Native Hawaiian

Polynesian island native

Native Hawaiian refers to a person descended from the indigenous Polynesian people who settled the Hawaiian Islands.

The term distinguishes indigenous ancestry from simply being born in Hawaii: a Native Hawaiian cultural center, Native Hawaiian land rights.

In legal and census contexts, the capitalized form specifically denotes this ethnic group rather than any Hawaii-born resident.

culture

hula

Gestural Polynesian dance

  • luauTraditional island celebration
  • leiFlower necklace
  • poiMashed taro root

aloha shirt · ukulele · slack-key · kahuna · navigators · canoe · petroglyphs · chant · featherwork · fishhook

language

mahalo

Hawaiian gratitude word

  • alohaHawaiian multipurpose greeting
  • manaSupernatural indwelling power
  • haoleNon-native in Hawaii

keiki · wahine · wiki

islands

Oahu

Third-largest Hawaiian island

  • MauiHawaiian island, tourist hotspot
  • KauaiHawaiian archipelago's fourth largest
  • HawaiʻiPacific island state

archipelago · Pacific · volcano · tropical · endemic · reef · Mauna Kea

identity

ancestry

Family line of descent

descendants · kinship · sovereignty · self-determination · recognition · enrollment · blood quantum

Categories
Opposites
geographic origin/residency

Native Hawaiianmainlander

Mainland inhabitant

transplant · newcomer · haole · outsider · foreigner

indigenous status

Native Hawaiiansettler

One who colonizes territory

colonizer · immigrant · non-native · foreigner · haole

cultural identity

Native Hawaiianhaole

Non-native in Hawaii

Caucasian · Western · American · Anglo · foreign-born

Family

native, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Hawaiian Islands, Native Hawaiians

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Mostly American · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G