We Intend to Eat Pork | Hawaii: Rise

Overview

"We Intend to Eat Pork | Hawaii: Rise" is an educational documentary by digital historian Knowing Better that explores the rapid transformation of the Kingdom of Hawaii in the 19th century. The film highlights how Native Hawaiian leaders led by Queen Kaʻahumanu actively chose to dismantle their own strict religious legal system (Kapu) to modernize their society and protect their sovereignty. Rather than framing Hawaii's history as a story of passive colonization, the documentary emphasizes indigenous agency, showing how a literate, recognized constitutional monarchy successfully rose before its eventual overthrow by American interests.