Hawaii: A Voice for Sovereignty

2009· 84 min★ 8.5· Documentary

The goal of Hawaii, a Voice for Sovereignty is to raise awareness of the issues that threaten the Hawaiians ancient and once-environmentally-sustainable culture. It is an epic documentary about Hawaiian spirituality and the peoples close connection to the land. It focuses on the complicated social, economic and ecological issues that have arisen in Hawaii since the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani by the United States in 1893. For Hawaiians, sovereignty is the legal, political and moral right to live on and care for the land; build and grow a sustainable economy; protect natural resources; practice spiritual and cultural traditions; honor their ancestral past; and care for family and community. The film is in the voice of native Hawaiian people who address the issues they continue to face in their long struggle to regain sovereignty over their rights and the native lands lost after the U.S. businessmen and military overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii.