One nation, indivisible? A commentary.

Hawaii, which became the 50th state almost 67 years ago, was late to the party, and as the 250th anniversary of the United States is observed this weekend, the state's confusion about two competing national celebrations grows even as its enthusiasm for either of them remains muted.

This is a state grounded in cultural history and controversy, where King Kamehameha Day, on June 11, is an official holiday celebrated with parades and events as well as a day off with holiday pay for state and county employees. 

In contrast, Statehood Day, while also a state holiday, finds little celebration for what has become Hawaii's quietest holiday. It's held the third Friday in August.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian Independence Day, Nov. 28, while not an official state holiday, is officially designated as a day of remembrance and recognition and features a number of ceremonies statewide. Known in the Hawaiian as Lā Kūʻokoʻa, it marks the date in 1843 when the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hawaii was formally recognized by England and France through the signing of the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, and through an oral acknowledgement with the United States.

Enter dual celebrations on the national level this year, with the America 250 bipartisan ceremony, planned since 2024, shorted its funds by a more recent Freedom 250 ceremony pushed by President Donald Trump.

Congress had appropriated $150 million for America 250 bipartisan ceremonies, but tens of millions were subsequently funneled off by the Trump administration to be used for its own ceremonies. That left Hawaii with only $20,000 from the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. No wonder Hawaii said it didn't have money to send a delegation to staff its designated booth at Trump's Great American State Fair, one of 10 states bowing out.

No wonder Hawaii residents -- and even some in the local media -- are confused. 

Hawaii has traditionally celebrated Independence Day with local parades, parties and fireworks, the latter allowed for private citizens with permits only on New Year's Eve, Independence Day and Chinese New Year. Hawaii residents do love their fireworks!

This year's festivities in Hawaii are pretty much the same as in prior years. 

The exception is Oahu, the state's most populous island, which has added a commemorative event at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and a public festival at Kapiolani Park to its usual schedule of parades and fireworks. 

In contrast, Kauai, the state's least populous major island, is holding one major event, after the military bowed out of its annual America’s Most West Freedom Fest at Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, citing budget constraints.

Face it, a nation indivisible described in our Pledge of Allegiance seems like just a pipe dream. Today, the United States seems more divided than ever. 

Kudos to the Hawai‘i America250 Commission, with its paltry federal funding and no state money, for coordinating events such as Hawaii grade-school students who competed in a national contest expressing what America means to them, production and distribution of more than 100 America250 flags, and a planned mass reading of the Declaration of Independence at about 65 places around the state at noon on July 8.

Still, many people are wondering if that’s enough, while others say, enough already for a holiday with such divergent meanings for its diverse citizens.

But we, as a nation, have been through this before. We emerged battle scarred from the Civil War in 1865, stronger and more aware that humans shouldn’t be held as property. It took many years to more fully recognize people of all races as Americans, and it took just as many years after that to recognize that women have the same rights, too. Recognizing that gay and transgender people have equal rights has taken even more time, but Hawaii is the leader in that.

Recently, thanks to a divisive national leadership, we’ve taken some steps backward, but we, as compassionate, thinking people must soldier on. We can come back together, recognizing our similarities are bigger than our differences.

Call me an optimist, but I think we can recover and build back and learn from our mistakes. It’s just going to take time.

Because this holiday is not about festivals and fireworks. It s about recognizing our past and positioning our nation for reconstruction and a new, better beginning. Let’s all work toward that.

For further reading

 Hawaii commemoration of America’s birthday funded on a shoestring. Star-Advertiser.

Who is paying for America's 250th celebrations? It's complicated. The presence of America250 and Freedom 250 has continued to spark confusion. ABC.

House Democrats accuse Trump of 'hijacking' America's 250th birthday for his own gain. National Public Radio.

Green to host Western Governors' Association winter meeting, Lazar sworn in as Honolulu’s 13th police chief, UH to decommission 3rd Mauna Kea telescope, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. Josh Green leads Western Governors' Association, plans Pearl Harbor meeting. Green, who assumed the position Wednesday at the group’s meeting in Park City, Utah, will serve as host of its winter meeting on Oahu in December. The Dec. 7 gathering, during commemorations of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, will include governors from 19 western states; member representatives from Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and governors from Japan. Star-Advertiser.

Supreme Court ruling on campaign spending may not affect Hawaii as much — for now. Tuesday’s ruling does away with limits on the amount of money a political party can spend on its candidates. It doesn’t have as much impact for those running at the state level, such as the legislature. However, it could come into play for federal-level races, such as those for Congress. Hawaii News Now.

New chair Jon Itomura looks to speed up Public Utilities Commission's work. Jon Itomura took the helm of the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission in January. While he’s new to his role, he’s on familiar ground. He spent more than a decade as an attorney with the Division of Consumer Advocacy, representing the interests of utility customers in proceedings before the commission. Hawaii Public Radio.

Study: Hawaii patients spent more than $230M on out-of-state cancer care. Hawaii patients spent more than $230 million on cancer care outside the state from 2021 to 2023, according to a new University of Hawaii Cancer Center study that researchers say underscores the financial strain created when patients must travel for specialized treatment. Maui News.

Oahu

Lazar sworn in as Honolulu’s 13th police chief. David S. Lazar, 55, was sworn in as the Honolulu Police Department’s 13th police chief on Thursday and promised to build a culture focused on the wellness of officers, civilian staff and their families. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. KHON2.  KITV4.

Election announced for vacant Senate District 18 seat. A special election has been scheduled to fill the vacant Hawaii State Senate District 18 seat. The vacancy follows the retirement of Sen. Michelle Kidani. Hawaii News Now.

Storms, Civility And Affordability: State Senate District 10 Candidate Q&As. House member for East Honolulu district is making a move on the incumbent senator for the same area. Civil Beat.

DHHL opens applications for first-ever high-rise rental units in Honolulu. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has opened applications for its first high-rise rental development in Honolulu, a 23-story tower at the site of the former Bowl-a-Drome. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Honeybees Are Swarming. Yes, That’s A Good Thing. The prevalence of wild, swarming honeybees is concerning for many. But for some, including researchers, it’s a sign of good environmental health.  Civil Beat.

City plans ‘Hawai‘i America250’ celebrations honoring Oahu’s history, diversity. On Oahu, Hawai‘i America250 festivities will include a mix of patriotic and community-focused events, from the annual Kailua Fourth of July Parade and a Kapiolani Park festival to a Pearl Harbor commemoration and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at Honolulu Hale, according to Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. KITV4. 

Hawaii Island

University of Hawaiʻi to decommission third telescope. UKIRT observatory will end astronomy operations in September. Science operations at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope will conclude Sept. 15 so it can be decommissioned, the University of Hawaii announced Wednesday. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Emergency Repairs Completed on Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Water Well. Water officials say the Essential Needs Only Notice has been cancelled, and normal water usage from the water spigots may resume. Big Island Video News.

Burial Council rejects iwi kupuna plan at Hawaiian Paradise Park. The Hawaii Island Burial Council voted down the burial treatment plan for iwi kūpuna discovered at Hawaiian Paradise Park. Hawaii News Now.

Inouye honored with Lifetime Achievement Award. State Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye of Hilo was honored on Friday, June 26, with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s Impact Gala, recognizing her decades of dedicated public service and lasting contributions to Hawaii’s communities, economy and quality of life. Tribune-Herald.

Maui 

Maui Fraud Risk Assessment reveals inadequate policies, identifies millions of dollars in ‘direct pay’. The County of Maui’s Office of the Auditor presented findings from a Fraud Risk Assessment report during a committee meeting Tuesday and outlined 2027 plans to address concerns. Maui Now.

First storefronts returning to Lahaina’s Front Street. Front Street’s commercial core remains largely empty nearly three years after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire, but Maui County and the Hawaiian Council on Thursday unveiled an $8 million pilot marketplace that will return the first storefronts to what was once one of Hawaii’s busiest economic corridors. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. KHON2. 

Do humpback whales fertilize Hawaiian waters? Maui study tests the “Whale Pump”. PacWhale Eco-Adventures has completed the first round of seawater sampling for a study led by the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, testing whether the seasonal arrival of humpback whales measurably enriches the waters of Maui Nui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauaʻi’s Hospice’s ‘Concert in the Sky’ is main 4th of July event on the island after military canceled its event. For the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration, Kauaʻi Hospiceʻs 33rd annual “Concert in the Sky” will be the island’s only major Fourth of July event. In early June, the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands announced it was canceling its annual America’s Most West Freedom Fest for reasons that included high costs and budget constraints. Kauai Now. Garden Island.