Hundreds gathered in Thomas Square Park in Honolulu on Sunday to celebrate Lā Ho’iho’i Ea, or Sovereignty Restoration Day, which falls on July 31.
The holiday was established nearly two centuries ago to mark the return of the kingdom of Hawaiʻi’s sovereignty after an illegal seizure by British forces. In modern days, it has become a holiday celebrated by supporters of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.
Participants came together in front of the King Kamehameha III statue to enjoy live performances, listen to advocacy panels, and to remember this year’s honorees: George Helm and Kimo Mitchell, of Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, or PKO. Helm and Mitchell were lost at sea nearly five decades ago while protesting the U.S. military bombing of Kahoʻolawe.
2026 also marks the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. With all these anniversaries front of mind, HPR spoke with activists and participants who felt an urgency to address the military’s land leases in Hawaiʻi and the future of Hawaiian sovereignty.
Kaipu Keala, a member of Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana who was previously featured on The Conversation in 2025, spoke with HPR again about representing the PKO at the celebration.
“The rise of Ea, our ability to determine for ourselves our destiny, our future as a Hawaiian, is grounded in that message of aloha ʻāina,” he told HPR.
“And so we lead with that idea that as long as we bring our kūpuna with us, that we have an opportunity to stop these military leases, to stop all the further desecration of Hawaiian lands.”
HPR also connected with community members like Koda Daily, who is a youth lead for the community arts organization Wisdom Circles Oceania, and Nakia Naeʻole, who was there to see his daughter dance with the Kamehameha Schools’ ensemble.
This story aired on The Conversation on July 27, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
