Your Kupuna believed in their government, nation, universal justice and human rights.
Another reason why Hawai'i nationals should not support the insidious Akaka Bill besides it being a tool of U.S. WASP racist manifest destiny is foremost. In the Ku'e Petitions of 1897, our kupuna signed the protest against annexation to the U.S. For us to ignore their will; is to turn our backs on them; comply with the U.S. in ignoring their wishes; and to surrender our rights as subjects of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
Interesting fact is that U.S. Minister John Levitt Stevens was rewarded by the Committee of Safety comprised of U.S. Americans whom claimed to be Hawaiian Subjects that were set up as the Provisional Government. They melted down silver dollars to make a silver tea set to present to Stevens in gratitude for helping establishing them as the government of Hawaii and protecting them until they were secured in place and performing their duties without restraint or interference by the Hawaii nationals of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
It was then that David Turpie introduced his resolution in 31 May 1894 after the Morgan Report exonerated the U.S. and all those U.S. citizens involved in the overt actions against the Kingdom of Hawaii. The resolution stated that any interference of any U.S. official or any foreign country would be an unfriendly act against the United States. In other words, it would be an act of war against the U.S.A.
The saving grace of the Turpie Resolution was that Cleveland insisted in it phrasing a more democratic wording whereby the people of Hawai'i should wholly decide the form of governance and political polity. Thus in 1897, the Ku'e Petitions were initiated against the annexation to the U.S. and submitted to the U.S. Congress.
This, along with the Queen's formal protest and the Memorial caused U.S. Congress to reject the submission of the treaty of cessation/annexation by the republic of Hawai'i. The people's referendum/plebiesite spoke loudly and clearly as stated by the Turpie Resolution.
U.S. Rep. Ball stated that Congress did unlawfully what it couldn't do lawfully by passing the Newlands joint resolution to annex Hawaii. Many Congressmen agreed. The unlawful Resolution was passed by a mere majority rather than 2/3 majority vote demanded by the U.S. Constitution to ratify a treaty.
The short-lived victory by the Hawaiian subjects were dashed by racism and injustice. Their choice was ignored just as the Akaka Bill ignores the Hawaii nationals. Over 38,000 Hawaiian subjects became active and voiced their wishes. These were your kupuna that became acvtivists to have their voices heard.
Will you continue to deny them of their voice and turn your back on them? They fought for their country's independence; will you now strip that away from them and sell them out by giving up what they fought so hard to preserve? Will you aid and abet the U.S. and traitors to comply with the Akaka Bill and choose it over your kupuna? Or will you stand confident and proud as a subject of the Kingdom of Hawai'i?
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MLPA Initiative Violates American Indian Religious Freedom Act, UN Declaration
Published on May 26, 2010 - 8:03:15 AM
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By: Dan Bacher
May 26, 2010 - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative has brazenly violated the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, passed by the UN General Assembly in September 2007.
Passed by both houses of Congress, AIRFA became law on August 11, 1978, spurred by the American Indian Movement's Longest Walk from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. that year. The act recognized the "inherent right" of American citizens to religious freedom; admitted that in the past the U.S. government had not protected the religious freedom of American Indians; proclaimed the "indispensable and irreplaceable" role of religion "as an integral part of Indian life"; and called upon governmental agencies to "protect and preserve" for American Indians their inherent right to practice their traditional religions.
AIRFA states, "it shall be the policy of the United States to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites."
The MLPA process has violated this historic law by banning the Kashia Pomo Tribe from practicing their religion by gathering seaweed and shellfish and conducting ceremonies at their sacred site, Danaka, in northern Sonoma County. In the Kashia Pomo's creation story, Danaka (Stewarts Point) is the place where the tribe first walked on land.
The sacred site is located in a so-called "marine protected area" that was part of a package of reserves that the California Fish and Game Commission voted 3 to 2 for on August 5, 2009, in spite of vocal opposition by the tribe, fishermen and environmental justice advocates.
"They're interfering with our religion, the food that we lived off before the white man came," said tribal elder Violet Chappell during a blessing ceremony off Danaka on April 30, the day before the May 1 closure, hosted by landowner Arch Richardson.
The gathering on a bluff overlooking the ocean drew 145 people, including members of the Kashia Pomo and other California Indian Tribes, recreational anglers, seaweed harvesters and environmental justice advocates to thank and bless the ocean for the food it has provided to native peoples for thousands of years.
"We used this food every day – we call it health food," Chappell stated. "The food was created by our creator - we treated it with care and respect. We are here to say respect us for our food - don't close this area down because it's part of our religion."
"I don't think the Fish and Game Commission would be allowed to close down a Catholic Church, would they?" she asked.
Article 32, Section 2, of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People mandates "free prior and informed consent" in consultation with the indigenous population affected by a state action (http://www.iwgia.org/sw248.asp).
It also says, "States shall provide effective mechanisms for provention of, and redress for: Any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or resources."
Ken Wiseman, MLPA Initiative executive director, and the California Fish and Game Commission violated the UN declaration by never consulting with Kashia Pomo and other tribal leaders over the closure of a sacred site. They also provided no mechanism for redress of this grievance.
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in October 2009 passed a strongly worded resolution blasting the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process for failing to recognize the tribal subsistence, ceremonial and cultural rights of California Indian Tribes.
"The NCAI does hereby support the demand of the tribes of Northern California that the State of California enter into government to government consultations with these tribes; and that the State of California ensure the protection of tribal subsistence, ceremonial and cultural rights in the implementation of the state of Marine Life Protection Act," the resolution stated.
The MLPA, a law passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Gray Davis in 1999, has been hijacked by oil industry, real estate, marine development and other corporate interests under the Schwarzenegger administration. MLPA officials have completely taken water pollution, oil drilling, habitat destruction and other human uses of the ocean other than fishing in this bizarre parody of marine "protection."
Wiseman and his collaborators constantly claim that the MLPA process, funded privately by the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, is "open and transparent," but the only thing "open" about the initiative is how it has openly violated the American Indian Religious Freedom Act and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Not only has it broken these federal and international laws, but until recently MLPA officials openly defied the state of California's Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act and the First Amendment of the U.S.Constitution by barring reporters from covering "work sessions" of the process with video and audio recording equipment.
It was only after an outpouring of outrage by civil liberties advocates and journalists over the arrest of David Gurney, independent journalist, as he filmed an MLPA "work session" that Wiseman decided to finally obey the law.
For more information about the violation of indigenous subsistence, cultural and religious rights under the MLPA, go to: http://www.fishsniffer.com/forums/content.php?r=221 and Violet Wilder's facebook page, "KEEP THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BEACHES ACCESSIBLE FOR THE COASTAL TRIBES" (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105945012781743).
The action necessary is changing the mindset of believing the fiction to believing the facts. Dancing between the two status only confuses the boxes we are put in and in compliance to which is the proper box. It may be beneficial to play in their box and to break out of it once we're in it for present economic reasons but it becomes an uphill battle to re-establish our rightful status.
It is better to play in the right field than the wrong one which obfuscates the facts. I prefer to play in the correct box rather than pussy-foot in the wrong one. It's all about subjugation and begging alms from the "masters". One cannot place a fellow-sibling in the role as the child and the other as the parent; it's kids playing house with each other and daddy's clothes are over-sized for the one taking the role of the parent.
We are bona fide citizens of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and subject to our country; not someone else's country. Our na kupuna was very well aware of this and refused to live under a facade of lies.
I stand with my na Kupuna who voiced their choice through the Ku'e Petitions of 1897. their decision is my decision. E Hawai'i mau a mau.
Thank you for laying grounds on the reasons why the Akaka Bill is filled with 'dirty tricks' and have no bearing on life giving forces to women and children of Hawaii. In fact, it does just the opposite, but brings much legal connections to the already existing abuses and stolen lands in Hawaii. In my opinion, the present day Akaka Bill and it's political processes caused much genocide to the Hawaiian people and in this practice brought ownership for Na Kanaka working towards their own self-interest in the Akaka bill.
The very heart of the Ku'e Petition beat's NO TREATY OF ANNEXATION and both sides of my grandparents parents were sign'ees of the Ku'e Petition. I realized pre- Kamehameha Day June 12, 2010 that they did not vote for Statehood nor did they support anything that resembles a Plebiesite. Both grandparents borned into the Ku'e Petition understood the ramifications of their parents participation and continued their endeavors to whereas my parents too carried their sentiments. As I participated in the preparation for the signage on the lawn at the Iolani Palace, I was fortunate to discover many things and make connections for my own children and their children to continue this part of history long after I am gone.
I couldn't ask for anymore,but to say thankyou to the entire Independent Alliance and especially to both you and Pono Kealoha encouragement to participate even when it was stormy. Love you both
It is we that need to control our government and territory rightfully as a recognized nation-state that we are since prior to the U.S. invasion and unlawful occupation.