The Maui News
La Ho’iho’i Ea, which marks the day that the Hawaiian Kingdom was restored after the British temporarily claimed control, will now be recognized by the state, the House of Representatives announced Monday.
Gov. David Ige, who signed House Bill 2475 into law on June 17, held a commemorative bill presentation in his office on Monday morning.
The bill recognizes and designates July 31 of each year as La Ho’iho’i Ea, recognizing King Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III’s efforts to restore sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom after the British ambassador to Hawaii and a captain in the British Royal Navy raised the union jack in Honolulu in 1840 to symbolize they had unilaterally taken control of the islands, according to a news release from the state House of Representatives.
In response, Kauikeauoli dispatched diplomatic envoys to Britain to explain their case to the Court of Queen Victoria, which ultimately sided with the Hawaiians. British Admiral Richard Thomas came to Honolulu to remove the ambassador and the captain, allowing the Hawaiian flag to once again be raised and power officially returned to the king on July 31, 1843. To commemorate the occasion, Kamehameha III established the date of sovereignty restoration as the kingdom’s first national holiday, La Ho’iho’i Ea.
Modern celebrations began in 1987, started by Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell and activists Soli Niheu and Imai Kalahele. Imaikalani Winchester, one of the organizers of La Ho’iho’i Ea in Honolulu, said the legislation provides recognition to past community leaders that worked hard to connect people with history long before he got involved.
“This kind of recognition is important to our collective identity and we have a responsibility to advance a piece of history that belongs to everyone who calls Hawaii home,” Winchester said.
According to the bill, while July 31 will be known and designated as La Ho’iho’i Ea, it “is not and shall not be construed to be a state holiday.”
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