Last Wednesday marked the 131st anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom. The 1893 coup, which removed the native Hawiian monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani, from her throne, was carried out by a group of white businessmen with the support of United States military officials. To commemorate the anniversary of the coup, Hawiians took part in the annual ‘Onipa’a Peace March on the Hawiian island of O’ahu.
Queen Lili’uokalani was the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, serving as queen for three years before being overthrown. Throughout her life, she worked to provide opportunity and education to the impoverished youth of Hawai’i and to protect public lands. She was a talented composer, and created a national anthem for the kingdom that was used for 20 years, titled “He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi”.
Her brother, King Kalākaua, who had served as monarch previously, had signed a constitution which granted increased power to the U.S. and foreign businessmen, as well as limiting the voting rights of Native Hawaiian people. He was forced to sign the constitution by a group of foreign businessmen, and it became known as the Bayonet Constitution due to the nature of its signing. Once Queen Lili’uokalani took power and attempted to reverse the Bayonet Constitution, a group of foreign businessmen led by Stanford Dole overthrew the Queen with the assistance of American Marines. To avoid bloodshed, Queen Lili’uokalani relinquished the throne on Jan 17, 1893. Dole announced a provisional government, which would remain in power until he could achieve his initial goal of Hawai’i being annexed by the United States. Hawai’i became a U.S. territory in 1900 and became a state in 1959.
After the coup, Queen Lili’uokalani continued to fight for the independence of Hawai’i. She appealed to President Grover Cleveland, who ordered for her to be reinstated and rejected a treaty of annexation brought to him. Dole would not reinstate the former monarch, ignoring the order. She and six of her supporters were accused of treason in 1895, and she was held under house arrest for months. In order to protect her supporters, she signed an official resignation.
Now, a yearly march is held on the island of O’ahu to commemorate the day of the coup. Hawaiians gather to walk from the Mauna’ala Royal Mausoleum, where members of the Hawiian royal family are buried, to the ‘Iolani Palace, the palace used by the monarchs of the kingdom. This year, there was a special focus on supporting the residents of Lahaina, a Hawiian city which was devastated by fires in the summer of 2023. Lahaina Strong, an organization with the goal of bringing together the city’s community, led the march as a part of the effort to support those affected.
The ‘Onipa’a Peace March will continue annually to remember the important date in Hawiian history, giving native Hawiians a day to remember the past of their people and celebrate their culture.
