The Annexation of Hawai'i

    Hawai'i, like most Pacific/Polynesian islands, has always had a colonial influence.  As tragic as this is, America and Britain were the worst ones for the small island chain of Hawai'i.  In 1778, Captain James Cook "discovered" the islands by simply stepping foot on the largest island, or "Big Island".  He then planted the British flag, and sailed back to England with the good news.  Cook was also famous for "discovering" Australia and New Zealand, and was revered internationally for his meager but somehow lucky charting and finding skills.  But, Cook was attacked by the native people on his third trip back to the islands and never made it back.  There is still a landmark today on the Kohala coast of Hawai'i, where he is said to have died.
    In the 1870s-80s, the Hawaiian monarchy was restored with still a small amount of British influence. Queen Lili'uokalani ruled over the now-joined islands, and she changed the government from a monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.  Her Majesty and her government created the native Consitution of Hawai'i, which included rights for the native people and drafted the structure of the constitutional monarchy.  However, across the Pacific, a committee was being formed to annex Hawai'i and instead place it under the jurisdiction of the USA.  This would disrupt the government they already had in place, and change the status of the kingdom to a territory. 
    Under President McKinley, the Newlands Resolution was passed in 1898 that annexed the now-territory of Hawai'i.  The natives were understandably upset, because they knew what the white settlers had done to them just a century before.  They wrote petitions and created committees in both English and Hawai'ian, but nothing worked.  The American government claimed that they were annexing Hawai'i for the benefit of the economy, because they thought that the agricultural flow of goods would be beneficial.  However, they really needed a base for the possible Pacific attacks during the Spanish-American war in the Caribbean.
     The assimilation, although beginning in the 1770s under British influence, had become even more intense.  The teaching of native Hawai'ian in schools was banned, and so was any traditional or ethnic displays of Hawai'ian culture.  The famous Hula dance of Hawai'i was also banned, even though lua'u culture was widely consumed by white people travelling to Hawai'i.  The first hotel in Hawai'i was built just two years after the Newlands Resolution was passed.  It was built in 1901 in Waikiki, Maui.  It was called the "Moana Surfrider", which capitalized on the gorgeous ocean of the islands and the high demand of white travelers looking for a tropical getaway.
      While Hawai'i was once a solely native place, the only places that are reserved for strictly Hawai'ian natives are King Kamehameha schools and the island of Ni'ihau.  The schools are meant to teach polynesian children Hawai'ian culture and language that is under the threat of extinction.  The island of Ni'ihau is reserved for native families specifically.

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hawaii-petition