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Hawaii. Swaying palm trees, beaches, warm weather, and beautiful people, what more could one ask for? These are the usual connotations that come to mind for those who solely see Hawaii as a vacation destination. Sure, it’s a beautiful place, home to a culture completely unique from the rest of the mainland US. However, the residents of Hawaii know all too well that there has been an ongoing battle between the US government and the Native Hawaiian people. But how could a place so seemingly perfect have such deep-seeded problems? Well this is where my story begins, so come on in and see what has lead Native Hawaiians in such a direction as to oppose the US government. Hele mai (come).
Believe it or not, Hawaii only recently received statehood in August 21, 1959, making this the 50th year that Hawaii has been a state. Although being the youngest and smallest of the 50, Hawaii has made up for it by being one of the only states to oppose the government of the US. Unlike the other 49, Hawaii was its own fully reigning monarchy before any type of American intervention took place. It was even recognized as a sovereign kingdom prior to the colonization and overthrow of the then ruling monarch, Queen Liliuokalani [3]. The Kingdom of Hawaii was also recognized and apart of the Universal Postal Union in 1885 which held a convention in Lisbon on March 21, 1885 as can be seen here [7]. Hawaii traded with such nations as China, England, and the US, numerous treaties were made between other nations like Italy, France, Russia, and Spain [3].
...Place yourself in the shoes of one of these Native Hawaiian citizens. Imagine being a nation free from outside governments like the US. You have complete trust and faith in your small nation; after all, you have no foreign enemies to worry about…
Queen Liliuokalani was the final monarch to rule over the Kingdom of Hawaii. She ascended to the throne after the death of her brother, Kind David Kalakaua on January 21, 1891. Unlike women before her, Lili’u (as she was nicknamed) possessed strength and leadership abilities far beyond her time. She sought to bring back power to the Hawaiian people and the Hawaiian monarchy that was slowly slipping away and into the hands of the US government [8]. The “Bayonet Constitution” signed by her brother just four years earlier had limited the power of the Hawaiian Monarchy significantly [9]. With most of the governing power over the Hawaiian Monarchy in the hands of cabinet members, Lili’u brought it upon herself to reinstate a new constitution for Hawaii that would redistribute power back to the monarchy [10]. Unfortunately the cabinet and American individuals in power thought differently. In 1893, two short years after she came into power as Queen, Lili’u was forcefully overthrown and made to yield her power [8]. In her statement: “. . . Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands [8].” it was clear that she sought power to be reinstated back to her in what she hoped to be the near future. And it is this event and idea that is the primary basis for the “Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement.”
The Bayonet Constitution was enacted in 1887 by King Kalakaua. This constitution was coined “Bayonet Constitution” because it was imposed on Kalakaua at gun point. By enacting this constitution into law, the ruling Hawaiian monarchs no longer had any political power and were instead seen as figureheads [8]. Not only was power stripped from the current rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii, but from the native Hawaiian people as well. Voting rights were given to non-citizens (residents of Europe and America) therefore eliminating any majority vote Native Hawaiians had in the legislature. It also made it necessary for voters to meet certain property ownership and income requirements [9]. By doing so, about 2/3 of the previously eligible Hawaiians were excluded from voting [9].
…Now, imagine if you were one of these citizens of the Kingdom of Hawaii. You were no longer able to vote upon the enactment of the “Bayonet Constitution,” but the Americans living in downtown Honolulu were allowed to. No longer was the future and power in the hands of you and your fellow citizens, but in a foreigner’s. How was he supposed to know what was best for Hawaii and its people?...
For many Native Hawaiians, the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy is the turning point that is responsible for fueling the ideas and drive for sovereignty. Unfortunately, this “movement” has gotten a bad reputation due in large part to misunderstanding and representation. Currently there are many different Hawaiian activist groups, all of which have varying aims as to what they ultimately want to accomplish for the Hawaiian people. While the main goal of sovereignty is the same, some of these groups are more extreme than others, and it is this lack of unity that has led to multiple ideas as to what Native Hawaiians mean and want with regards to sovereignty.
When asked about the "Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement," there is no straight answer as to what it is and what it encompasses. This is because there are many differing movements, feelings, and ideas, associated under this one large umbrella known as the "Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement."
It is up to each individual to seek out the available information and become self informed rather than relying on stereotypes. Hawaiian Sovereignty is an issue that is far deeper than the idea of Native Hawaiians wanting complete separation from the US; it is about the land and the connection these indigenous people have with it.
Some activist groups like the Institute for the Advancement of Hawaiian Affairs lead by Poka Laenui (Hayden Burgess) and Ka Pakaukau lead by Kekuni Blaisdell seek to have complete Hawaiian independence from America with their own government [2]. These groups are leaders in the extreme view that the only way the great injustice suffered in the 1800s can be “corrected” is by allowing Hawaii to reestablish their former sovereign nation.
One such follower and believer in the complete separation of the Hawaiian people from the US government is ‘Bumpy’ Kanahele. Once known as a Hawaiian activist that was “the most militant,” today Bumpy has put his protesting days aside in exchange for land in the foothills of Waimanalo; his “Refuge of Waimanalo.” [1] In 1994, Bumpy Kanahele created a small village where the practice of Hawaiian Sovereignty isn’t merely a dream, but a full on reality. Pu’uhonua o Waimanalo (“Refuge of Waimanalo”) consists of 80 individuals (all of native Hawaiian descent) living on 45 acres of land. Everything that now exists here was hand built and created by its citizens without help or regulations by the government. Here the community practices and lives completely independent of the outside US government; they even have full reign no how to govern themselves. The children in Pu’uhonua o Waimanalo are taught traditional Hawaiian skills from fishing and hunting to learning the Hawaiian language and the uses of native plants. By carving out this single “oasis” where Hawaiian Sovereignty is able to thrive and practice in today’s world has been a huge achievement for Bumpy as well as for the rest of the Hawaiian community. As Kanahele’s former neighbor states, “I didn't think it could happen myself, but people like Bumpy made us see it could. The proof is here. Bumpy stuck his neck out. I thought they were going to chop it. Now there's a village in the mountains [1]."
Since the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement started in the 1970s, it has increased in its popularity amongst the Hawaiian people to the extent that local political leaders support some version of this movement. For example, the “Akaka Bill” is focused on giving Hawaiians the same rights as some American Indians and Native Alaskans. However, activists like Kanahele do not support the Akaka Bill. They feel that rather than improving their situation, the Akaka Bill will forever strip the Hawaiian people any chance they have of obtaining sovereignty. While in theory this bill seems like it could only be benefitial, in reality, the bill will strip any autonomy away from the Hawaiian people, therefore signaling the end and legitimizing the overthrow of 1893 [12].
On the other side of the spectrum, there are groups such as Ka Lahui Hawaii lead by Haunani-Kay Trask. These groups still want to maintain their US citizenship, but do want some sort of justice in the form of “suing the US for reparations and an official apology[2].” Ka Lahui Hawaii was established in 1987 and is working on forming their own sovereign Hawaiian nation while still remaining US citizens. Currently there are 8,000 citizens of Ka Lahui Hawaii who all share the same view of sovereignty as defined by their website:
The five elements of sovereignty are:
- A strong and Abiding Faith in the Akua;
- A people with a common culture;
- A land base;
- A govermnent structure;
- An economic base.
Sovereignty is the ability of a people who share a common culture, religion, language, value system and land base, to exercise control over their lands and lives, independent of other nations. Self-sufficiency is the goal of nationhood. Self-sufficiency means the people are able to be self-supporting, capable of feeding, clothing and sheltering themselves. It means that they are the motive force for their own farming and pastoral projects [11].
It is their goal and belief that native Hawaiians should be granted the same rights as that of the Native American groups (Indian tribes) where they are allowed to form their own self-governing body while still maintaining US citizenship. This in turn would mean that Native Hawaiians could then be part of two distinct constitutions; the US constitution as well as the constitution of Ka Lahui Hawaii. By enabling Hawaiians to create their own “nation within a nation,” Native Hawaiians will be able to self-govern over their land and culture [11].
Upon researching this topic of ‘Hawaiian Sovereignty.’ I found myself often times left confused and unsure of the future of the Native Hawaiian people. Maybe the only way of progressing is through the Akaka Bill, which would therefore group Hawaiians along with much of the Native Alaskans and American Indians. However, after I was able to interview one of my “hula sisters” (hula classmate) I realized that by allowing the Akaka Bill to be instated would be a great insult to the Native Hawaiians. Although the interview I conducted was purely over email, the thought and message conveyed through her responses allowed me to better understand the importance of sovereignty for the Hawaiian people. In one statement that particularly stood out to me, she said,
“For me the main thing to remember is that we shouldn’t think that we only get one choice, one chance, and that what we choose now will have to last us until forever. Each generation will, and should, decide its own course. But we should always be aware of our collective health and that of the land, and always working to improve our situation and regain control of our ‘aina and our society [14].”
Like so many indigenous groups, Hawaiians have a unique bond and relationship with the land (‘aina). By allowing the US government to strip and take away this land leaves the Hawaiian people without the base that their whole culture is rooted in. Having danced hula since the age of 5, I have grown to respect and see the land we live on as not a mere resource, but as a providing and sustaining entity to our society. Everything I learned in hula was taught with the ‘aina in mind. A simple task of making lei involves us being conscious of how much we are taking and for what purpose it is to be used. But this consciousness does not stop there, after a lei is worn, it must be returned to the land where it came from, rather than carelessly being disposed of in a trashcan. The lei instead is hung from a tree and allowed to decompose, to finish its cycle. It is small practices like these that make the Hawaiian culture so tied to the land and therefore unique.
Ceded lands, are the lands that were previously owned and governed by the Hawaiian Monarchy before the overthrow of 1893 [4]. While there are many different issues that are important and apart of Hawaiian Sovereignty, the issue of ceded lands is by far one of the most well known and recurrent. Recently, on January 31, 2008, the government of Hawaii took the issue of being able to sell ceded lands into the Hawaii Supreme Court [4]. The government stated that they have the right to sell and manage ceded lands, but greatly opposing them were the Native Hawaiians and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) [4]. The 1.8 million acres up for question has been long debated over. But as of January 31, 2008, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that these ceded lands are not to be sold until “the claims of Native Hawaiians to the property have been resolved [4].”
The reason for such an ongoing debate is due to the 1993 Apology Resolution signed by former President Clinton. This resolution was the long awaited official apology to the Hawaiian people stating, “Whereas, the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum.Whereas, the health and well-being of the Native Hawaiian people is intrinsically tied to their deep feelings and attachment to the land [13].” However, since it’s official signing, this Apology Resolution has made the debate over ceded lands that much more confusing. The hope of OHA and the Hawaiian people is that the Apology Resolution negates the affects of the Admission Act of 1959. The Admissions Act was enacted upon the statehood of Hawaii [5]. In a web post for the Hawaii Legal News, the author states that the Admission Act is still in effect based on a March 2009 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States. Through the Admissions act, the state of Hawaii is allowed to manage and sell ceded lands as long they are being used for “the betterment of Native Hawaiians, developing home ownership, and public education [5].”
It goes without saying that this ruling appalls many Native Hawaiians, and they have their reasons. The unfortunate truth is that much of the population that is 50% or more Native Hawaiian (about 20% of the estimated 240,000 Hawaiians) “fare poorest in almost all socioeconomic indicators [1].” Many are in jail, homeless, school dropouts, unemployed, and terminally ill [1]. If the state were truly using ceded lands for the betterment of the Hawaiian people, one would expect it to be reflected in the statistics of that ethnic group. Unfortunately that is not the case for the Native Hawaiians, their land is constantly being taken away while they as a people sink lower and lower on the socioeconomic ladder.
As Americans not familiar with the culture of Hawaii, I feel that it is not our place to decide how these lands are distributed and used, rather this right should be granted to the rightful owners of the land; the Native Hawaiians. Action needs to be taken soon to better the livelihood of both the Hawaiian people and their land. “We live on the land, we eat the land, we are the land, and both we and the land are suffering [14].” |