“Beautiful and irresistible are the peoples’ voices, in their own language and in essays, stories, poetry, and song. Their hidden transcripts and their resistance to oppression reveal a love of the land and a determined and sustained rejection of the colonizers’ imposed silences. Aloha Betrayed offers a devastating critique of colonial historiography and, crucially, a firm foundation for nation-building.”—Gary Y. ... Read moreOkihiro, author of Common Ground: Reimagining American History “Noenoe K. Silva has located an enormous Hawaiian-language archive of Native resistance to American colonialism in the 1897 petitions against forced annexation to the United States. Now, thanks to Silva’s pathbreaking book, the Native side of the story will finally be told. And what a story it is! Those accustomed to the ‘happy Native’ tourist image of Hawai'i will be shocked to learn that Hawaiians never wanted to be Americans; indeed, they revolted against the American military takeover. Today, Silva’s analysis is key to the ongoing indigenous movement for Hawaiian sovereignty.”—Haunani-Kay Trask, author of From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i "Aloha Betrayed represents a maturation of Native Hawaiian scholarship in the past two decades based on diligent investigation of critical primary sources. In that sense, it is a milestone of the first phase of contemporary Native Hawaiian scholarship and also a native 'takeover' of the historiography of modern Hawai'i."
Taro Iwata
Journal of American Ethnic History
"A fresh new approach to the critique of colonial historiography."
Lyn Carter
Contemporary Pacific
"Brilliant. . . . This book is a superb contribution to the ongoing process of decolonization, recovery, and overcoming the suppression of Kanaka Maoli knowledge. Silva's clearly written account based on her original research is a gift to all Kanaka Maoli, especially those currently engaged in the restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty. This book-the fruition of Silva's meticulous and beautiful intellectual labor-is sure to win awards for its value and contribution to knowledge in the fields of political science, history, American studies, and indigenous studies, just to name a few."
J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Hawaiian Journal of History
"[P]rovocative. . . . [A] bold and unapologetic revisionist history."
Eric T. L. Love
American Historical Review
"Readers interested in the colonial encounter, Hawaiian history, the politics of language and literature, cultural studies, indigenous rights and post-colonial theory will find Aloha Betrayed a provocative book. The language is accessible, the content well-researched and coherently written, and students will find the conclusions at the end of each of the five chapters particularly useful."
Robert Nicole
Journal of the Polynesian Society
"This slender volume packs quite a punch. . . . [A]n important study."
Mansel G. Blackford
Journal of American History
"With its substantial and thoughtful reading of the Hawaiian-language archive, Aloha Betrayed makes a major contribution to this reexamination of history."
Sally Engle Merry
Contemporary Pacific
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