Pa'a Ke Aupuni: The Reel History of Hawai‘i

Paʻa Ke Aupuni is a unique 60-minute hand-drawn, animated film that gets straight to the point. It zooms in on key facts explaining how the Hawaiian Kingdom came to be, how it evolved to stand firmly on the international world stage of sovereign nations, and how the United States came to claim Hawai‘i.

In many ways, Ke Aupuni Hawai‘i, the Hawaiian government, remains pa‘a—steadfast and enduring.

Yet “pa‘a” can also describe something that is stuck or retained, in this case by powers holding fast to control over Hawai‘i.

Pa‘a Ke Aupuni lays bare the realities of this history. It’s a set of facts we all need to know.

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0:00 Intro

1:21 Mokuna 1: Innovation, abundance, growth – Hawaiians thrive through the generations

4:50 Mokuna 2: Hawai‘i’s first international alliance

6:45 Mokuna 3: Hawai‘i adapts to a changing world

9:16 Mokuna 4: Hawaiians excel through education & literacy

11:04 Mokuna 5: Hawai‘i’s constitutional government on the world stage

14:16 Mokuna 6: The Paulet Affair challenges Hawaiian authority

17:16 Mokuna 7: Ua mau ke ea – Hawaiian sovereignty prevails

19:09 Mokuna 8: The Hawaiian Kingdom joins the Family of Nations

22:10 Mokuna 9: Māhele – The development of a hybrid land system

26:13 Mokuna 10: Building Hawai‘i’s national & cultural pride

29:07 Mokuna 11: Hawai‘i’s sugar industry seeks new growth

30:59 Mokuna 12: The Reciprocity Treaty – A sweet deal for Hawai‘i’s sugar industry & the U.S.

33:22 Mokuna 13: Hawai‘i establishes a worldwide presence

34:57 Mokuna 14: The Hawaiian Kingdom advances through technology, culture & diplomacy

37:18 Mokuna 15: The Bayonet Constitution assaults Hawaiian political authority

40:29 Mokuna 16: Hawaiians take aim at restoring their political authority

41:23 Mokuna 17: Hawai‘i – A prime target for U.S. expansionists

44:00 Mokuna 18: False claims of chaos & the U.S. invasion of Hawai‘i

47:22 Mokuna 19: U.S. expansionists enable King Sugar & the Provisional “Government”

49:53 Mokuna 20: Lili‘uokalani & U.S. President Cleveland refute the Provisional Government

55:43 Mokuna 21: “Annexation”

59:48 Outro

1:00:57 Production Credits

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Created in response to community calls for educational resources, Paʻa Ke Aupuni shares a clear, factual rendition of the political history of the Hawaiian Kingdom—from the time of Kamehameha to the close of the monarchy.

At the Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea premier of Paʻa Ke Aupuni, its executive producer, Kēhaunani Abad, described the intent of the team that created the film and OHA’s leadership who supported its development.

"We hope the history shared in Paʻa Ke Aupuni will be an ʻanoʻano—a seed that can be planted among ʻohana and friends that will branch into conversations about how our past is connected to where we are today and the directions we could strive toward in the coming years.

Some people will plant seeds to nurture a conversation about a certain future direction—majestic kumu niu. Others will plant ʻanoʻano along a different path—beautiful kumu ʻōhiʻa. And others still will plant kou, milo, kukui… Our lāhui will need this vibrant uluwehi to ensure that we will be well sustained with intelligent, informed, and passionate dialogue."