U.S. Army Native Hawaiian Covenant
TRAITORS WHO SOLD THEIR OUT THEIR NATION ,OHANA, and SOULS!
Aloha e Annelle, This is Kawehi Kanui, Po'o Hewahewanui 'Ohana Council, sends greetings and aloha, The Native Hawaiian Advisory Council and the US military has shown it's true colors in the military issues as you are used to block and prevent the Restoration of Our government, according to the Cleveland-Liliuokalani agreement, purposefully hinders our struggle for independence and causes confusion, soon to be cleared up through education of our people. Forty years ago, our movement started with 12 people, today the numbers are more closely to 12,000 and growing in America and the world. At a meeting held last night in Waimanalo we came to these decisions regarding the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council and it's role with the US Army Hawai'i, that signed a, Covenant and what that means for allowing the Rimpac exercises, of the united 14 countries to destroy our cultural sites in the water and on the lands. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON ALL OF YOU for violating international laws of a neutral country according to Treaties, Constitution (1864), Conventions and Hawaiian laws. Below are our points of contention. First, We call for the HALT to these RIMPAC exercises because it will have a negative damaging affect on our cultural resources; lands, water, reef, fish life and heiau in the waters. (Who is monitoring this exercise to guarantee that all these things will not be harmed? Who is going to pay?) We insist that the US military use high tech military equipment to train their men instead of using our lands, waters and people against us, not to mention wasting taxpayers monies "to practice" for wars that invade, kill and mame innocent people. Second, The Covenant signed by the US Army Military and the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council is just paper without weight and used against us in a psychological scheme to dupe the Hawaiians into believing that this foreign military would be better caretakers for our aina, wai and kai... we also, do not agree in your choices of Hawaiians to "represent" our voices...they do not believe in what we believe and they certainly do not represent our community or speak for us and as far as we are concerned, these individuals are proud Americans and that is a conflict of interest making your Covenant a non-issue. Thirdly, The arrogance of those who signed the Covenant with the military who refuses to listen to the people in Makua, when they said, "stop the bombings and live fire in the valley and pack it up", still the military turns a deaf ear and blind eye to what our people are meaning when they say, "Stop military use in Makua Valley" instead, the military plans to start up their live firing on August 31st, and to all of these issues your group remains silent, is deafening to our people. Fourthly, the US military is asking for more land. They should not be given an inch until they clean up the oceans, lands and dumpings they have left on our lands that have polluted and is causing further desecration to our oceans, fish ponds, Kauhale sites, iwi kupuna, sacred sites and lo'i lands ruining the lives and livelihoods of our people/ancestors past and present not to mention the medias promotion and usurpation of our young people's future to fight your wars for the multinational corporations who are the exploiters of our lands, while our people are; homeless, on drugs, uneducated, unemployed and in prison. We need every inch for our people, businesses and play areas. They have first priority, not the US Military, in Hawai'i. Fifthly, we call for a moratorium of foreigners wanting to live in our lands, without our permission, because we are an island with limited water, resources and infrastructure. STOP all foreigners from moving to Hawai'i to feed into the Ewa plans of expansion to 80,000 more people by 2014, is irresponsible, short sighted and is based on money and greed. Sixth, we call upon another moratorium towards ending all construction in Hawai'i such as the Rail Project from receiving 5.5 million dollars, but to give it to the re-education, re-tooling and restructuring of the economic needs of Hawai'i with a group looking into economic community development plans. Inspite of our differences, our relationship right now is for the protection of our people who met and agreed that I write to you and to prepare your for a real live protest demonstration. Know that we do come in peace, with our flags, banners and chanters. We expect you to relay this letter to your superiors so they can prepare to behave as adults. In closing we protest the RIMPAC exercises, IN PEACE, and ask that you respect our ancestors and 'ohana rights held in Hawaiian law and seek your assistance for a peaceful protest. My number is above. Onipa'a, Kawehiokalaninui-I-iamamao Kanui
KU I KA PONO
U.S. Army Native Hawaiian Covenant
Signing Ceremony – March 24, 2010
Remarks by Neil J. Kaho`okele Hannahs
Aloha mai käkou mai ka puka `ana a i ke kau `ana o ka lä. I extend greetings to
all from the rising to the setting of the sun.
Aloha e Ke Akua. Aloha e nä `aumakua. Aloha e na’li`i. Aloha e nä küpuna, i ke
alaka`i mau `ana mai iä käkou i ke ala pono. Greetings to our God, guardian spirits,
chiefs and ancestors who forever guide us along the righteous path.
Aloha e nä alihikaua o nä koa, i ho`omalu `ana iä ko käkou kü`oko`a. Greetings
to the leaders of the warriors who protect our freedom.
Aloha e nä pulapula o nëia `äina…nä kama`äina, nä kupa `äina, a me nä malihini
o këia `äina nani kamaha`o. Aloha mai käkou päkahi a pau. Greetings to the
descendents of this land… the native born, citizens and visitors of this wondrous place.
Greetings to each and every one of you.
The invitation for me to deliver these brief remarks on behalf of kanaka maoli
presents both an honor and a challenge.
Being singled out from among the many capable leaders of our Hawaiian
community reflects a deeply appreciated level of faith in my ability to convey a message
that is representative, meaningful and befitting of this significant occasion.
2
Mahalo Colonel Margotta for entrusting me with your confidence and for your
determination to establish a Covenant that aspires to promote a mutually respectful
relationship between the United States Army and the host community of Hawai`i.
Having expressed my gratitude, it is now necessary to explain my trepidation. In
my humble opinion, any notion suggesting that Hawaiians should think, speak and act
as one fails to grasp that diversity of thought is not only beneficial, but essential to our
survival.
It has been said that where all think alike, none thinks very much. In that light, the
wide range of views that kanaka maoli may have on any given issue is not a sign of a
people who are divided, but rather a healthy indicator of a people who have avoided the
trap of “group think” that would:
• confine our thinking,
• stifle our evolution and
• jeopardize our continuing existence.
Kanaka maoli attitudes toward the U.S. military reflect the philosophical and
emotional breadth of our storied, and at times tumultuous past.
Just as there are kanaka maoli who remain embittered that America’s military
presence played a role in the overthrow of our Queen, there are others who owe their
livelihood and the support of their `ohana to military related employment opportunities.
3
Just as there are Hawaiians who mourn the insensitive destruction of wahi pana and
sacred landscapes, there are those who partner with the Army in restoring endangered
natural and cultural resources.
Just as there are kanaka maoli who seek to re-assert our sovereignty, there are
others who heroically sacrificed their life on the altar of freedom in the name of the
United States of America.
It is indeed difficult for one individual to speak on behalf of a community that has
lived through such a complex spectrum of experience. I am more confident that I can
do reasonable justice to representing the collective efforts of the dedicated kanaka
maoli leaders who assembled at the behest of Colonel Margotta in an effort to build the
foundation for improved understanding and interaction between the Army and the
Native Hawaiian community.
It is a Council comprised of:
• life-long servant leaders of Hawaiian organizations;
• decorated veterans;
• cultural practitioners;
• entrepreneurs;
• resource managers; and
• ministers to our spiritual needs
• …alaka`i, koa, kumu, konohiki and kahu.
4
The Covenant to be signed this day reflects the personality of Council members who
pair:
• courage to pursue redress for injustice and resolve to malama our `äina, with
• an abiding faith in the role pro-active education and constructive dialogue can
play in diminishing conflict and achieving diplomatic resolution of disputes.
I would like to ask that those present from this Council now stand so that our
audience might recognize their efforts.
As you can see, we would be more accurately described as a squad, than an army.
Time will tell whether our actions may someday affirm the observation of Margaret
Mead, who once advised that we should, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
As members of kanaka maoli `ohana who have endured events that pushed our
culture to the brink of extinction, we are dedicated to remember our past and perpetuate
our traditions. But we realize that it is equally important to turn our focus toward the
horizon and navigate our way to a world in which relationships and outcomes are as we
would wish them to be.
Much of the Covenant discusses the depth of kanaka maoli relationships to lands
and resources. Contemplating the question: “when did Hawaiians become
Hawaiians?” may shed light on this worldview.
5
Our first ancestors came here from other places. Upon making landfall, it is doubtful
they considered themselves anything other than the people they were when they
boarded their canoes in the Marquesas and Tahiti.
But over time, their behavior and cultural practices adapted to the climate,
geophysical, biological and botanical characteristics and cycles of this place. We grew
to be unique and different from our cousins to the south. Thus, we can say that we
were born of the land.
A Maori associate of mine put it this way, “We and the land are one and the same.
Under the herbs and grasses are the etchings of my ancestors. Each that goes missing
is like a knife in my culture and something I need to know about who I am also goes
missing. The notion that we own land is nonsense. It is we who are owned.”
The Covenant promises sensitivity to this perspective. But it also recognizes that we
live in a perilous world in which there exist leaders and societies who would without
hesitation effect their wishes and agenda by bringing harm and destruction upon others.
The maintenance of our security comes at a cost and it is the responsibility of the Army
and our other branches of service to be prepared to safeguard us from unwarranted
aggression.
6
But the price of peace should not demand the forfeiture or impairment of some of the
very attributes of this place that we are most motivated to defend:
• …vestiges of history which served as forges in the shaping of our unique
Hawaiian identity
• …ecosystem services which assure our continued existence and a quality of life
that so many have described as paradise.
The Kanaka Maoli Advisory Council acknowledges these circumstances and strives
through this Covenant to respect the importance of host culture needs and values, while
also recognizing the contribution the military’s presence makes in assuring our security
and freedom.
Colonel Margotta, we commend you for listening, for caring and for committing to
explicit guidelines that will nurture an improved engagement between protector guests
and host community.
Mahalo, as well, to Senator Inouye for his wisdom in providing the Garrison
Command with the support of a Native Hawaiian Liaison, a role that Annelle Amaral has
so capably performed.
We assemble here today to sign this Covenant in the Hawaiian lunar season of
Kaulua. It is the spring that follows Makahiki. It is an auspicious time to do work…to
plant seeds that will produce the abundance for harvest in the fall.
7
Our signing of this Covenant might be viewed as the planting of a seed, a seed that
is as likely to wither and perish as it is to reach full bloom. Our ancestors did not speak
well of those who spoke of farming but lacked the initiative to nurture the crop. I ka
waha no a ulu ka `ai; i ka waha no a malo`o.
The harvest is only assured if we commit to the care and growth of the seeds we
plant. Honored guests, today marks the beginning of a process, not the end of one. So
it is important that we not only signal our resolve, but that we also allocate resources
and dedicate ourselves to deeds that align with the words contained in this Covenant.
Words that encourage us to work in partnership to promote peace, live in harmony and
bring life to the land.
Mahalo a nui loa.
Signers of Native Hawaiian Covenant:
1. Major General Michael J. Terry, Commanding General, 8th Theater Sustainment Command
2. Mr. Allen Hoe, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Member of Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
3. Major General Bernard S. Champoux, Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division
4. Ms. Jade Danner, Member of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
5. Ret. Brigadier General Irwin Cockett, member Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
6. Colonel Matthew T. Margotta, Garrrison Commander, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii
7. Mr. H. K. Bruss Keppeler, Member of Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
8. Command Sergeant Major Tuileama T. Nua, Tripler Army Medical Center
9. Command Sergeant Major Kevin J. Thompson, 911th Signal Command Theater
10. Ms. Dee Jay Mailer, Member Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
11. Command Sergeant Major George D. Duncan, 8th Theater Sustainment Command
12. Mr. Peter Apo, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Member Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
13. Brigadier General Stephen L. Jones, Commanding General, Tripler Army Medical Center
14. Rev. William Kaina, Member of Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
15. Command Sergeant Major Phillip Rowland, 94th Army Air Missile Defense Command
16. Ms. Jalna Keala, member of Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
17. Ms. Annelle Amaral, Native Hawaiian Liaison to the Garrison Commander
18. Command Sergeant Major Forrest Wacker, 9th Mission Support Command
19. Mr. Charles Kapua, Member of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
20. Command Sergeant Major Frank Leota, 25th Infantry Division
21. Brigadier General Alexander Kozlov, Commanding General, 9th Mission Support Command
22. Mr. William Richards, Member of Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
23. Brigadier General Jeffery L. Underhill, Commanding General, 94th Air Missile Defense Command
24. Mr. William Moore, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army
25. Major General Robert G. F. Lee, Hawaii National Guard, the Adjutant General
26. Mr. Neal Hannahs, Member of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
27. Command Sergeant Major Robert E. Williamson, III, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii
28. Mr. Chris Dawson, Member of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
29. Ms. Leimomi Khan, Member of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
30. Brigadier General Alan R. Lynn, 311th Signal Command Theater
31. Brigadier General Mark Yenter, Commander, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Divison
32. Rev. Kaleo Patterson, Member of Native Hawaiian Advisory Council
33. Alii Sir Edward Akana, Office of the Chancellor, Royal Order of Kamehameha
34. Ret. Brigadier General Dwight Kealoha, U.S Air Force
35. Brigadier General James Nixon, 25th Infantry Division
36. Ha’aheo Guanson, Pacific Peace and Justice Reconciliation Center
37. Raymond Jardine, Native Hawaiian Veterans
38. Paul Y. Komeiji, Kuhana Associates LLC
39. Earl Pamai Tenn, Ka Ohana Aloha
40. Todd Shishido, Kukulu LLC
41. Kanaloa Koko, Royal Order of the Crown of Hawaii
42. Lance Holden, President, ‘Ahahui Siwila Hawaii o Kapolei
43. James Kaleohano, Alii Ai Moku, Royal Order of Kamehameha
44. Rocky Naeole, Royal Order of Kamehameha
45. Larry Woodie, President, Ewa-Puuloa Hawaiian Civic Club
46. Joe Thomas, Royal Order of Kamehameha
47. Joseph Jerviss, Royal Order of Kamehameha
48. Baldo A. Patterson, Royal Order of Kamehameha
http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition.html
The 1897 Petitions Protesting Annexation
Noenoe K. Silva
© 1998 Noenoe K. Silva
When William McKinley won the presidential election in November of 1896, the question of Hawaii's annexation to the U.S. was again opened. The
previous president,
Grover Cleveland, was a friend of Queen Liliuokalani. He had remained
opposed
to annexation until the end of his term, but McKinley was open to
persuasion
by U. S. expansionists and by annexationists from Hawaii. He agreed to
meet
with a committee of annexationists from Hawaii, Lorrin Thurston,
Francis Hatch
and William Kinney. After negotiations, in June of 1897, McKinley
signed a treaty
of annexation with these representatives of the Republic of Hawaii.
The President
then submitted the treaty to the U. S. Senate for approval.
The Hui Aloha Aina for Women, the Hui Aloha Aina for Men, and the Hui Kalaiaina formed a coalition to oppose the treaty. Together, these three
organizations
represented a majority of the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians). Hui
Kalaiaina
had originally been formed after the Bayonet Constitution of 1887 as a
vehicle
for Kanaka Maoli political power. The two Hui Aloha Aina organizations
were
founded just after the overthrow of the Native government in 1893,
expressly
to support the Queen and to oppose U.S. annexation.
The Kanaka Maoli believed that the American government was committed to their stated principles of justice and of government of the people, by the people, and for the
people. They believed that once the U.S. President and
members of Congress saw that the great majority of Hawaiian
citizens opposed the annexation, the principles of fairness
would prevail, that is, their Native government would be
restored. The three huis therefore began to organize mass
petition drives The heading on Hui Aloha Aina's petition
read: PALAPALA HOOPII KUE HOOHUI AINA, Petition Protesting
Annexation
On September 6, 1897, the Hui Aloha Aina held a halawai makaainana - a mass meeting - , at Palace Square, which thousands of poe aloha
aina - patriots
- attended. President James Kaulia gave a rousing speech, saying "We,
the
nation (lahui) will never consent to the annexation of our lands,
until the
very last patriot lives." He said agreeing to annexation was like
agreeing
to be buried alive. He predicted that annexation would open the door
for many
foreigners to come here, and to take jobs and resources away from the
Native
people. He asked, "Then where will we live?" The crowd answered, "In
the mountains," which figuratively means, "we shall be homeless."
He asserted that a mass refusal by the people could prevent the
annexation:
"If the nation remains steadfast in its protest of annexation, the
Senate
can continue to strive until the rock walls of Iolani Palace crumble,
and never
will Hawaii be annexed to America!" The annexationist newspapers had
published
threats that the leaders of the mass meeting would be arrested for
treason,
but Mr. Kaulia assured the people that their assembly was legal. He
said that
it was because the brains of the government could not push over the
brains of
the Kanaka Maoli that the government had to resort to weapons of war.
(At this
time, Hawaii was ruled by a haole - European- American -
oligarchy called
the Republic of Hawaii that had deprived the Native people of
political participation.)
He said, "Let us take up the honorable field of struggle, brain
against
brain." He told the people, "Do not be afraid, be steadfast in aloha
for your land and be united in thought. Protest forever the annexation
of Hawaii
until the very last aloha aina [lives]!" The crowd cheered.
Following Kaulia, David Kalauokalani, President of the Hui Kalaiaina, explained the details of the annexation treaty to the crowd. He told them that
the Republic
of Hawaii had agreed to give full government authority over to the
United States,
reserving nothing. It would also give all the government's money, the
government
and crown lands, government buildings, harbors, bays, military forts,
military
armaments and warships, and all resources claimed by the government of
the Hawaiian
Islands. Furthermore, he explained, the laws of the United States
would not
extend to the Hawaiian Islands, but the Congress of the U.S. would
decide how
Hawaii was to be governed. It was uncertain whether the Kanaka Maoli
would have
the right to vote. He said those who favored annexation would want to
deny Kanaka
Maoli voting rights because, from the very beginning, they have known
that the
Kanaka Maoli would overwhelmingly vote against annexation and anyone
who supported
it. This is the reason they were always afraid to put a vote to the
people.
A resolution protesting the annexation was read to the crowd, who approved it. It was announced that U.S. Senator Morgan, an advocate of annexation, would be arriving soon,
and that there would be another mass meeting held while he
was here.
The petition drive started at about this time. Very soon afterwards, Mrs. Abigail Kuaihelani Campbell, President of the Women's branch of the Hui Aloha
Aina,
and Mrs. Emma Aima Nawahi boarded the inter-island ship the Kinau
for
Hilo on a signature gathering mission.
On September 14, Senator Morgan and four congressmen from the U.S. indeed arrived. On the same day, Mr. Enoch Johnson and Mr. Simon Peter Kanoa boarded
the Claudine
for Maui, and Mrs. Kaikioewa Ulukou departed for Kauai - all bound to
gather
signatures on those islands. The Hui Aloha Aina paid all of their
expenses.
At the same time, there was a branch of the Hui Aloha Aina active at Kalaupapa (on the island of Molokai) where people with leprosy were imprisoned.¹
The President of the Kalaupapa branch was Mr. Robert M. Kaaoao, who
not only
gathered signatures on the protest petitions, but had also organized a
full
day's activities to commemorate the Queen's birthday on September 2.
The activities
included a prayer service; boating, swimming, running, horse, and
donkey races;
as well as pole climbing and apple eating contests.
When Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Nawahi arrived in Hilo harbor, they were greeted with honors. A delegation of the Hilo chapter of the Hui, consisting
of Mr.
Henry West, Mrs. Hattie Nailima, Mrs. Kekona Pilipo, and Mrs. J.A.
Akamu met
them at the harbor. The Hilo delegation showered them with leis, and
proclaimed
that a Hawaiian double-hulled canoe would carry them into the harbor.
They had
decorated five seats on the beautiful vessel with leis of maile,
lehua, and
other flowers, and had a Hawaiian flag waving at the back. The people
of Laupahoehoe
had sent welcome gifts of opihi, limu, and fish. Mrs. Campbell and
Mrs. Nawahi
attended meetings of the Hui Aloha Aina all over the Hilo and Puna
area, and
returned with thousands of signatures.
Meanwhile Mrs. Laura Mahelona was working hard in Kona and Kau; she was the committee member delegated to gather signatures there of both men and
women.
She traveled from North Kona south to Kau, leaving blank petitions
with instructions
everywhere she went. She told the chapter presidents to get the
petitions signed
and return them in a few days when her ship would stop again at the
same harbors.
When she returned, signed petitions were ready at every harbor. When
she landed
at each port, she was welcomed by the women of the Hui Aloha Aina
branches,
carrying leis over their arms, and when she returned to the boat, her
clothes
couldn't be seen because she was completely covered by leis. Mrs.
Mahelona gathered
4,216 signatures.
Mrs. Kaikioewa Ulukou gathered 2,375 on the island of Kauai.
Mr. Simon P. Kanoa gathered 1,944 in the district of Hana, Maui.
When all the work was done, there were over 21,000 signatures- men's and women's in about equal numbers. When one considers that the population of Native Hawaiians at
the time was less than 40,000, this is an impressive
number.
The Hui Kalaiaina also had a substantial membership- -they conducted their own petition drive at the same time, collecting about 17,000 signatures.
The Hui Aloha Aina held another mass meeting on October 8, 1897, and at that time decided to send delegates to Washington D.C. to present the petitions to President
McKinley and to the Congress.
The executive committees of the three hui met and decided to send four delegates: James Kaulia of Hui Aloha Aina, David Kalauokalani of Hui Kalaiaina, with John
Richardson, and with William Auld as secretary. All four
were Kanaka Maoli. This was an important sign to the
nation. Some people had written in the papers that previous
delegates to Washington had failed because they were not
Kanaka Maoli, or because they were too wealthy to truly
have the nation's well-being in mind at all times. It is
important to note that although a women's representative
did not travel to Washington, Mrs. Campbell, President of
the women's branch of Hui Aloha Aina, was part of the
decision-making committee, and was viewed as a leader of
the nation along with the men.
The four Elele Lahui - National Delegates - left Hawaii on November 20, 1897. In San Francisco on November 28, they commemorated La Kuokoa - Hawaiian Independence
Day.
They arrived in Washington on December 6, the day that the Senate opened. They first met briefly with Queen Liliuokalani, who was staying in Washington. Then they met
Senator Richard Pettigrew who took them in to the Senate's
opening ceremonies. After the ceremonies, they returned to
Ebbitt House where the Queen was staying, and where they
would also stay. Someone told them at that time that their
trip to Washington was useless, since it was known that
there 58 votes on the side of annexation, with only 2 more
votes needed for the treaty to pass. They said they didn't
answer but remained as quiet as doves. They spoke amongst
themselves later, however, to plan what to do.
The next day, December 7, they met again with the Queen to consider how to present the petitions. They chose the Queen as chair of their Washington committee. Together,
they decided to present the petitions of Hui Aloha Aina
only, because the substance of the two sets of petitions
was different. Hui Aloha Aina's was called "petition
protesting annexation," but the Hui Kalaiaina's petitions
called for the monarchy to be restored. They agreed that
they did not want to appear divided, as if they had
different goals.
The day after that, the delegates met with Senator Hoar, who was against annexation. They braved snow, cold and slippery streets to get to the Senator's residence.
They said the "elemakule" (old man) greeted them with a
handshake². He asked them what the people of Hawaii
thought
about annexation. John Richardson, the spokesman, explained
everything. While he was explaining, they could see tears
welling up in the old man's eyes. Richardson told him that
they brought petitions signed by the whole nation
protesting the annexation. Senator Hoar told them to submit
the petitions to him, and he would bring them before the
Senate, and then to the Foreign Relations Committee. David
Kalauokalani of Hui Kalaiaina also submitted his
endorsement of those petitions (so that the U.S. would know
both huis had the same goal). On December 9, Senator Hoar
read the text of the petitions to the Senate and had them
formally accepted. The delegates were present, seated in
the area where people are allowed to observe the Senate
proceedings.
On December 10, the delegates met with Secretary of State John Sherman, and Kalauokalani submitted a memorial protesting annexation (Ka Memoriala a ka Lahui) to him.
In the following days, the delegates met with many different Senators and Congressmen. Senators Pettigrew and White encouraged them in the hope that the annexation
treaty would be defeated. They said that they were asked a
lot of questions about Japan or England trying to annex
Hawaii. They answered that either of them could have taken
Hawaii if they had wanted to any time in the past five
years. Why would they wait for America to try before they
did so? They also reminded the U.S. Congressmen that
Hawaii had remained independent for fifty years, partly
because of the 1843 resolution signed by Great Britain and
France guaranteeing Hawaii's independence.
By the time they left Washington on February 27, there were only 46 votes in the Senate on the pro-annexation side, down from 58 when they had arrived. Forty-six votes
was far too few for the treaty to pass -- sixty votes were
necessary.
Senator Pettigrew and Senator Turpie insisted that the Kanaka Maoli of Hawaii be given a chance to vote on annexation. But Senator Morgan and the other pro-annexation
Senators knew that if a vote were taken, it would be
overwhelmingly in favor of Hawaii's independence. In a
report, these Senators wrote, "If a requirement should be
made by the United States of a plebiscite [vote] to
determine the question of annexation, it would work a
revolution in Hawaii which would abolish its constitution."
They knew, in other words, that if the people were allowed
to vote, not only would they reject annexation, they would
also reject the haole Republic that had been forced upon
them against their will.
Three of the delegates, James Kaulia, David Kalauokalani, and William Auld returned to Honolulu victorious, sure that the treaty would fail, as indeed it
did. They had carried the hard work and hopes of the whole
nation to Washington in the form of the protest petitions.
They had succeeded in persuading many senators to vote
against the treaty. They left behind John Richardson to
continue the work, along with Queen Liliuokalani, her
secretary Joseph Heleluhe, and her devoted friend, J.O.
Carter.
One annexation crisis was over, but another was soon to follow. This same year, the peoples of Cuba and the Philippines were fighting wars of independence against
Spain. The United States also declared war on Spain after
the U.S. warship, the Maine was blown up in a harbor in
Cuba. The reason that the Maine was even in Cuba is
questionable, since the U.S. had not been involved until it
involved itself by sending the ship there. Be that as it
may, the United States was at war. Suddenly, the empire-
builders of the United States were saying that they needed
to send military troops on ships to the Philippines to
fight Spain. For this, they said they needed Hawaii. In
the midst of the fever of war, a Joint Resolution of
Congress called the Newlands Resolution passed by a simple
majority of each house, making Hawaii a territory of the
United States. That was in July of 1898; the flag of the
United States was hoisted over Hawaii on August 12th.
The Kanaka Maoli continued to protest. The Hui Kalaiaina concentrated on persevering to undo the annexation, and restore the Native government. Hui Aloha
Aina began to work towards securing full civil and
political rights for Hawaiian citizens in the U.S.
territorial system. In 1900, the two huis banded together
as one political organization called the Home Rule Party.
David Kalauokalani was elected President, and James Kaulia
as Vice-President. This was the party that elected Robert
Kalanihiapo Wilcox as (non-voting) Delegate to the U.S.
Congress.
James Keauiluna Kaulia continued his work for his nation until the day of his death at age 41, in 1902. On that Sunday, he spent the morning at the jail house trying
to help prisoners assert their rights. After church and
lunch, he lay down for a nap from which he never woke up.
He died of heart failure.
David Kalauokalani lived until 1915, also serving his people all of his life. He served as a senator in the territorial legislature, and as a member of the Board of
Health. His son, also named David, became the first clerk
of the City and County of Honolulu.
Mrs. Kuaihelani Campbell served as President of Hui Aloha Aina for its entire existence. She later became well-known as a benefactor for the ill and poor among her
people, and for her many charitable deeds. She married
Samuel Parker in 1902. Her daughter Abigail married Prince
David Kawananakoa at about the same time, and Mrs.
Campbell-Parker thereby became an ancestor to the royal
family remaining in Hawaii today. She passed away in 1908.
Mrs. Emma Aima Nawahi kept the newspaper Ke Aloha Aina running for many years as its owner and business manager. She sold it in 1910. She also remained active in
charities until her death in 1935.
The petitions protesting annexation, consisting of five hundred fifty-six pages, are now held in the National Archives in Washington D.C.
The Kanaka Maoli continue to protest today. We have never relinquished our national sovereignty. Kanaka Maoli are working on state, national, and international levels to
have our existence as a nation recognized. Kanaka Maoli
also continue to resist and protest every encroachment upon
our inherent rights to this land, our ocean and fresh
waters, and all the other natural resources of Hawaii. We
are insisting as well on our rights to keep our language
and cultural traditions, and the land itself, alive.
Sources consulted
- Coffman, Tom. Personal communications, 1997.
- Earle, David William. "Coalition politics in Hawaii 1887- 90: Hui Kalaiaina and the Mechanics and Workingmen's Political Protective Union." MA thesis, University of
Hawaii. - Ka Loea Kalaiaina (newspaper) various issues 1897-1898.
- Ke Aloha Aina (newspaper) various issues 1897-1898.
- Russ, William Adam. The Hawaiian republic (1894-98) and its struggle to win annexation. Selinsgrove: Susquehanna University Press, 1992 [1961].
- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. 55th Congress. [Sen. 55A-J11.2]. National Archives and Records Administration.
- Senate Report 681 (55th Congress 2nd Session).
Footnotes
1 The government called their confinement "quarantine," but the people confined called themselves "prisoners." It was nearly impossible to
escape the quarantine area bounded by rough seas and sheer cliffs.
Prisoners were sent there for life; most would never see any family
member again. Furthermore, the prisoners were not given adequate food
or medicine, which added to their sense of being punished.
2 This handshake seemed to be an important detail in the reports of their meeting with Senator Hoar. It may be because the delegates were
subjected to race prejudice in Washington some white men may have
refused to shake their hands. They do not complain of this directly,
however.
Comments
I wonder what they told those Hawaiian organizations for them to agree to participate in that empty-headed ritual. Like George Bush said, "The Constitution is just a piece of paper!" It's typical that the U.S. goes through the motions with no intentions to honor their words. It's more for others' benefit for show only. Their intentions are vacuous and disingenuous.
These clowns that represent the "native Hawaiians" remind me of the organ-grinder's monkey dancing in a harlequinade ritual exuding a performance that merits a luau show. The military outdid Charlie Chaplin in keeping a straight-face throughout the mimicry of decorum and sincerity. If it was done in a movie; it would have won the Oscar for the Best Film of the Year.
It's apropos that the U.S. Military keep that signed covenant in the latrine next to the toilet. It must give them great satisfaction to wipe their paltry asses after defecating all the shit they have thrown around. It's like the used car salesman from Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill with insatiable appetite for GMO corn.
Those Hawaiian organizations are no better than the dance-hall girls who turn tricks after work making prostitution a viable passtime. These phony organizations get sado-masochistic and like it in the ass and rough. I should think they have no conscience or morals to pen themselves in the miilitary snakepit. The military's marionettes dance around for its amusement and addicted control in pulling the strings of these organization. I can't wait to see these puppets at the Aloha Festival so I can have a good laugh; maybe I should be more patient and wait for the Kuhio Day parade to jeer at the traitorous sell-outs. Till then, they can kiss my ass! Wait a minute! I forgot. They are not worthy for that either!
Tane
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomaikaiokalani, Hawaiian Kingdom National Royalist, 1993