawaiian Kingdom (since 2001)
