On August 12, 1898, during ceremonies at ‘Iolani Palace, two figures stood on a platform before an international gathering. Sanford B. Dole and U.S. Minister Harold Sewall exchanged treaty ratifications annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States. Or so it appeared. But was it really a treaty of annexation? And did Hawai‘i really become a territory of the United States?
This short program — a must-see for any student of the Hawaiian sovereignty issue — tells the story of the defeat of a treaty of annexation by Queen Lili‘uokalani and loyal subjects of the Hawaiian Kingdom, who sent an anti-annexation petition to Congress in 1897 consisting of over 38,000 signatures representing 95 percent of the native Hawaiian population.
Using archival photos and film, the video presents the legal and historic background to “the annexation that never was.”
NĀ MAKA O KA ʻĀINA
We are Joan Lander and Puhipau (1937-2016) of Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina (“The Eyes of the Land”), an independent video production team that, since 1981, has focused on the land and people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
We exist to document and give voice and face to traditional and contemporary Hawaiian culture, history, language, art, music, environment and the politics of independence and sovereignty. Our over 100 documentary and educational programs have been seen on PBS, Hawai‘i public and commercial television stations, public access cable channels, and broadcast/cable networks in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Japan, Mexico and Europe.
Our award-winning productions have been used by teachers and scholars in classrooms in Hawai‘i and throughout the world, and our iconic footage of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement has been featured in numerous documentaries by other producers.
