In Ancient Hawai'i, 'aikane relationships were same-sex relationships that were a common and accepted practice across all of the Hawaiian Islands. These relationships were particularly favored by the ali'i nui (kings), and were also mentioned in their legends.
 
When the Islands were colonized and Chrisianized by the Europeans, these relationships were swiftly outlawed, as it was deemed "sinful." Currently, the term 'aikane is referred to as someone who is a "close friend" to another, and has lost its original meaning.
 
It can be argued that it is a part of Hawaii's history that many want to forget, especially when considering the current conversations surrounding queer and same-sex relationships. Though Hawai'i has become one of the leaders in support for LGBTQ+ rights, the majority does not mean everyone.

The stories documented in this zine have come from a variety of journals, articles, and books. We can never truly be sure how certain these relationships were, as we must keep in mind both the lack of written language in the Ancient Hawaiian language, as well as the reliability of some of these European accounts.

But, out of all of the 'aikane relationships that have existed in Hawai'i, these are the most agreed upon.