Native Hawaiians, Not Native Americans, Are the Indigenous People of Hawaii

Native Americans do not live in Hawaii as an indigenous group. The original inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands are Native Hawaiians (Kānaka Maoli)—Polynesian peoples who settled the archipelago circa 1000–1200 CE. They have a distinct language, culture, and history separate from the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The term "Native American" refers to the Indigenous peoples of the continental U.S., Alaska, and Canada.