This September, Hawaiʻi will mark its first official Hawaiian History Month, following the state’s adoption of Act 167 earlier this year. The month honors Queen Liliʻuokalani and celebrates Native Hawaiian contributions, inviting the community to reflect, learn and envision the future together.
Presented by the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition and the UH at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, this year’s observance offers free concerts, films, walking tours, cultural presentations and virtual events designed to connect people across generations.
“This designation affirms our collective responsibility to share Hawaiʻi’s true story,” said State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who sponsored the legislation. “It honors Queen Liliʻuokalani while inspiring civic participation rooted in aloha ʻāina.”
Honoring her legacy
Hawaiian History Month honors the legacy of Queen Liliʻuokalani while highlighting the islands’ history and heritage. Born Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaʻeha in 1838 at her family home in Puōwaina (Punchbowl), she was Hawaiʻi’s last reigning monarch. A gifted composer and staunch defender of her people, her September 2 birthday anchors the month’s observance and keeps her legacy at its center.
Rare performance
Among this year’s most anticipated events is the return of Mai Poina: The Overthrow Walking Tours, where actors guide participants through pivotal moments of January 1893 at ʻIolani Palace. Another highlight is The Kumulipo Experience, a rare performance of the sacred 2,102-line genealogy chant, honoring the queen through a cultural offering not seen in generations.
“This month is a living classroom,” said Malia Nobrega, director of strategic partnerships at Hawaiʻinuiākea who is helping organize events. “It’s about carrying forward Queen Liliʻuokalani’s vision and creating opportunities for our communities to connect, reflect and be inspired.”
Event highlights (All events are free and open to the public.)
- August 31—Eō e Liliʻu Concert, Kawaiahaʻo Church
Celebrate the Queen’s musical legacy with a community sing-along. - September 2—Hauʻoli Lā Hānau e Liliʻuokalani, ʻUmeke Lāʻau at Kapolei Hale
Commemorate Queen Liliʻuokalani’s 187th birthday and the milestone passage of Act 167. - September 6—Free Palace Tours and Memory Walk, ʻIolani Palace
Walk in remembrance and enjoy free admission to Hawaiʻi’s historic seat of monarchy. - September 6, 7 and 13—Mai Poina: The Overthrow Walking Tours, ʻIolani Palace
Experience history where it happened. These dramatic walking tours, originally created in 1993 by playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, recreate the pivotal days of January 1893 and illuminate untold stories of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s overthrow. - September 13—Student Film Showcase, Aliʻiōlani Hale
View six original short films produced by Hawaiʻi’s student filmmakers for Hawaiian History Day. - September 14—The Kumulipo Experience, ʻIolani Palace
Witness a sacred cultural offering at dusk as Nā Kumu Hula (Master of hula) Kamuela Chun, Kalani Akana, Mehana Hind, Kalei Nuʻuhiwa and Kaponoʻai Molitau and their hālau (hula school) perform the Kumulipo, Hawaiʻi’s cosmogonic genealogy chant, in honor of Queen Liliʻuokalani. - September 17 and 19—Kahiki: Native Hawaiians Abroad
September 17: Virtual program from San Diego, CA
September 19: Live and virtual program from Iosepa, Utah - September 26—Holoholo Honolulu: Historic Health Sites Tour
Ride through Honolulu on a double-decker bus and discover stories of health, community and aloha. - September 27—Hoʻōla: History of Hawaiian Health, Virtual Presentation
Explore Hawaiʻi’s historic health responses and resilience.
For the full schedule, visit HawaiianHistoryMonth.org.
