From SF Gate Hawaii Insider Blog, excerpt:
Renowned as a vacationers’ paradise, Hawai‘i was once a sovereign nation, with accomplished people that enthusiastically fostered their land with great pride. Then, at the close of the 19th century, American business interests led to the overthrow of the kingdom and its annexation to the United States.
That’s the short version, but new information teaches us there is more to discover, and more to be told, about the events of those turbulent times. Inspired by newly transcribed Hawaiian newspaper articles from that era, Bay Area kumu hula Mark Keali‘i Ho‘omalu and performers from his Academy of Hawaiian Arts will present “Kingdom Denied — Between the Lines,” a dramatic production with song and dance, Saturday at Chabot College in Hayward. With a title evoking feelings of empathy and betrayal, the story of a nation’s stripped independence is meant to educate as well as entertain.
“The recent transcription of Hawaiian newspapers — known as the Awaiaulu Project, led by Puakea Nogelmeier, a professor of Hawaiian language at UH Mānoa, has allowed us to look further into the history of this period,” Ho‘omalu explained. “These papers delivered local news and knowledge and were a place of dialogue and public communication for Hawaiian people. It shows the advancement of the Hawaiian people and their excitement for literacy, with a written language and active publications in place just 50 years after the missionaries arrived. … It speaks to the intelligence of the Hawaiians.”
[…]
“Kingdom Denied — Between the Lines,” 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, Buffington Center for Visual & Performing Arts, Chabot College, Hayward. Tickets are $35 to $70.
Say it with me: We want a Free Hawai’i! Now!
Mahalo to a proactive Kumu Hula and his students. Info was important to a column Iʻm writing for The Paradise Post on Hawaii Island.I used the phrase “Kingdom denied.”