Hawaiian sovereignty film to debut in Washington, D.C.
By JOHN YAUKEY
Gannett Washington Bureau
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WASHINGTON - Photographer Catherine Bauknight first went to Hawaiçi 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.