With Bible on hand, pistols in their pockets and troops at the ready, men gathered on the steps of `Iolani Palace on July 4th, 1894. Invoking the name of American liberty, they dismantled the liberty of the people of the Hawaiian nation.
Two separate camps divided Hawai`i's political environment. One, a small minority, held the power of government through the landing of the US military. The second, Hawaiian loyalists, supported their Hawaiian Queen Lili`uokalani.
The first camp wanted annexation of Hawai`i to the US, part of a larger plan to open their sugar to US markets. They sided with American expansionists like John Stevens, US Minister to Hawai`i.
The Hawaiian citizens, according to US special investigator James Blount, were almost to the man, in opposition to annexation.
US troops landed on January 16, 1893, and supported a self-proclaimed “provisional government” the next day.
A hurriedly drafted annexation treaty was sent to the US Senate in February for ratification under Harrison’s administration.
But Grover Cleveland, inaugurated President in March, sent Blount to investigate this Hawaiian affair. Given Blount’s report, Cleveland railed against US conspiracy and withdrew the treaty in December.
Sanford Dole, President of the "provisional" government, was criticized for the PG’s lack of legitimacy. He assembled a convention of 37 delegates, 19 appointed by him, the remainder elected by those who disavowed loyalty to Lili`uokalani and swore allegiance to the provisional government.
Using as their backdrop, the US Independence day celebration, Dole’s group assembled at `Iolani Palace at 8:00 AM, July 4, 1894.
With guns tucked out of public sight, William O. Smith, one of the early conspirators of the group acted as master of ceremony.
Dispensing with the opening prayer, apparently skittish over the proceedings taking place, Smith introduced Dole. Dole, looking down upon their members, proclaimed “the Republic of Hawai`i as the sovereign authority over and throughout the Hawaiian Islands.”
He went on, “And I declare the Constitution framed and adopted by the Constitutional Convention of 1894 to be the constitution and the supreme law of the Republic of Hawai`i, and by virtue of this constitution I now assume the office and authority of president thereof.”
The constitution declared all Lili`uokalani’s government’s lands, waters and citizens as those of the Republic.
While framing their activities around the American principle that the right of governance can be only achieved thru the consent of the governed, the Republic of Hawai`i was declared in just the opposite manner.
No ratification or any consent was given the Republic by Hawaiians.
A reading will take place tomorrow at 5 PM at `Iolani Palace and discussion of the events leading up to the proclaiming into existence of the Republic of Hawai`i on July 4, 1894. This event is free and open to the public.
US Senator Daniel Akaka has been advised he must act quickly on a native Hawaiian federal recognition bill or lose the chance to bring it to a vote before the November elections change the political composition of the Senate.
Akaka, the bill's main sponsor, also has been told privately by allies that he should consider amendments to win back the support of Hawai`i Governor Linda Lingle and help attract moderate Senate Republicans. But sources familiar with the negotiations question whether the Republican governor could deliver any additional GOP votes....
...Akaka needs 60 votes in the Senate to break procedural roadblocks from conservative Senate Republicans who oppose the bill as race-based discrimination....
US Senator Robert Byrd's death and an unexpectedly competitive Senate primary in Alaska have also created new challenges for Akaka.
Akaka had been counting on all Democrats and two independents who typically vote with Democrats to get to 59 votes. He lost a vote when Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia, died on Monday....
Akaka is also relying on a Republican, US Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who has carried on the traditional alliance between Hawai`i and Alaska on home-state issues.
But Murkowski is facing an August 24 primary against Joe Miller, a conservative Fairbanks lawyer who has been endorsed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express.
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
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.
FREE HAWAI`I TVTHE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK"BE WISE TO THEIR LIES"Will The US Throw Millions Your Way, If You Do What Certain Individuals Say?You'll Be In For A Surprise If You Believe Their Lies.Such A Drag If You're The One Left Holding The Bag.Have Any Doubt? Then Watch This To See What It's All About.Send This Video To One Other Person Today.
FORT DERUSSY, Hawaii - Angela Jones, park ranger from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Regional Visitors Center, labels a storm drains on Fort DeRussy to help prevent the illegal dumping of materials. The stencil reads: Dump No Waste, Protect our Waters.For Life.
Times, serif" size="+2"">Hawai'i still at risk from old munitions
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephen Negahnquet pointed out potentially dangerous unexploded ordnance found in Waikane Valley in Kahalu'u back in 1984. Anyone who comes across unexploded ordnance is encouraged to implement the "3 Rs" — recognize, run and report. Waikane Valley is one of 46 sites around the state that potentially contains unexploded ordnance. The munitions are very much a part of Hawai'i, after a defensive buildup before World War I and a rush to respond to World War II. Cleanup is ongoing.
ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | Jan. 5, 1984
POTENTIAL UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE SITES ON 6 ISLANDS
Hawai'i sites that may have unexploded ordnance:
O'ahu
Hickam Air Force Base
Dillingham Airfield
He'eia Combat Training Area, Windward
Kahuku Training Camp
Makapu'u Lighthouse Reservation
Goat Island
Pacific Jungle Combat area, Kahana
Pali Training Camp, Windward
Rabbit Island
Waikane Training Area
Waimea Valley Audubon Center
Offshore Wai'anae Sewage Outfall
2 offshore sites six miles off Honolulu
Big Island
Army Impact Range, Hilo
2 Nansay Hawai'i sites, Waikoloa
Firing Range and Camp, Waikoloa
3 Waikoloa Maneuver Areas
Pakini Bombing Range
Popoki Target Area, Puna
Ka'u Bombing Range, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Ka'u Paio was digging in a garden at Waimea Middle School in 2002 on the Big Island with other students when the earth yielded something unexpected — a live hand grenade.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In 1999, a stretch of beach in Makaha was closed down after a boy found a grenade, its pin still in place, buried in the sand.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Seventeen-year-old James O'Hare was killed in 1971 when a 40 mm grenade exploded as he attempted to dismantle it. Police had said the youth found the explosive at the military's Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In Hawai'i, unexploded ordnance, or UXO, is part of the landscape — the consequence of a defensive buildup pre-World War I and the massive rush to respond in World War II.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Millions have been spent by the federal government on cleanup. Hundreds of millions more are needed as new neighborhoods and more people encroach on formerly remote training ranges.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The reality, though, is that federal funding for that cleanup falls far short of the mark.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Under a federal UXO program for formerly used defense sites, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District for fiscal 2006 received $14.5 million. Congress funds the entire national program at $254 million a year, officials said. By 2010, the Hawai'i funding is projected to drop to $12 million.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The 135,000-acre Waikoloa Maneuver Area cleanup on the Big Island, where grenades, bazooka rounds, artillery and mortar rounds, land mines and hedgehog missiles were used, is expected to cost $640 million alone.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The project, started in 2004, is funded at $10 million a year. At that rate, the removal of unexploded ordnance would take 64 years.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army Corps of Engineers lists 46 sites in Hawai'i as potentially having unexploded ordnance. Cleanup efforts have been conducted or are planned for just a few because of the cost.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Among the sites listed are popular or well-known spots that show how pervasive the problem is, including Dillingham Airfield, Makapu'u lighthouse, Goat Island, the base of the Pali lookout, Rabbit Island, Waimea Valley Audubon Center, Molokini crater and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"There's no question about it — there is a UXO problem in Hawai'i, and it is becoming more acute with development and encroachment," said U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i. "The fact is, we have 1.3 million people here running around plus a bunch of tourists."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
ARTILLERY EVERYWHERE
Ordnance is offshore and on land. While diving off Wai'anae, scuba divemaster Cameron Guadiz has found 5-inch and 3-inch diameter shells.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"Probably hundreds scattered around," he said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
He's come across 5-foot torpedoes with fins and what looked to him like a coral-encrusted 500-pound bomb.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
At least nine people have been killed or injured by old munitions in Hawai'i since the 1940s.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Case called the federal government's commitment to clean up the unexploded ordnance "woefully inadequate," not just in Hawai'i but nationwide.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"Basically, what we're talking about is $640 million to clean up Waikoloa versus a national budget for (the program) of $250-plus-million, so clearly, there's a problem all across the country," he said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawai'i, also supports increased funding for unexploded ordnance removal.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"Unfortunately, current appropriations are not enough for the (Defense Department) to move forward with cleanup tasks," Akaka said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In fiscal 2006, $254 million was appropriated nationally for unexploded ordnance cleanup under the formerly used defense site program, but in the Bush administration's budget request for 2007, that amount is reduced to $243 million, Case said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The House proposed increasing it to $258 million, while the Senate has come out with a figure of $283 million.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army Corps of Engineers said it is difficult to estimate tonnage of unexploded ordnance in Hawai'i, in part because records rarely have such information. During World War II, "record keeping was not generally rigorous," the corps said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Virtually all the formerly used defense properties received some type of cleanup, and there may be records of how much was removed, but nothing to indicate what remains.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Only California, Arizona and New Mexico have more total unexploded ordnance sites than Hawai'i, the Corps of Engineers said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The formerly used defense site program covers military properties that were transferred before Oct. 17, 1986.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
RECOGNIZE, RUN, REPORT
At Waikoloa, workers have removed 1,100 rounds of ordnance since 2004 from areas immediately adjacent to present neighborhoods.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Many who have grown up in Hawai'i are well familiar with military history and its dangers.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army Corps of Engineers said it instituted a public involvement program to inform residents what to do if unexploded ordnance is found, and has programs in schools. The Corps of Engineers stresses the "3 Rs" — recognize, run and report — for any munitions found.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Corps of Engineers said unexploded ordnance cleanup is being conducted at the former Makawao Gunnery Site and at 'Opana Point Bombing Range on Maui.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
On O'ahu, site work is being done at He'eia Combat Training Area and the Pali Training Camp on the windward side.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
A 2004 Army Corps of Engineers report said the He'eia training area included 200 acres that supported 4,500 troops and pistol, rifle, grenade, bayonet and obstacle course ranges until 1945. Adjacent firing impact areas in Waihe'e and Ka'alaea valleys enlarged the area to 2,254 acres.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Pali Training Camp included 1,500 acres at the base of the Pali in Maunawili Valley — now a hiking area — that was an artillery impact zone.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The report said "extensive portions of the project area pose a potential unexploded ordnance health and safety risk to the public."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
REMOVAL EFFORTS
Waikane Valley "is being considered for ordnance removal," the Army Corps of Engineers said, with an initial property assessment expected by October. Other assessments for possible cleanup also are under way.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Marines had wanted to reactivate the valley as a training area, but studies showed it to be too thick with unexploded ordnance.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Military training ranges still in use, including the Makua Military Reservation and those on Schofield Barracks, are undergoing separate cleanups, and Kaho'olawe underwent a five-year, $400 million partial unexploded ordnance removal.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Navy effort saw the removal of 5,000 tons of target-range scrap and shells and other military remains.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Schofield Barracks has been conducting a range cleanup for its new Stryker vehicles that was slowed by the discovery of chemical weapons, including chloropicrin and phosgene, both choking agents.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The reason for the old weapons' presence initially was a mystery, but Schofield spokesman Kendrick Washington recently said, "We suspect that these rounds were fired for military training or quality control testing during World War II."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Makua Valley, used by the military since the 1920s, when three tracts on the upper valley floor were purchased for howitzer emplacements, has seen $599,000 worth of cleanup, with more ongoing, officials said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In 2004, explosive ordnance disposal experts detonated three World War II explosives in the valley, including a 1,000-pound, 500-pound and 100-pound bomb.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army said fixed-wing aircraft dropped bombs in the valley before, during and after World War II.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
BEFORE THE WAR
The military buildup in Hawai'i predates World War II and includes the coastal defense network of guns that ringed O'ahu.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
George Aguiilon, who grew up at the 'Ewa sugar plantation from 1928 through 1946, remembered military personnel test firing the large-bore guns at Fort Barrette in Kapolei. A concrete enclosure still remains.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"The sound and vibrations from the cannons not only shook the walls, it shook the roofs, telephone poles and knocked down the ripe mangoes (and) everything that was not nailed down in the house," he said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
While land-based training ranges still have unexploded ordnance that was fired, shore areas and deep-water regions around Hawai'i are rife with ordnance that was dumped.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Marine scientists, at the request of the Defense Department, in June conducted a survey of an area known as "Ordnance Reef" near Poka'i Bay off the Wai'anae Coast.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
An Army Corps of Engineers survey in 2002 at Ordnance Reef identified more than 2,000 military munitions at depths ranging from 15 feet to 240 feet.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The follow-up report is due out in coming months.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
HISTORY OF DUMPING
Publicity about the U.S. military's practice of dumping chemical and conventional weapons at sea decades ago led to data last year that 4,220 tons of hydrogen cyanide were dumped somewhere off Pearl Harbor in 1944.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
During that year, the military also dumped 16,000 100-pound mustard bombs "about five miles off of O'ahu."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In 1945, off Wai'anae, the Army dumped thousands of hydrogen cyanide bombs, cyanogen chloride bombs, mustard bombs and lewisite containers. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charts identified some as being in 1,600 feet of water.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
A report on deep-water munitions sites in U.S. waters is due out at the end of the month.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Case commends the Defense Department for the examination, which will include a review of Navy archives for dumping.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"I believe that the (Defense Department) is doing the right thing in the right order on a reasonable time line with respect to marine munitions dumping," Case said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
How a possible cleanup will be paid for is unclear.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Hawai'i County Councilman Bob Jacobson in 2004 unsuccessfully sought the creation of a registry to record where all unexploded ordnance was found on the Big Island.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"There's a lot of stuff out there," he said. "Just past the breakwater in Hilo Harbor, it's my understanding there's just vast numbers of planes and bombs and all kinds of unexploded ordnance just dumped out there."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
It's out of sight and out of mind underwater, or obscured by vegetation or buried. But it's there.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"I don't think people think about it," said Jacobson. "I think there's not a lot of disclosure.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"I think there are lots of areas they say were cleared, but because it was too expensive to get into gullies or gulches, they didn't really spend the time. The stuff is embedded underground and you don't see the bomb on the surface."
FORT DERUSSY, Hawaii - Angela Jones, park ranger from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Regional Visitors Center, labels a storm drains on Fort DeRussy to help prevent the illegal dumping of materials. The stencil reads: Dump No Waste, Protect our Waters.For Life.
Times, serif" size="+2"">Hawai'i still at risk from old munitions
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephen Negahnquet pointed out potentially dangerous unexploded ordnance found in Waikane Valley in Kahalu'u back in 1984. Anyone who comes across unexploded ordnance is encouraged to implement the "3 Rs" — recognize, run and report. Waikane Valley is one of 46 sites around the state that potentially contains unexploded ordnance. The munitions are very much a part of Hawai'i, after a defensive buildup before World War I and a rush to respond to World War II. Cleanup is ongoing.
ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | Jan. 5, 1984
POTENTIAL UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE SITES ON 6 ISLANDS
Hawai'i sites that may have unexploded ordnance:
O'ahu
Hickam Air Force Base
Dillingham Airfield
He'eia Combat Training Area, Windward
Kahuku Training Camp
Makapu'u Lighthouse Reservation
Goat Island
Pacific Jungle Combat area, Kahana
Pali Training Camp, Windward
Rabbit Island
Waikane Training Area
Waimea Valley Audubon Center
Offshore Wai'anae Sewage Outfall
2 offshore sites six miles off Honolulu
Big Island
Army Impact Range, Hilo
2 Nansay Hawai'i sites, Waikoloa
Firing Range and Camp, Waikoloa
3 Waikoloa Maneuver Areas
Pakini Bombing Range
Popoki Target Area, Puna
Ka'u Bombing Range, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Ka'u Paio was digging in a garden at Waimea Middle School in 2002 on the Big Island with other students when the earth yielded something unexpected — a live hand grenade.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In 1999, a stretch of beach in Makaha was closed down after a boy found a grenade, its pin still in place, buried in the sand.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Seventeen-year-old James O'Hare was killed in 1971 when a 40 mm grenade exploded as he attempted to dismantle it. Police had said the youth found the explosive at the military's Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In Hawai'i, unexploded ordnance, or UXO, is part of the landscape — the consequence of a defensive buildup pre-World War I and the massive rush to respond in World War II.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Millions have been spent by the federal government on cleanup. Hundreds of millions more are needed as new neighborhoods and more people encroach on formerly remote training ranges.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The reality, though, is that federal funding for that cleanup falls far short of the mark.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Under a federal UXO program for formerly used defense sites, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District for fiscal 2006 received $14.5 million. Congress funds the entire national program at $254 million a year, officials said. By 2010, the Hawai'i funding is projected to drop to $12 million.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The 135,000-acre Waikoloa Maneuver Area cleanup on the Big Island, where grenades, bazooka rounds, artillery and mortar rounds, land mines and hedgehog missiles were used, is expected to cost $640 million alone.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The project, started in 2004, is funded at $10 million a year. At that rate, the removal of unexploded ordnance would take 64 years.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army Corps of Engineers lists 46 sites in Hawai'i as potentially having unexploded ordnance. Cleanup efforts have been conducted or are planned for just a few because of the cost.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Among the sites listed are popular or well-known spots that show how pervasive the problem is, including Dillingham Airfield, Makapu'u lighthouse, Goat Island, the base of the Pali lookout, Rabbit Island, Waimea Valley Audubon Center, Molokini crater and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"There's no question about it — there is a UXO problem in Hawai'i, and it is becoming more acute with development and encroachment," said U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i. "The fact is, we have 1.3 million people here running around plus a bunch of tourists."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
ARTILLERY EVERYWHERE
Ordnance is offshore and on land. While diving off Wai'anae, scuba divemaster Cameron Guadiz has found 5-inch and 3-inch diameter shells.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"Probably hundreds scattered around," he said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
He's come across 5-foot torpedoes with fins and what looked to him like a coral-encrusted 500-pound bomb.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
At least nine people have been killed or injured by old munitions in Hawai'i since the 1940s.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Case called the federal government's commitment to clean up the unexploded ordnance "woefully inadequate," not just in Hawai'i but nationwide.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"Basically, what we're talking about is $640 million to clean up Waikoloa versus a national budget for (the program) of $250-plus-million, so clearly, there's a problem all across the country," he said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawai'i, also supports increased funding for unexploded ordnance removal.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"Unfortunately, current appropriations are not enough for the (Defense Department) to move forward with cleanup tasks," Akaka said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In fiscal 2006, $254 million was appropriated nationally for unexploded ordnance cleanup under the formerly used defense site program, but in the Bush administration's budget request for 2007, that amount is reduced to $243 million, Case said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The House proposed increasing it to $258 million, while the Senate has come out with a figure of $283 million.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army Corps of Engineers said it is difficult to estimate tonnage of unexploded ordnance in Hawai'i, in part because records rarely have such information. During World War II, "record keeping was not generally rigorous," the corps said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Virtually all the formerly used defense properties received some type of cleanup, and there may be records of how much was removed, but nothing to indicate what remains.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Only California, Arizona and New Mexico have more total unexploded ordnance sites than Hawai'i, the Corps of Engineers said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The formerly used defense site program covers military properties that were transferred before Oct. 17, 1986.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
RECOGNIZE, RUN, REPORT
At Waikoloa, workers have removed 1,100 rounds of ordnance since 2004 from areas immediately adjacent to present neighborhoods.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Many who have grown up in Hawai'i are well familiar with military history and its dangers.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army Corps of Engineers said it instituted a public involvement program to inform residents what to do if unexploded ordnance is found, and has programs in schools. The Corps of Engineers stresses the "3 Rs" — recognize, run and report — for any munitions found.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Corps of Engineers said unexploded ordnance cleanup is being conducted at the former Makawao Gunnery Site and at 'Opana Point Bombing Range on Maui.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
On O'ahu, site work is being done at He'eia Combat Training Area and the Pali Training Camp on the windward side.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
A 2004 Army Corps of Engineers report said the He'eia training area included 200 acres that supported 4,500 troops and pistol, rifle, grenade, bayonet and obstacle course ranges until 1945. Adjacent firing impact areas in Waihe'e and Ka'alaea valleys enlarged the area to 2,254 acres.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Pali Training Camp included 1,500 acres at the base of the Pali in Maunawili Valley — now a hiking area — that was an artillery impact zone.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The report said "extensive portions of the project area pose a potential unexploded ordnance health and safety risk to the public."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
REMOVAL EFFORTS
Waikane Valley "is being considered for ordnance removal," the Army Corps of Engineers said, with an initial property assessment expected by October. Other assessments for possible cleanup also are under way.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Marines had wanted to reactivate the valley as a training area, but studies showed it to be too thick with unexploded ordnance.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Military training ranges still in use, including the Makua Military Reservation and those on Schofield Barracks, are undergoing separate cleanups, and Kaho'olawe underwent a five-year, $400 million partial unexploded ordnance removal.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Navy effort saw the removal of 5,000 tons of target-range scrap and shells and other military remains.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Schofield Barracks has been conducting a range cleanup for its new Stryker vehicles that was slowed by the discovery of chemical weapons, including chloropicrin and phosgene, both choking agents.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The reason for the old weapons' presence initially was a mystery, but Schofield spokesman Kendrick Washington recently said, "We suspect that these rounds were fired for military training or quality control testing during World War II."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Makua Valley, used by the military since the 1920s, when three tracts on the upper valley floor were purchased for howitzer emplacements, has seen $599,000 worth of cleanup, with more ongoing, officials said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In 2004, explosive ordnance disposal experts detonated three World War II explosives in the valley, including a 1,000-pound, 500-pound and 100-pound bomb.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The Army said fixed-wing aircraft dropped bombs in the valley before, during and after World War II.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
BEFORE THE WAR
The military buildup in Hawai'i predates World War II and includes the coastal defense network of guns that ringed O'ahu.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
George Aguiilon, who grew up at the 'Ewa sugar plantation from 1928 through 1946, remembered military personnel test firing the large-bore guns at Fort Barrette in Kapolei. A concrete enclosure still remains.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"The sound and vibrations from the cannons not only shook the walls, it shook the roofs, telephone poles and knocked down the ripe mangoes (and) everything that was not nailed down in the house," he said.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
While land-based training ranges still have unexploded ordnance that was fired, shore areas and deep-water regions around Hawai'i are rife with ordnance that was dumped.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Marine scientists, at the request of the Defense Department, in June conducted a survey of an area known as "Ordnance Reef" near Poka'i Bay off the Wai'anae Coast.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
An Army Corps of Engineers survey in 2002 at Ordnance Reef identified more than 2,000 military munitions at depths ranging from 15 feet to 240 feet.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
The follow-up report is due out in coming months.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
HISTORY OF DUMPING
Publicity about the U.S. military's practice of dumping chemical and conventional weapons at sea decades ago led to data last year that 4,220 tons of hydrogen cyanide were dumped somewhere off Pearl Harbor in 1944.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
During that year, the military also dumped 16,000 100-pound mustard bombs "about five miles off of O'ahu."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
In 1945, off Wai'anae, the Army dumped thousands of hydrogen cyanide bombs, cyanogen chloride bombs, mustard bombs and lewisite containers. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charts identified some as being in 1,600 feet of water.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
A report on deep-water munitions sites in U.S. waters is due out at the end of the month.
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Case commends the Defense Department for the examination, which will include a review of Navy archives for dumping.
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"I believe that the (Defense Department) is doing the right thing in the right order on a reasonable time line with respect to marine munitions dumping," Case said.
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How a possible cleanup will be paid for is unclear.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
Hawai'i County Councilman Bob Jacobson in 2004 unsuccessfully sought the creation of a registry to record where all unexploded ordnance was found on the Big Island.
Times, serif" size="-1"">
"There's a lot of stuff out there," he said. "Just past the breakwater in Hilo Harbor, it's my understanding there's just vast numbers of planes and bombs and all kinds of unexploded ordnance just dumped out there."
Times, serif" size="-1"">
It's out of sight and out of mind underwater, or obscured by vegetation or buried. But it's there.
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"I don't think people think about it," said Jacobson. "I think there's not a lot of disclosure.
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"I think there are lots of areas they say were cleared, but because it was too expensive to get into gullies or gulches, they didn't really spend the time. The stuff is embedded underground and you don't see the bomb on the surface."
The defunct Hawai`i Superferry will pay the state of Hawai`i about $676,000 under a settlement reached recently in bankruptcy court, about half of what is owed in rent and other fees.
But not included in the settlement is the nearly $40 million in harbor improvements that the state made to accommodate the Superferry.
The outstanding balance on the $40 million that was appropriated from general obligation bonds is $39.7 million and that will be paid by users of Hawai`i’s harbors, said Brennon Morioka, director of the state Department of Transportation....
We are looking for individuals who want to tell the story of Moku’ula through the eyes of kama’aina to this place.
Maui Nei is the only tour company who is in partnership with a non-profit organization, The Friends of Moku’ula. Together we are dedicated to the restoration of Moku’ula, ancient dwelling place of Kihawahine, at Lahaina, Maui. Moku’ula was home to great Maui chiefs and Hawaiian royalty and remains one of the most sacred sites in Hawai’i.
In 2009, Friends of Moku’ula received a grant from Hawai’i Tourism Authority for the Ka ‘I’imi ‘Ike Program, which pairs Maui Nei tours with archaeological field schools through the University of Hawaii Maui Campus.
We are asking for your kokua in finding individuals you might recommend or refer to us that would be a torch bearer in passing on the ‘ike of this wahipana. We are looking to train potential tour guides (kumu) for our 2-time Kahili award winning “Maka’ika’i Ma Loko O Lahaina”—A Walking Tour Through Lahaina’s Past. We will provide extensive training with compensation this summer.
Again, if you know of individuals whom you would recommend, please respond by July 31st.
Mahalo piha,
Lehua Hough Sales and Operations Manager Maui Nei Native Expeditions 505 Front Street Suite 221 Lahaina HI 96761 office: (808) 661-9494 fax: (808) 661-1676 cell: (808) 385-3775 email: mauinei@mokuula.com website: www.mauinei.com
Converting Hawaiian land into a National Heritage Area would mean it becomes US federal land administered under the US Department of Interior, with no local control.
What most don’t realize is once this happens there is no opting out – ever.
Yet there are certain individuals in Hawai`i who are urging large parts of O`ahu be placed under this plan without revealing all the negative ramifications for homeowners and businesses.
Why are they doing this and who is behind them? Find out this coming Wednesday on Free Hawai`i TV.
Ed Gomes is someone who’s aware of negative effects on Hawaiians, working with Hawaiian men at risk helping to turn their lives around.
Discover his plans to accomplish this worthy work as well as the challenges he himself has experienced along the way this week on Hawai`i’s award winningVoices Of Truth – One-On-One With Hawai`i’s Future.
MONDAY, June 28th At 6:30 PM –Maui – Akaku, Channel 53 MONDAY, June 28th At 7:00 PM & FRIDAY, July 2nd At 5:30 PM –Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53 THURSDAY, July 1st At 8:30 PM & FRIDAY, July 2nd At 8:30 AM -Kaua`i – Ho`ike, Channel 52 SATURDAY, July 3rd At 8:00 PM –O`ahu, `Olelo, Channel 53 "No Throw Away People – A Visit With Ed Gomes"
In his law enforcement and social work, Ed Gomes has seen more Hawaiian males discarded and imprisoned by society than he cares to. So he decided to start a pa, or men’s group, where Hawaiian males can come and work on themselves in a safe space. Ed gives us a unique behind-the-scenes tour of this future refuge and his plans to develop it into a program where all are welcome. You’ll soon see it’s a place where no one is given up on - not even one - Watch It Here
Now you can become a fan of Voices Of Truth on Facebook by clicking Here and see behind the scenes photos of our shows and a whole lot more. Voices Of Truthnow airs in Cape Town, South Africa, Sweden and 27 cities across the US.Check your local listings.
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Then, I order you and your family around, use your things and rearrange the rooms.
I take down your photos and religious symbols, replace them with my own and make you speak my language.
One day, I dig up your garden and replace it with crops that I can sell.
You and your family must now buy all of your food from me.
Later, I invite my father and his buddies over.
They bring guns. We take your keys.
I forge a deed and declare my father to be the owner of your house.
I bring more people. Some work for me. Some pay me to stay in your house.
I seize your savings and spend it on my friends.
You and your family now sleep on the porch.
Finally you protest.
Being reasonable, I let you stay in a corner of the house and give you a small allowance, but only if you behave.
I tell you, "Sorry, I was wrong for taking the house."
But when you demand your house back, I tell you to be realistic."You are part of this family now, whether you like it or not," I say. "Besides, this is for your own good.
For all that I have done for you, why aren't you grateful?"
I posted it on my FB since it came from Charles A. who also posted on his FB and we all know how Ken writes, although he claims to be against the Akaka Bill, this one guy who added me on there became a bit testy as he claims that I'm "spinning" and that I don't have a degree in mind reading b/c of how much I despise Ken.
I'm not an idiot, I live in a place full of rats they don't scare me. I know when I smell a rat too.
FREE HAWAI`I TVTHE FREE HAWAI`I BROADCASTING NETWORK"PROTECT OR WILFULL NEGLECT?"What's The Hysteria About World Heritage Areas?A Plan To Plunder Our Northwest Hawaiian Island’s A Real Blunder.But Unlike The Gulf Of Mexico Disaster, This One Could Happen Even Faster.Watch This, Cause We Reveal What They’ll Steal In This Deal.Then Send This Video To One Other Person Today.
Democrats are expected to lose seats in both the U.S. House and Senate this fall, making it even more difficult to scrape up the votes to pass the bill in the next Congress. Republican support is necessary, even now, to pass the bill.
The Democratic-controlled House passed the measure in February, and Hawaii's senior senators —Daniel Akaka, for whom the bill is named, and Daniel K. Inouye, both Democrats — have said this year that passage in the Democratic-controlled Senate is likely.
That can happen only if the Akaka bill gets a floor vote, though. As of mid-June, none had been scheduled.
And there's no promise from the Senate Majority Leader's Office that one will be. There's also a dwindling number of Senate session days remaining.
