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.

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There are currently 6 terms in this directory beginning with the letter K.

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.