Narratives shape mindsets and in turn influence actions. If someone has no prior knowledge of a place or a people other than reductive stereotypes, they are less likely to engage with it in a respectful and reciprocal way. This is true of the Hawaiian islands. "The thing is, nobody knows how to ask questions. Nobody really understands how to ask, because not a lot of people actually know that Hawaiians really even exist." The dominant narrative that the United States has of the Hawaiian islands is that it is the 50th state and a prime destination for vacation, with a welcoming population and beautiful and pristine natural environment. This limited narrative is problematic in countless ways. Centuries of history, cultural context, and contemporary struggle are masked by this narrative. Social media is one tool used to shape narrative that is particularly relevant today, given the increased dialogue and discourse happening online since the pandemic has pushed us deeper into the virtual world. For this thesis I interviewed 10 Native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli, or Kanaka) individuals who use social media, TikTok specifically, to present an alternative narrative: one that more accurately represents the rich and complex history and culture of the Hawaiian Islands and its people. They achieve this by providing historical overviews, language lessons, personal anecdotes, speaking out about gentrification and appropriation, and modifying popular trends. Through my research interviewing and participating in Hawaii TikTok I found that Kanaka creators reach a wide age range of individuals both in Hawaii and around the world. They help other Kanaka connect back to their culture and instill cultural values and pride in young Native Hawaiians. Additionally, they address problematic trends and videos that reduce the islands to a narrow view of paradisiacal self-improvement, and call for a more equitable tourism sector and investment in Indigenous lives.

This research begins to overcome the limits of existing studies on social media use for political mobilization by engaging Native Hawaiian TikTok users who use their platforms to address misconceptions about their home and raise awareness on issues facing Hawaiians. This research is important because it highlights social media activism by Indigenous Hawaiians as a method of reshaping the unequal relations between the US and Hawaii by providing information from primary sources and contextualizing the issues facing Native Hawaiians within a settler colonial framework.

To accomplish this I employ the theoretical frameworks of:

• Manuel Castells: Social movement theory in the Internet Age which discusses the limitations and opportunities of virtual activism

• McAdams social movement theory that classifies social movement as collective and ongoing

• Indigenous Scholars like H.K. Trask and Audra Simpson on decolonial concepts of sovereignty and refusal

• Reclaiming Native Truths study on Indigenous representation and perception in North America

• Algorithmic pros and cons: Creators had mixed reviews of the overall structure of the app, saying that they appreciate the aspects of Indigenous solidarity it fosters and the wide scope of individuals their videos are viewed by, but also felt censored at times and that the impersonal interface could lead to slacktivism.

• Expressing refusal: Through their platforms, creators expressed refusal in many ways. Refusal to be subjects of American government, refusal to allow people to spread hate and bigotry, refusal to accept the glorification of the neocolonial nature of tourism and gentrification on their islands, and much more.

• Informed and Experienced: Informed by researching Hawaiian Kingdom royalty and learning from relatives and cultural teachers in their communities, creators use their areas of interest and expertise to communicate important issues.

• A Legacy of Learning: TikTok provides a virtual space for a continuation of the Hawaiian Renaissance that occured in the 1970's which was reignited by A Ole TMT (Mauna Kea). The teaching, learning and sharing that occurs on the platform, which trolls attempt to disrupt, is a continuation of these movements to protect and expand cultural knowledge that is embedded in the community of Kanaka creators.

• Transforming Tourism: Many users address the exploitative nature of tourism in their videos and interact with visitors virtually. Through interviews we discussed alternative forms of tourism that incorporate more service and cultural learning. When one of my participants posted about this possibility, hundreds of people expressed excitement about the idea. This shows the sentiment that many of my participants shared which is that people are becoming more and more willing and interested in learning the true history of Hawaii from the Indigenous perspective.

• Castells, Manuel. 2012. Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age. Polity Press.

• Castells, Manuel. 1999. Information technology, globalization and social development (No. 114). Geneva: UNRISD.

• McAdam, Doug. "Culture and social movements." Culture and politics. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2000. 253-268.

• Trask, Haunani-Kay. 1991. “Lovely Hula Hands: Corporate Tourism and Prostitution of Hawaiian Culture.” Border/Lines, (23).

• Reclaiming Native Truth, firstnations.org. 2020.