Posted by Free Hawai`i on January 25, 2009 at 9:00am
One week ago today on Sovereign Sunday, about forty brave Hawai`i National patriots faced down a large armed contingent of law enforcement officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources on `Iolani Palace grounds.Some of the officers wore camouflage uniforms – most were wearing bulletproof vests.Arrest of the assembled crowd was threatened.And for what? Performing Hawaiian cultural practices without a permit from the fake state of Hawai`i - raising the Kingdom flag, saying prayers over the ancient burial mound, and erecting small canopies to protect food brought.The patriots decided to proceed and risk arrest.In the end it was the fake state that blinked – making no arrests, officers confiscating the canopies and then backing off.The lesson? The Hawaiian Kingdom lives and the illegal US occupation is the paper tiger.A nation's gratitude goes out to those brave patriots who won the day.More and more are now stepping forward to ku`e, or take a stand. We've got two awesome examples for you this week right here on Voices Of Truth – One-On-One With Hawai`i’s Future.MONDAY, January 26th At 6:30 PM –Maui – Akaku, Channel 53"Carrier Of The Culture – A Visit With Sabra Kauka"Sabra shares about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC. and the phenomenal Ho`okahi Kapa - the contemporary kapa exhibit at Bishop Museum with incredible photos, as well as Nu`alolo Kai, an ancient Kaua`i valley left untouched for hundreds of years.MONDAY, January 26th At 7:00 PM & FRIDAY, January 30th At 5:30 PM -Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53THURSDAY, January 29th At 8:30 PM & FRIDAY, January 30th At 8:30 AM –Kaua`i – Ho`ike, Channel 52SATURDAY, January 31st At 8:00 PM –O`ahu, `Olelo, Channel 53“Vanity & Insanity – A Visit With Skippy Ioane”You never know what’s going to happen around Hawai`i Island activist and Hui Pu founder Skippy Ioane. Thrown off the steps of `Iolani Palace during our interview when he attempts to claim it as sovereign territory, Skippy offers his own unique insights about the illegal overthrow and US occupation, and tells us the single most important thing we can do today with ceded lands. Watch It Here.Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope you’ll be inspired to do the same.If you support our issues on the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network, please email this to a friend to help us continue. A donation today helps further our work. Every single penny counts.Donating is easy on our Voices Of Truth website via PayPal.You can watch Voices Of Truth anytime on the web.And for news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV, a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.
In all fairness to the law enforcement officers, they were very respectful towards us and tried to explain their situation of enforcing the rules, meanwhile giving us info on how to proceed with our activity and where they would be forced to step in. They even went so far to tell us how to get around a couple of the rules. I could tell they didn't really relish in what they were duty-bound to do. We did disagree on a few points.
What went through my mind is how DLNR and Kippen Chu must have been laughing about this situation of pitting us against the law enforcement officers who mostly were kanaka maoli. They were more between the rock and a hard place. We know Hawaiians always do their job well and what is asked of them. It's never easy to confront your own people when it seems unjust but are rules that their boss sets up that you have to honor.
What gets me is that they already knew we would be there before anyone arrived. I'm sure Kippen knew beforehand because Lynnette was given the key to the side-door for us to use the restrooms throughout the day. Surprisingly, so were the Law officials. Kippen also knew that the hui who sponsored the protocol also were given the kuleana to care for the burial mound, Pohukaina over ten years ago by Jim Bartel, the then administrator of the Friends of Iolani Palace. The ceremony of that area has been ongoing for close to thirty years. So it's no surprise for us being there. DLNR does not have the kuleana for Pohukaina since the hui was asked to maintain it. Despite the rules for not entering Pohukaina, the law officers allowed us entering it without interference. We were allowed to do everything except putting up the canopies which they confiscated. Our gathering is always open to the public including visitors that are curious and the food is offered to everyone including the law officers even though they declined.
So it does seem that Kippen and the DLNR have manipulated both the law enforcement officers and us at our observance at the Pohukaina area and the ahu. The news media also played a role in reporting the event. Kippen expressed that he thought there would be a demonstration and that it would get out of hand. Was he being an alarmist or manipulative to push a point against the native Hawaiians by profiling and applying character-assassination. Both he, the administrator and DLNR should be ashamed of themselves. From what I see, they are violating their constitution and the rights of the Hawaii nationals. It is they that have drawn the line and declared war against us and using our people against us in a divisive way.
Comments
What went through my mind is how DLNR and Kippen Chu must have been laughing about this situation of pitting us against the law enforcement officers who mostly were kanaka maoli. They were more between the rock and a hard place. We know Hawaiians always do their job well and what is asked of them. It's never easy to confront your own people when it seems unjust but are rules that their boss sets up that you have to honor.
What gets me is that they already knew we would be there before anyone arrived. I'm sure Kippen knew beforehand because Lynnette was given the key to the side-door for us to use the restrooms throughout the day. Surprisingly, so were the Law officials. Kippen also knew that the hui who sponsored the protocol also were given the kuleana to care for the burial mound, Pohukaina over ten years ago by Jim Bartel, the then administrator of the Friends of Iolani Palace. The ceremony of that area has been ongoing for close to thirty years. So it's no surprise for us being there. DLNR does not have the kuleana for Pohukaina since the hui was asked to maintain it. Despite the rules for not entering Pohukaina, the law officers allowed us entering it without interference. We were allowed to do everything except putting up the canopies which they confiscated. Our gathering is always open to the public including visitors that are curious and the food is offered to everyone including the law officers even though they declined.
So it does seem that Kippen and the DLNR have manipulated both the law enforcement officers and us at our observance at the Pohukaina area and the ahu. The news media also played a role in reporting the event. Kippen expressed that he thought there would be a demonstration and that it would get out of hand. Was he being an alarmist or manipulative to push a point against the native Hawaiians by profiling and applying character-assassination. Both he, the administrator and DLNR should be ashamed of themselves. From what I see, they are violating their constitution and the rights of the Hawaii nationals. It is they that have drawn the line and declared war against us and using our people against us in a divisive way.