Documentary on sovereignty to premiere tomorrow at U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
By JOHN YAUKEY
Gannett Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Photographer Catherine Bauknight first went to Hawaii in 1980 for some peace and quiet.
She found more.
On Thursday evening, her full-length documentary, "Hawaii — A Voice for Sovereignty," premieres at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center to an invited audience of writers, pundits, Washington power brokers and lawmakers.
It opens as Congress is weighing long-awaited legislation that would create a process for Native Hawaiian self-governance.
Bauknight's 83-minute film documents what she calls the journey of Native Hawaiians to sustain their culture and spirituality — all deeply rooted in the land.
The film was four years in the making. The oral history includes interviews with Native Hawaiians — leaders and "people of the land" — in their homes and at sacred sites.
