TIMELINE
300 Ad-1777
Thriving Hawaiian society
1778
Start of on-going Western contact
1810-1893
King Kamehameha unifies Hawai’i, and from 1826, treaties with various countries, including the United States, underscore Hawai’i’s international diplomacy and visibility as a sovereign nation.
1893
A few men of commerce, a U.S. Minister with U.S. military - without authority of U.S. Congress, deposeQueen Lili’uokalani and overthrow the Hawaiian government.
1959
Hawai’i becomes the 50th state.
1978
Office of Hawaiian Affairs created through State Constitution to be lead advocate for Native Hawaiians and oversee trust revenues.
1993
The United States Apology Resolution enacted into law.
1999-2000
U.S. Dept. of Justice and Dept. of Interior holds hearings and recommend establishing a process of federal recognition for Native Hawaiians.
2000-2010
Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (NHGRA) introduced and considered by U.S. Congress.
2010
Passage of NHGRA is pending in U.S. Senate, after passing U.S. House of Representatives. President Obama has committed to sign the bill into law upon its passage through Congress.