Hawaiian royalty tee T-shirt red graphic designer screenprint size xl extra larg. Hawaiian royalty tee T-shirt red graphic designer screenprint size xl extra large alstyle Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono is a Hawaiian phrase, spoken by Kamehameha III, and adopted in 1959 as the state motto.[1] It is most commonly translated as "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."[2][3] An alternative translation, which appears at Thomas Square next to a statue of Kamehameha III, is "The sovereignty of the kingdom continues because we are righteous."[4] History[edit] This phrase was first spoken by Kamehameha III, the King of Hawaii, on July 31, 1843, on Thomas Square, Oʻahu, when the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hawaii was returned by the British through the restorative actions of Admiral Richard Darton Thomas, following the brief takeover by Lord George Paulet.[5] Today, the phrase is extensively used by both the state of Hawaii and by Hawaiian sovereignty activists.[6]