Our History
The Independent & Sovereign Nation State of Hawai’i
The Sovereign & Independent Nation State of of Hawai‘i was officially established on January 16, 1995, through the enactment of the Hawai‘i Constitution, which was ceremoniously signed at ‘Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
The core purpose of the Constitution was to reaffirm the “right to self-determination as a people” and to seek the “restoration of political, economic, social, and cultural rights” for all Native Hawaiians, as well as the citizens of the Nation.
The establishment of the Nation of Hawai‘i is rooted in U.S. Public Law 103-150, also known as the Apology Resolution, which was passed by the United States Congress in 1993. This significant legislation acknowledged the historical significance of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893. The resolution recognized the subsequent suppression of the inherent sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian people and the violation of their right to self-determination. It provided a foundation for the Nation of Hawai‘i to reclaim its sovereignty.
The Legislative General Assembly of the Nation of Hawai‘i consists of three key bodies: The Citizens Assembly, the Na Kupuna Council (Council of Elders), and the President and Head of State, Pu’uhonua D.K.B. Kanahele. The administrative structure of the Nation is organized into five mokupuni (counties), namely Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i. Lanai, Ni‘ihau, and Kaho‘olawe are held in trust by the Nation of Hawai‘i.
In its pursuit of reestablishing the inherent sovereignty of the Nation of Hawai‘i, the pathway followed international guidelines for self-determination of occupied nations and Indigenous Peoples.
National Development and International Engagement (2019–2026)
Since 2019, the Nation of Hawaiʻi has entered a deliberate phase of structured national development. Moving beyond historical declaration and legal documentation, this period has focused on implementing institutional frameworks, strengthening international engagement, expanding economic sovereignty, and advancing land-based restoration.
The years 2019 through 2026 represent a sustained phase of modern nation-building grounded in historical continuity.
2019 – Digital Sovereignty and Community Broadband
In October 2019, the Nation of Hawaiʻi launched Hawaiʻi’s first community-managed broadband network in partnership with the Internet Society and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT). Nation of Hawaiʻi Broadband was established as a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) serving the Village at Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo.
The deployment provided direct broadband access to citizen households, enabling remote employment, online education, telehealth participation, and digital entrepreneurship within the national land base. Digital infrastructure was approached as a foundational instrument of sovereignty — ensuring communications independence and community resilience.
Expansion planning extended to Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae Mauka and Makai on Oʻahu, Kīpahulu on Maui, and Miloliʻi on Hawaiʻi Island, integrating network deployment with digital literacy training in rural Native communities.
2021 – Economic Independence and Monetary Governance
In September 2021, the Nation of Hawaiʻi enacted the Nation of Hawaiʻi Bank Act. On November 28, 2021, the Nation formally declared economic independence and established the Nation of Hawaiʻi Central Bank.
The Central Bank was structured to regulate credit systems, oversee digital currency frameworks, and support monetary policy aligned with national economic objectives. The declaration signaled a strategic commitment to financial sovereignty and Pacific Rim–oriented economic engagement.
The monetary framework was designed to support ethical investment, digital asset governance, and diversified economic sectors capable of strengthening local self-sufficiency while positioning Hawaiʻi within evolving global financial systems.
2022 – Foreign-Trade Zone 9 and Structured Commerce
In 2022, the Nation of Hawaiʻi secured operational presence within Honolulu’s Foreign-Trade Zone 9 (FTZ-9). This development integrated the Nation into formal international trade channels and reinforced Hawaiʻi’s historic role as a Pacific crossroads.
The FTZ presence supports commercial activity, business incubation, and administrative operations connected to the Nation of Hawaiʻi Central Bank and Nation of Hawaiʻi University planning initiatives. Trade participation has been approached as a strategic tool for economic diversification and long-term sustainability.
2022–2026 – United Nations Engagement and Indigenous Diplomacy
Beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2023, 2024, and 2025, representatives of the Nation of Hawaiʻi have participated in sessions of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York. Delegations engaged in dialogue with Indigenous governments, state representatives, and international observers regarding self-determination, treaty rights, land stewardship, and economic sovereignty.
Participation in UNPFII reaffirmed the Nation’s commitment to peaceful international engagement and positioned Hawaiʻi within broader global Indigenous governance discussions.
During this period, the Nation also engaged in diplomatic dialogue and treaty-based discussions with First Nations governments across Turtle Island, including participation in Treaty 1–11 gatherings in Canada. Engagements with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, Tulalip Tribes, and other Indigenous governments reinforced historical peace and friendship relationships and explored contemporary pathways for intergovernmental cooperation.
In the Pacific region, discussions extended to Cook Islands leadership and Polynesian networks focused on shared concerns of cultural preservation, ocean stewardship, and digital economic development.
These diplomatic efforts reflect continuity with the 19th-century treaties entered into by the Hawaiian Kingdom with the United States (1826), Great Britain (1836; 1846 joint recognition of independence), France (1839; 1846), Denmark (1846), Belgium (1862), the Netherlands (1862), Italy (1863), Spain (1863), the Swiss Confederation (1864), and Japan (1871).
The Nation’s modern diplomacy builds upon that foundation.
2023–2026 – Regulatory Frameworks and Economic Diversification
Between 2023 and 2026, the Nation of Hawaiʻi advanced regulatory architecture within the Ministry of Commerce to address emerging industries and digital economies.
The formation of the Nation of Hawaiʻi iGaming Commission introduced a structured framework for regulated participation in digital gaming markets under transparent compliance standards. Development of the Digital Asset Gaming Platform (DAGP) advanced oversight mechanisms aligned with responsible economic expansion.
Simultaneously, digital asset governance language was refined to address evolving financial technologies and ensure that innovation remains accountable and culturally grounded.
The establishment of the Nation of Hawaiʻi Film Commission further expanded national economic development. Hawaiʻi’s production ecosystem supports more than 14,000 unionized professionals across technical, creative, and trade sectors. The Commission integrates workforce development pathways, intellectual property protection, and exploration of long-term Hawaiian-owned production infrastructure.
These initiatives reflect a strategic shift toward diversified, technology-enabled economic sectors and reduced structural dependence on tourism.
Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo – A Living Land Base
Throughout this period, the 45-acre ahupuaʻa at Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo has remained central to national development. Operating under a 55-year lease executed March 29, 2001, and governed in part by Transitional Provision 61 allowing potential conveyance to a sovereign Hawaiian entity, the land base functions as a community village, cultural restoration site, agricultural zone, and digital infrastructure pilot.
Broadband deployment, sustainable agriculture, educational initiatives, and governance experimentation converge at Puʻuhonua, embodying sovereignty through daily practice.
A Nation in Active Development
From 2019 through 2026, the Nation of Hawaiʻi has:
Established Hawaiʻi’s first community-managed broadband network.
Enacted the Nation of Hawaiʻi Bank Act (September 2021).
Declared economic independence (November 28, 2021).
Formed and operationalized the Nation of Hawaiʻi Central Bank.
Secured presence within Foreign-Trade Zone 9 (2022).
Participated in multiple sessions of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2019–2025).
Expanded treaty-based and intergovernmental dialogue with Indigenous nations in North America and the Pacific.
Established regulatory frameworks for digital industries and gaming.
Formed the Nation of Hawaiʻi Film Commission.
Expanded land-based restoration and digital infrastructure across multiple islands.
This phase of development reflects structured nation-building grounded in treaty history, international legal principles, and the enduring right of self-determination.
JOIN THE NATION
Nation of Hawaii’s mission is to restore, maintain and preserve the sophisticated religion, language and culture of the Native Hawaiian people, who prior to the overthrow, lived in a highly organized, self-sufficient, subsistent social system based on Communal Land Tenure. (pre-mahele)