This is clipping form Tane's Blog:I watched Mrs. Emma Nawahi as she arose to address the people. I have never heard two women talk in public in quite the same way. Would this Hawaiian women be embarrassed or timid, or self-conscious or assertive?Not any of these. Her manner had the simple directness that made Charlotte Perkins Stetson, two years ago, the most interesting speaker of the Women's congress. But Mrs. Stetson's pose is the most artistic of poses - a pretense of simplicity. This Hawaiian woman's thoughts were of her subjects, not of herself. There was an interesting impersonality about her delivery that kept my eyes fastened upon her while the interpreter at my side whispered his translation in short, detached phrases, hesitating now and then for a word, sometimes completing the thought with a gesture.""We are weak a people, we Hawaiians, and have no power unless we stand together." read Mrs. Nawahi frequently raising her eyes from her paper and at times altogether forgetting it."The United States is just - a land of liberty. The people there are the friends - the great friends of the weak. Let us tell them - let us show them that as they love their country and would suffer much before giving it up, so do we love our country, our Hawai'i, and pray that they do not take it from us."Our one hope is in standing firm - shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Surely that great country across the ocean must hear our cry. By uniting our voices the sound will be carried on so they must hear us."In this petition, which we offer for your signature today, you, women of Hawai'i, have a chance to speak your mind. The men's petition will be sent on by the men's club as soon as the loyal men of Honolulu have signed it. There is nothing underhand, nothing deceitful in our way - our only way - of fighting. Everybody will see and may know of our petition. We have nothing to conceal. We have right on our side. This land is ours -- our Hawai'i. Say, shall we lose our nationality? Shall we be annexed to the United States? "'A'ole loa. 'A'ole loa."Let us not forget our kupuna who signed Ku'e Petition! I was reading cuz's blogs who always write about our true history. It is he who has inspired me to persist! Our ancestors are calling YOU!I leave you with this thought. BE PROUD WHO YOU ARE AND PERSIST IN ALL THAT YOU DO! BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES BECAUSE OUR KUPUNA DID TOO!
Tane's blog post was very moving for me. It was because of it that I found the answer to a question in the back of my mind about my great-great grandfather, who had been a Royalist, a Marshall for the Kingdom under Kalakaua. I inherited his billy club with the royal insignia engraved on it. In the Ku'e petitions I found the signature of my great-great grandmother, but not his. Perhaps it is in the missing petition of the other 20,000 that Lili'u talks about. However, I am more inclined to think that since he was a government employee he would've stood to loose his job if he signed the petition. In this same posting, my grandmother's grand-uncle is interviewed. As a 50 percenter there was no doubt his allegiance to the Hawaiian Kingdom. His aloha for his nation, his Queen was unquestionable....as a descendent of po'e aloha aina, there is no oither choice for me but to KU I KA PONO.
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