This September Marks the First Official Hawaiian History Month

It’s official: This September is the first Hawaiian History Month.  

Earlier this year, the Hawaiʻi State Senate adopted Act 167, designating September as a time to honor, reflect and recognize the complex history of Hawaiʻi. The month commemorates remarkable contributions of Native Hawaiians who have helped perpetuate Hawaiian culture—both in the past and today. 

At its heart, Hawaiian History Month celebrates the legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaiʻi. Born Sept. 2, 1838, the queen is remembered as a staunch defender of her people. 

Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaiʻi.
Photo: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA)

The Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts has partnered with the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge to educate residents and visitors about the triumphs of Hawaiʻi, and the struggles its people have endured. 

On Oʻahu, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge is offering free concerts, walking tours, presentations and films to connect with the community.  

Even highlights include: 

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau e Lili‘uokalani at ʻUmeke Lāʻau at Kapolei Hale, Sept. 2 

A celebration of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s 187th birthday and the passage of Act 167, which established Hawaiian History Month. 

Free Tours and Memory Walk at ʻIolani Palace, Sept. 6 

Free palace tours are available for kamaʻāina. 

Mai Poina: The Overthrow Walking Tours at ʻIolani Palace, Sept. 6, 7 and 13 

A dramatic walking tour, created in the 1990s by playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, that recreates the pivotal days leading up to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. 

Student Film Showcase at Aliʻiōlani Hale, Sept. 13 

A screening of six original short films produced by local student filmmakers. 

To learn more, visit hawaiiponoi.info.