UNIVERSITY OF HAWNJ LIBRARY FROM RESISTANCE TO AFFIRMATION, WE ARE WHO WE ...

244 Pages·2006·7.11 MB·English

UNIVERSITY OF HAWNJ LIBRARY
FROMRESISTANCE TO AFFIRMATION,
WEARE WHO WEWERE:
RECLAIMlNGNATIONAL IDENTITYIN THEHAWAllAN
SOVEREIGNTYMOVEMENT 1990- 2003
ADISSERTATIONSUBMITIEDTO THE GRADUATE DMSIONOFTHE
UNIVERSITYOFHAWAI'IINPARTlALFULFILLMENT OFTHE
REQUIREMENTS FORTHE DEGREE OF
DOCTOROFPHILOSPHY
IN
ANTHROPOLOGY
MAY2003
By
LynetteHi'ilaniCruz
DissertationCommittee:
BionGriffin,Chairperson
RobertBorofsky
AliceDewey
LeslieSponsel
JamesDator
Abstract
InmosttextsaboutHawaiianhistory, theHawaiianKingdom wasoverthrownin
1893. Hawai'i,as aresult, wasthengoverned firstbyaProvisionalGovernment,
thenbythe RepublicofHawai'i. Suchtexts furthernotethatin 1898,Hawai'i
wasannexedtotheUnited Statesand, subsequently, becamethe StateofHawai'i
through avote ofthepeoplein 1959.
Thisdissertationexamines Hawaiianhistoryfrom adifferentperspective,one
basedontheissue of'legality', andondocumentationthat surfacedinthe 1990s
thatchallengesthe UnitedStates' claimtoannexationofHawai'i. The illegality
ofthetakeoverbyhaole businessmen,the resistance ofQueenLili'uokalani and
her loyalsubjectstothetakeover, statementsbythen-PresidentGroverCleveland
referencingthe overthrowas an"ActofWar," inmanyways setthetone forthe
present-daysovereigntymovement.
Highlightedare someofthe activities withintheHawaiiansovereignty
movementduringthe 1990sandthefirst few yearsofthis centurythatare
turningpointsinthestrugglefor Hawaiiansovereignty. Identifiedspokespersons
forthemovementareextensivelycited, aswell as individualswith strongbut
thoughtfulopinions. Manyofthecitations used weregatheredand savedfrom
emailsorfrom relevantwebsites.
iii
Prophecy,andthe acknowledgementofspiritualityasa grounding force in a
unifiedmovement, is asignificantelement, and servestoremindactivists, and
especiallyHawaiianactivists, thatthe worktore-establishthenationcanonly
succeedifitisbasedinHawaiianculturalconceptsthatarepono(corrector in
properrelationship). Maintaining 'rightrelationships' betweenthepeople, the
heavens andtheearthisnecessaryto successfullycarryforward thereclaimed
Hawaiiannationandthe identityofthepeopleasHawaiiannationals, as the
Queendirecteda centuryago. Mostimportantly, itallowsthose involved inthe
struggleto seethemselves, notasvictims, butas mastersoftheirownfate.
IV
TableOfContents
Abstract .iii
Preface '" vii
ChapterI: Introduction l
Beginningwiththe Queen 1
Chapters..............................•..................................... 14
ChapterII: TheoryandMethodology 19
AHawaiianPerspective 39
ResearchingOnline- ContemporaryResearchMethods 45
ChapterIll: HawaiianSovereignty- AnIntroductionand Overview..... 48
WhatisSovereignty? 48
WhySovereignty?......................................................... 50
PoliticalSovereignty... 55
ChapterIV: SomeKeyPlayersinthe SovereigntyMovement 58
Kekuni Blaisdell............... 58
MililaniTrask............................................................... 65
Pu'uhonuaBumpyKanahele 70
PokaLaenui(akaHaydenBurgess) 76
ChapterV: ExpressionsofCultural Sovereignty...... 84
OfSacredTimesandSacredPlaces 84
KaLei MaileAli'i: TheQueen's Women 88
Allies 90
Kupa·a 91
JapaneseAmerican CitizensLeague 93
AmericanFriends ServiceCommittee- AQuaker-based
Organization 96
Ahupua'aActionAlliance 99
KanakamaolialliesDiscussionList 107
Chapter VI: ContentionWithinthe SovereigntyMovement: Federal
Recognitionvs. Independence .112
UnderstandingHawaiianHistory 116
SignificantActionsinthe Movement 124
PerfectTitleCompany 124
TheIssueof'CededLands' 138
OHA& Aluli, etalv. StateofHawai'iandHFDC 142
The JohnMarshCase: Marshv. CommissionerofInternal
Revenue Service 149
ChapterVII: Symbolsand ModesofResistance 155
Flags 155
T-shirts, Banners, Signs 164
Cultureas Resistance 165
ChapterVill: 1998-2003 168
TheHawaiianKingdominthe International Arena ".. 172
TheLivingNationWorkingGroup 179
v
ChapterIX: Thoughts aboutSignificance andAssessment 186
RediscoveryandRecovery '" ., 189
MourningandDreaming........... .............................. 192
ChapterX: InsideOutI Outside In 198
A Prophecy 198
AppendixA: AnAfterword 214
AppendixB: ChronologyofSignificantEventsintheHawaiianSovereignty
Movement 1990- 2003 " 224
Bibliography .,226
vi
Preface
Onehundredandtenyearsago, in 1893,Hawaiiansfound themselves ata
political,economicand culturalcrossroads, notthe firsttime inthehistoryofthis
independentnation. A gangofthieves, whitemenmasquerading as clever
businessmenandhonorable Christians, manyofthemdescendants of
missionaries, attemptedto stealthe Kingdom.
QueenLili'uokalani, herselfanastuteand well-educatedwoman, knewthata
timeofturmoil wascomingforthelittle Kingdom inthePacific. Shegathered
aroundherthose who heldthenationclosetotheirhearts, andmounteda
campaignofresistance, indefiance ofthe militarymightoftheUnited States.
Standingonhersecondfloorbalconyat'Iolani Palace, shecouldsee,fromthe
shortdistanceto HonoluluHarbor, the AmericanwarshipBoston,withits guns
pointedather, asembodyingthenation. Withthatveryrealthreatbefore her,
shemade a decisiononbehalfofherpeopleto steerthe courseofhistoryto
provideforHawaiiansofthe future anopportunityto regainwhatwouldbe
taken-acountry, a language, a memoryofnationhood, the freedom to beandto
remainHawaiiansubjectsthrougha processofnaturalpoliticalevolution.
TheQueenleftevidenceofherhandiworkhere andthere-stories, songs,
newspaperarticles,directionsfor gatheringpetitionsignaturesinprotestof
annexation,hostingofteapartiesinWashington, D.C. to win allies forthe
vii
Kingdom, letters, photos-and todayHawaiiansarebusilycollectingthebitsand
pieces leftthattell oftheirownhistory, andwhatwentdownin 1893 atthe so
calledoverthrowoftheHawaiianKingdom.
Todaythere is a large anddynamicmovementfurHawaiiansovereignty, much
ofitthe direct resultofHawaiians learningabouttheirhistory, andtakingupthe
bannerofthe Queen, whocontinuesto live intheminds andheartsofHawaiian
patriots. Thethrusttowardacquiringhistoric data, learning genealogyand
Hawaiianlanguage, reconnectingtothe spiritualmanainnature,andpracticing
cultureaspasseddownthroughthe generationscameaboutbecauseofthe
realizationthatthe indicesthatdescribeHawaiianstoday-mostinprison, most
onwelfare,highestmorbidityrate,worsthealth, leasteducated, most
economicallydepressed--stemfrom injuriesofacenturyago, injuries
compoundedandperpetuatedbyoccupationofthe Hawaiianhomelandbya
foreignnationthathascontinueduntilthisday.
Theresistance movementhassteadilygained ground since 1893,and especially
intheperiodfrom 1993to thepresent,because Hawaiianactivistsareno longer
reflectingonthemselvesas simplyvictims, asbeingthecauseoftheir own
disability. Rathertheyare seeingthemselves asevidenceofinjury. AsSkippy
Ioane,notedcomposerandmusicianofHawaiianresistancemusic writes,"we
arethe evidence,notthe crime."
viii
The movement grows strongerdaily as moreHawaiians cometounderstandtheir
history,reconnecttoancestors andspirituality,and as a result, expresstheirmana
through lovingandnurturingtheirphysicalenviromnent. Using Hawaiian
culturalconcepts,especiallyaloha(loveandrespect)andlculeana
(responsibility),as guides for behavior, Hawaiiansinstruggledailycommit
themselvestoeffortstowardrecovery.
Learning about andpracticinglegal strategieslaid out inHawaiianKingdom law
has empoweredtheordinaryHawaiiantoresistandto challengethe stateof
Hawai'i andtheUnitedStates, despitethepersonalandfinancial costs.
Hawaiiansoftoday, who haverecovereda legalandaccurate Hawaiianhistory,
knowthattheircostcanneverbemore thanwhatthe Queenpaid.
Itmightbefairto saythatthe"reason"forthe sovereigntymovementtodayisto
reconnectto whatis above andwhatisbelow-toallowthe manato flow from
heavento earth,from earthto heaven, throughthepeoplewhoare inright
relationshiptobothheavenandearth. Whenthe connectionis re-established,
whenbalanceis re-created,energywill flow andtheearthwillbecaredfor, all
ancestors will be acknowledged andthe Hawaiianpeoplewillthrive. The
movementfor Hawaiiansovereigntyismorethanjustto createapoliticalentity.
The movementisto create somesemblanceofbalanceinthe world ina waythat
wouldbringhonortotheQueenandperpetuateherlegacy.
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FROM RESISTANCE TO AFFIRMATION,WE ARE WHOWE WERE:
RECLAIMING NATIONAL IDENTITYIN THE HAWAIIAN
SOVEREIGNTYMOVEMENT
1990-2003
CHAPTERI
Introduction
Beginningwith the Queen
"Oh, honestAmericans, asChristianshearmefor mydowntroddenpeople! Theirform of
governmentisasdeartothemasyoursisasprecioustoyou. Quitewarmlyasyouloveyour
country, sotheylovetheirs. Withallyourgoodlypossessions. coveringaterritorysoImmensethat
thereyetremainparts unexplored, possessingislandsthat. althoughnewathand, hadtobe
neutralgroundintimeofwar, donotcovetthelittlevineyardofNaboth's. sofarfromyourshores,
lestthepunishmentofAhabfalluponyou. ifnotinyourday. inthatofyourchildren,for "benot
deceived, Godisnotmoclced"Thepeopletowhomyourfathers taldofthelivingGod andtaught
tocall"Father."andnowwhomthesonsnowseektodespoilanddestroy, arecryingaloudtoHim
intheirtimeoftrouble; andHewilllceepHispromise, andwilllistentothevoicesofHis
Hawaiian childrenlamentingfortheirhomes."
HerMajestyQueenLili'uokalant
TheConstitutionalQueenofTheHawaiianKingdom
1881-1893
In 1979,theworkinggroup called"Hawai'iLoaKulike Kakou" (All Hawai'i
StandTogether)invitedthe publictoparticipateinthe ThirdAnnual Queen
1
Lili'uokalaniCommemorativeCeremonyonthe 'IolaniPalacegrounds.l
Participants wereurgedto"bringyour 'ohana, hearthehistory, andfindoutwhat
isplannedtoremedythe outrageof1893." Theinvitationwasto continuethe
senseofpolitical solidarityofHawaiiansasapeopleunitedunderthe Queen,the
lastrulingHawaiianmonarch. Theconceptof'ohana,ofgatheringandlearningas
afamily, wascarriedoverfrom cultural practicesfrom time immemorial,
precedingeventhe Hawaiianmonarchy. 'Ohanawasthe foundation for both
culturalandpoliticalcontinuity, withthe responsibilityto ho'omau(continue
forever) as 'ohana,apracticethat continuedinpoliticalgatheringsandactivities
forthenextquartercentury. Inyearstofollow, publiceventsto celebrateculture,
tohonorancestors, torememberhistory,werethe meansbywhichthe 'ohana
passedwhatwas learnedto thenextgeneration.
YoungHawaiiansdiscoveredgapsinthehistoryofHawai'ithey learned in
school,aboutwrongsdonetotheHawaiiannationbyagentsofthe United States
actinginconcertwithsubjectsandtraitors ofthe HawaiianKingdom. Butthose
I MahealaniKamau'u,EXel:UtiveDirectorofNativeHawaiianLegalCorp.,sharedinatelephone
interviewonFebruary2003,herrecollectionsofthebeginningofHawai'iLoaKulikeKakou. In
theearly 1970sanorganizationcalledHomeRulewascreatedasanadvocacygroupfurHawaiian
rights. By 1974theUniversityofHawai'iLawSchoolgraduateditsfirstclassofHawaiian
attorneys,manyofwhombecameactiveintheHawaiianrightsmovement. HomeRule,which
includedasmembersF1'IIIlCisKauhane,DarrelAiona,DougIngandPaiGaldeira,advocatedfor
controloflandandnativeresourcesbyHawaiians. HomeRulelaterreorganizedastheCouncilof
HawaiianOrganizations,withmanyofthesamepeopleinvolved. Withinashorttimeasecond
group,HawaiiCoalitionofNativeClaimswascreatedwithKawalpunaPrejeanatthehelm,
WinonaRubin,BuzzyandJohnAgard,RandyKalabikiandotherswereactivemembers. By
1978thegroupaduptedastheirmottothewordsfromasongwrittenbyLikoMartin-Hawai'i
LoaKulikeKakou,AllHawaiiStandTogether. WbilecommemorativeeveatstohonortheQueen
hadalreadybegunasanannualcelebration,in 1979theorganizationfurmallyusedHawai'iLoa
KulikeKakouasarallyingcrytogatherallHawaiianstogetherundertheumbrellaofunity,and
beginningwiththatfirstevent,tofocusontheQueenasleaderfurthedurationofthestruggle.
2