By Keanu Gututala
If you have visited Hawai`i in the past year, you are one of the approximated seven million tourists who have enjoyed the tropical paradise of Hawaii.
This land, where tourists attend “luaus,” learn to surf and tan on beautiful beaches, is so much more than a destination for vacationing and escaping from the scrutiny and activity of the world. Hawai`i is a region profound in culture and history, a history that is unfortunately often one of deceit and disrespect.
Hawai`i became a territory of America in 1898, and although it has been immersed into the US political system as a state, this annexation was blatantly illegal. Hawai`i continues to exist as a sovereign nation under international law, and deserves recognition and respect for this exact reason.
The history of Hawai`i’s independence goes back to Kalani Kauikeauoli, also known as King Kamehameha III, the third king of Hawai`i, who sought out sovereignty for his country.
To attain sovereignty at that time, as Hawaiian historian Keanu Sai remarks, other sovereign, or independent states had to be recognized. “This system came to be called the ‘Family of Nations,’” he said. “[This] is the international system still in place today.”
By understanding this system, Kauikeauoli sent three envoys on Apr. 8, 1842 to Europe and the US to gain formal recognition from the U.S., France and Great Britain.
The three envoys consisted of William Richards, Timeoteo Ha’alilo and Sir George Simpson who were the advisors of the king.
These envoys soon achieved their goal in Europe when both Britain and France jointly granted Hawai`i formal recognition and pledged never to take possession of Hawai`i in the Anglo-Franco proclamation of Nov. 28, 1843.
The same goal was achieved with the US President Tyler assuring the envoy that the US would recognize Hawai`i but needed Congress to approve, which eventually occurred in 1849 with this recognition put into writing. Thus, the Hawaiian Kingdom joined the “family of nations,” becoming a sovereign country under international law.
The Kingdom of Hawai`i would soon be stripped from Hawaii 50 years after it’s recognition because of the economic interests of white businessmen who slowly took over the islands’ government.
These sugar industry businessmen were part of a secret group called the Hawaiian League, who pledged to keep secret its existence and whose purpose of the league was to protect the white community of this Kingdom.
This new Hawaiian League would come into effect in 1887 during the reign of King Kalakaua, the seventh king of Hawai`i, who was violently forced to sign the Bayonet constitution by the Hawaiian League.
This new constitution diminished the powers of the monarch and gave the right to Europeans and Americans to vote.
Through the Bayonet constitution, the Hawaiian League foreshadowed its hidden goal to annex Hawai`i to the US. This would occur soon after the death of King Kalakaua in 1891 and the ascent of his sister Queen Lili`uokalani, the last monarch of Hawai`i, to the throne.
Lili`uokalani was a queen with a strong character and knew that she had to form a new constitution that would restore some of her power back to her and her people.
The queen had finally drafted a new constitution, but on Jan. 16, 1893, the day that Queen Lili`uoklani was to instate this new constitution, the Hawaiian League had the sailors and marines of the USS Boston take up quarters in the yard across from the royal Hawaiian palace.
These sailors and marines acted at the request of John L. Stevens, US Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii and member of the Hawaiian League, but without the knowledge or authorization of the Congress or the President.
The next day, Jan. 17, 1893, the conspirators read a proclamation declaring that the Hawaiian monarchy government was abrogated and replaced by a de facto provisional government.
The overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom led to a US investigation known as the James Blount report, a 1,400 page report that described the overthrow as illegal and demanded the reinstatement of Lili`uokalani.
This failed to happen because Congress and the rest of the US were proponents of Hawaiian annexation. Eventually, the US would pass the Newlands Resolution to annex Hawai`i in 1898 because it was seen as necessary for military purposes in the Spanish-American War.
The Newlands resolution was a joint resolution internal to the US and did not apply to a foreign country like a treaty of annexation would do.
According to international law, the encapsulation of any foreign country requires a treaty of annexation, proving that the existence of a Hawaiian kingdom exists under current international law.
So the next time you take a visit to Hawai`i all I ask is that you become aware of the nation that stands under your feet and be respectful of the culture and struggle that continues to exist.
Comments
Wow! What a beautifully composed letter, if only this were a mandatory inclusion in malihini literature on in-bound flights. Mahalo to Keanu Gututala for such touching prose.