The Akaka Bill, Hawaiian Sovereignty, and the Ceded Lands Case

by David
(Big Island)

In the News a lot today is the Oha V State of Hawaii case which will be heard by the Supreme Court in the next few months. However the press on the Akaka Bill has died down somewhat.

Hawaiian Sovereignty is a funny thing. Most people either know very little about it, or think it is a far fetched fantasy that a few people hold.

Here is a overview of the legal claim for the Hawaiian Kingdom to be reinstated as a sovereign nation.

In 1893 members of the US Navy occupied I`olani Palace, the Capitol of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a constitutional monarchy that held treaties with 20 different nations.

The US forces intimidated and threatened Queen Liliuokalani, in violation of treaties between the two nations and of international law.

When informed of the risk of bloodshed with resistance, Queen Liliuokalani issued the following statement yielding her authority to the United States Government rather than to the Provisional Government:

"I Liliuokalani, by the Grace of God and under the Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom.

"That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed a Honolulu and declared that he would support the Provisional Government.

"Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.".

Done at Honolulu this 17th day of January, A.D. 1893.;

Without the active support and intervention by the United States diplomatic and military representatives, the conspiracy against the Government of Queen Liliuokalani would have failed for lack of popular support and insufficient firearms.

On February 1, 1893, the United States Minister raised the American flag and proclaimed Hawaii to be a protectorate of the United States.

In a report of a investigation conducted by former Congressman James Blount into the events surrounding the insurrection and overthrow of January 17, 1893, concluded that the United States diplomatic and military representatives had abused their authority and were responsible for the change in government.

As a result of this report, the United States Minister to Hawaii was recalled from his diplomatic post and the military commander of the United States armed forces stationed in Hawaii was disciplined and forced to resign his commission.

President at the time, Grover Cleveland further concluded that a "substantial wrong has thus been done which a due regard for our national character as well as the rights of the injured people requires we should endeavor to repair" and called for the restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy.

However the provisional government, known as the Republic of Hawaii refused to follow President Cleveland's call for restoration.

On January 24, 1895, while imprisoned in Iolani Palace, Queen Liliuokalani was forced by representatives of the Republic of Hawaii to officially abdicate her throne.

Time passed, and Clevland was replaced in the next presidential election by William Mckinley.

On July 7, 1898, with the backing of President Mckinley, through the Newlands Resolution, the self-declared Republic of Hawaii ceded sovereignty over the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, and Hawaii was officially annexed.

The self-declared Republic of Hawaii also ceded 1,800,000 acres of crown, government and public lands of the Kingdom of Hawaii, without the consent of or compensation to the Native Hawaiian people of Hawaii or their sovereign government. These lands are known as ceded lands .

On the hundred year anniversary of this illegal overthrow, the United States issued a official apology to the descendants of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Part of the so called "Apology Bill" Public Law 103-150, states that the apology is in no way intended to be a settlement of any claims against the US.

In a nutshell, this means that the US messed up, and they are liable.

Now with the Oha V Sate of Hawaii going to the Supreme Court, everybody is freaking out.

The Supreme Court has the authority to make a ruling against the US, where the Hawaii Supreme Court does not.

Basically, the court could rule that the State does not have authority over the ceded lands.

Many people that live in Hawaii, myself included, would like to see the US withdraw. This was a unprovoked invasion, and a continuing occupation.

The Hawaiian Kingdom was a advanced country. The capitol building, the I`olani Palace had electric lights before the White House. They had treaties with twenty different nations, and traded freely all over the world.

For anyone to believe that the Hawaiians were just savages, and that we would still be living in grass huts if not for the US is ridiculous.

Basically what it all boils down to, is that Hawaii is basically to the US what Tibet is to China.

So, hopefully in the process of the US cleaning up the rest of the world's messes, they can eventually get around to cleaning up their own.

To Share your Manao (thoughts), or read what others have said on this subject, we set up a page on our website: Hawaiian Sovereignty Mana`o

Aloha and Thank you for reading, education is the weapon of choice for some.