The Ku`e Petitions were set in motion during a very delicate time in our history of Hawaiian consciousness. It was the beginning of our Hawaiian Nation having a voice and being able to put a name to that voice. This was the beginning of our entire nation taking a stand against colonialism, being subjected to foreign domination and exploitation of another people or country. The petitions were an aggressive campaign organized by the Kanaka Maoli for the opposition of the annexation of our Hawaiian Nation by the United States in 1898.The main basis of the Ku’e Petitions was to unify all Kanaka Maoli as progenies of the people who audaciously signed their names in unanimity more than a century and a half ago to secure our continued existence as an independent sovereign nation forever.
This mo`olelo of the Ku`e petitions and of the lahui that organized it changes the original train of thought that the Kanaka Maoli passively accepted the forceful and unlawful occupation of our sovereign Hawaiian nation .The story of annexation starts from Lili`uokalani’s overthrow and extending to the U.S. military occupation in 1898. Aloha `aina was the cornerstone of resistance at this inauspicious time. It articulated the desire that mak`ainana and ali`i shared for self-government as opposed to government by the colonial oligarchy of the United States of America. At the time, self-government necessarily took the form of nationhood, but aloha `aina embraces more than nationalism and is not an exact fit with the English word “patriotism.” Where nationalism and patriotism tend to exalt the merits of a people or nationality, aloha `aina promotes land. It refers to the appreciation of the splendor, but aloha `aina goes beyond love of beauty.
Another important fact that leas up to the Ku`e Petitions very existence was during the time that King Kalakaua reigned when descendants of missionaries and other settler from the United States and Europe, pressured the king for a reciprocity treaty with the United States of America so that they could sell their sugar to the large U.S. market duty-free. King Kalakaua tried to win the support of the lahui while facing continual conflict with the haoles, who was convinced of their superiority and who were determined to govern over the Kanaka Maoli. Although the missionaries had originally focused on converting souls, their main objective changed to focusing on fulfilling key positions in the government and instructed and advised the alii in all matters having to do with Western forms of politics and economy. Eventually, faced with stubbornness and what they saw as regression to a savage culture on the part of the moi they seized control of the government away from King David Kalakaua by forcing the Bayonet Constitution upon him in 1887.
Unfortunately, this stripped King Kalakaua of his executive powers and disenfranchises the Kanaka Maoli voters who are not wealthy. This was accomplished by terminating the executive powers of the sovereign, and giving those powers to the cabinet; by making the cabinet voting members in the House of Nobles and allowing the legislature to discharge any cabinet with a simple majority vote; by providing that Americans or European foreigners no longer had to become naturalized citizens in order to vote; and, finally, by creating a “special electorate” comprised of men of Hawaiian or European ancestry who could read Hawaiian, English, or any European language, and who also possessed property worth at least three thousand dollars or who had an annual income of at least six hundred dollars.
This would be the first time that democratic rights were determined by race in any Hawaiian constitution. Indeed, it meant that wealthy white foreigners could vote and working-class maka’ainana and Asian immigrants could not. Kanaka Maoli would go on to refer to this as the Bayonet Constitution because it was initiated by force of guns rather than through any democratic constitutional process.
In 1893 the unlawful overthrow of Queen Lili`uokalani’s government by the Provisional Government was supported by the U.S. Marines, stemming from Queen Lili`uokalani’s attempts to promulgate a constitution that restores executive power and re-enfranchises the Kanaka Maoli voters. This was an ongoing struggle for the Queen and her Hawaiian subjects since the forceful imposition of the Bayonet Constitution of 1887. Subsequently this is the beginning of the Hui Aloha `Aina for Men and for Women which was organized to support Queen Liliuokalani and to oppose the annexation to the United States of America1. Joseph Nawahi was president of the men’s branch which consisted of 7500 supporters and Mrs. Abigail Kuaihelani Maipinepine Campbell was president of the women’s branch which consisted of 11,000 at that time.
The beginning of the Ku`e petitions starts with the fortified efforts of three historic organizations. The Hui Aloha Aina for Women, the Hui Aloha Aina for Men, and the Hui Kalai`aina formed a league to oppose the treaty. These three groups represented a majority of the Kanaka Maoli. Hui Kalai`aina had originally been formed because of the Bayonet Constitution of 1887. This helped to develop a vehicle for Kanaka Maoli political power. The two Hui Aloha Aina leagues were established just after the overthrow in 18931. Queen Liliu'okalani urged the three main hui behind the petition drive - the Hui Aloha Aina for men, the Hui Aloha Aina for women and Hui Kalai Aina - to work together in drawing up a petition and to send it to Washington D.C.
The men and women of the Hui Aloha ‘Aina, through the efforts of many loyal and dedicated Hawaiian subjects, launched a full scale petition drive that lasted approximately two months. They went from island to island, from shore to shore, leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to document opposition to the proposed treaty. The petition was printed in both Hawaiian and English.
The Ku`e petitions was organized first by island. The women's petitions within each island are first, divided into districts. The men's petitions are organized, divided into districts as well. During the duress task of securing these petition signatures there were several key players in the fortifying this crucial document. One of them was Mrs. Laura Mahelona who went to Kona and Ka‘u, by way of steamer mail boats that would go to every village once a week or so and deliver the mail. Mrs. Mahelona, along with a group of volunteer’s and because of their tireless efforts by November of 1897 had successfully gathered the signatures and support of over 21,000 patriots. In a joint effort, the Hui Kalai‘aina also gathered through their petition drive nearly 17,000 signatures. Together there were over 38,000 signatures; representing ninety-five percent of the Native Hawaiian population. The estimated population at that time of Kanaka Maoli was 40,000.
The petition clearly stated the intentions of all Native Hawaiians, Hawaiian subjects, men, women and children that sought out the petitions. “We, the undersigned, native Hawaiian subjects and residents who are members of the Hawaiian Patriotic League of the Hawaiian Islands, and other citizens who are in sympathy with the league, earnestly protest against the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States of America in any form or shape.”
Hui Aloha Aina challenged the misleading manipulations of United States colonization by presenting solid evidence of the determination of the people against annexation in these petitions. Throughout that struggle, the president of Hui Aloha 'Aina, James Keauiluna Kaulia, said, "Mai makau, e kupaa ma ke aloha i ka aina, a e lokahi ma ka manao, e kue loa aku i ka hoohui ia o Hawaii me Amerika a hiki i ke aloha aina hope loa." "Do not be afraid, be steadfast in aloha for your land and be united in thought Protest forever the annexation of Hawai'i until the very last aloha 'aina."
Kanaka Maoli, unfortunately truly believed that the United States of America’s government was loyal to their stated principles of justice and of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. They believed that once the President of the United States of America with the members of Congress saw that the majority of Native Hawaiian people opposed the annexation, the principles of fairness would triumph and their Native Hawaiian government would be reinstated.
Divergent to the impression created by colonial historians the Kanaka Maoli were neither silent nor submissive during the course of these events. They boisterously and in systematized ways protested every intrusion upon their rights, lands and their way of life. During the life and times of the Ku`e Petitions each and every Hawaiian made it known that they were steadfast in their fight to regain Hawaii for their people and the Queen. Hawaii has unquestionably been controlled by United States of America for a century and a half, our people and resources vanquished and exploited.
Kanaka Maoli’s continue to protest till today. We continue to support the viewpoint that we have never relinquished our national sovereignty. As Ke Aloha A`ina said the day after the annexation ceremony ,” E kupaa mau a hiki i ke kanaka Hawaii hope loa, no ke Ea o ko kakou aina aloha.”(1898 Aug, 13).”Always stand fast, down to the very last Hawaiian person, for the Sovereignty of our beloved land1.” Kanaka Maoli’s have been working tirelessly on state, national, and international stages to have our existence as a nation re-recognized.
The Ku`e petitions were instrumental in restoring the truth that our kupuna fought so hard to ensure for our people, culture, and our nation. Our kupunas specific actions to correct the wrongs of their time instill us with the consciousness to correct ours. Our generation has much to learn from our courageous kupunas. We need to continue the preservation of our living culture for a successful sovereign nation.
Kanaka Maoli continues to resist and protest every intrusion upon their inherent rights to keep our language, cultural traditions, identity, sovereignty and the land itself, alive. The main significance of the petitions was to unite all Kanaka Maoli as progenies of the people who boldly signed their names in agreement about a century and a half ago to protect our continued existence as an independent and sovereign nation forever. Now, we will never forget!
I have to give recognition where it is due. I was not able to write about the impact that the Ku`e Petitions have made on our consciousness of Life, Love & Complete Understanding of what it means to be " Kanaka Ma`oli" Without the expert knowledge and extensive research that was done by several key individuals like Noenoe Silva, Jonathan Osorio & Keanu Sai to name a few. This is essentially my Mana`o of this important time in our Hawaiian history. Mahalo Ke Akua!
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