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Educational Resource & Reference

Glossary of Hawaiian Sovereignty & Nation of Hawai‘i Governance

The Hawaiian Sovereignty Glossary serves as a reference guide to the legal, historical, cultural, and governance terms central to understanding the Hawaiian Kingdom, the events of 1893, and ongoing restoration efforts led by the Nation of Hawai‘i.

This resource is designed to support education, research, civic engagement, and informed dialogue. Definitions draw from constitutional history, international law, Indigenous governance principles, and contemporary nation-building initiatives.

The glossary continues to expand as new policies, institutions, and restoration frameworks are developed.

All | # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
There are currently 76 terms in this directory.
Aliʻi
Hawaiian chiefly class responsible for governance and stewardship of land.
Aliʻi Nui
High chief with island-wide authority in traditional governance.
Aloha ʻĀina
Love of the land and commitment to its protection and stewardship.
Aloha Spirit
A cultural value system emphasizing mutual respect, harmony, and responsibility.
AlohaCoin
A digital currency initiative connected to Hawaiian economic sovereignty experiments.
Annexation (1898)
Incorporation of Hawaiʻi into the United States via the Newlands Resolution.
Apology Resolution (U.S. Public Law 103-150)
1993 U.S. law acknowledging the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Bilateral Treaty
Formal agreement between two sovereign nations.
Cabinet Council
Executive advisory body within governance structures.
Central Bank (Nation of Hawaiʻi)
Proposed or established monetary authority under Nation governance.
Civic Engagement
Participation in governance, cultural stewardship, and community service.
Communal Land Tenure
Pre-Māhele land system where land was collectively stewarded.
Constitution of 1840
First written constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Constitution of 1852
Expanded constitution strengthening civil governance.
Cultural Protocol
Traditional guidelines governing respectful engagement.
Cultural Sovereignty
Right to maintain language, tradition, and identity.
Decolonization
Process of restoring political and cultural self-determination.
Digital Governance
Use of digital infrastructure for sovereign administration.
Diplomatic Recognition
Acknowledgment of sovereignty by foreign states.
Executive Branch
Administrative branch implementing governance policy.
Executive Order
Formal directive issued by executive authority.
Film Commission (Nation of Hawaiʻi)
Advisory body supporting culturally aligned media production.
Foreign Affairs
Diplomatic relations conducted between nations.
Genealogy (Moʻokūʻauhau)
Lineage connecting individuals to ancestors and land.
Great Māhele (1848)
Land division transforming communal tenure into private property.
Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (1921)
U.S. law setting aside lands for Native Hawaiians.
Hawaiian Kingdom
Sovereign state internationally recognized prior to 1893.
Hawaiian Language Revitalization
Efforts to restore ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Head of State
Chief executive authority of a sovereign nation.
ʻĀina
Land; that which feeds. Central to Hawaiian identity, spirituality, and governance.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian language.
Indigenous Sovereignty
Inherent right of Indigenous peoples to self-govern.
International Law
Body of law governing relations between sovereign states.
International Recognition (1843)
Formal recognition of Hawaiian independence by Britain and France.
Joint Resolution
Legislative instrument passed by Congress.
Judiciary
Branch responsible for interpreting laws.
Kahuna
Expert or priest in traditional Hawaiian society.
Kamehameha I
Monarch who unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810.
Kanaka Maoli
Indigenous people of Hawaiʻi.
Kapu System
Traditional sacred law governing Hawaiian society.
Kuleana
Responsibility, privilege, and right.
Kumulipo
Hawaiian creation chant establishing cosmology and genealogy.
Land Patent
Legal document granting land ownership under Western law.
Legislative Authority
Body empowered to create laws.
Liliʻuokalani, Queen
Last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Makaʻāinana
Common people in traditional Hawaiian society.
Moʻokūʻauhau
Genealogical lineage.
Monetary Act
Law establishing financial governance systems.
Narrative Sovereignty
Right to define and tell one’s own history.
Nation of Hawaiʻi
Sovereign restoration initiative centered at Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo.
Native Tenant Rights
Rights reserved for Native Hawaiians after the Māhele.
Neutrality Proclamation (1854)
Declaration of neutrality by the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Newlands Resolution
1898 U.S. joint resolution annexing Hawaiʻi.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)
State entity managing Native Hawaiian trust resources.
Overthrow of 1893
Illegal removal of Hawaiian monarchy.
Passport Act (Nation of Hawaiʻi)
Executive order related to national identification systems.
Political Status
Legal standing of a nation in international law.
Provisional Government (1893)
Interim regime following the overthrow.
Puʻuhonua
Place of refuge in traditional Hawaiian culture.
Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo
Land base of the Nation of Hawaiʻi.
Reciprocity Treaty (1875)
Trade agreement between Hawaiian Kingdom and U.S.
Restoration
Process of re-establishing sovereign governance.
Self-Determination
Right of a people to determine political status.
Sovereign Entity
Political body possessing governing authority.
Sovereign Nation
Independent nation exercising self-rule.
Statehood (1959)
Admission of Hawaiʻi as 50th U.S. state.
Treaty of 1826
Treaty of peace and commerce with the United States.
Treaty of 1846
Treaties recognizing Hawaiian independence.
Tribunal Act
Executive instrument establishing dispute resolution framework.
Trust Law
Legal structure governing stewardship of assets.
U.S. Public Law 103-150
Federal Apology Resolution acknowledging the overthrow.
United Nations Charter
International treaty establishing UN framework.
Universal Postal Union
International body recognizing Hawaiian participation.
Voting Assembly
Body of citizens participating in governance decisions.
Western Contact Period
Era following arrival of Western explorers.
Working Group
Advisory committee focused on policy development.