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 KAULANA NAPUA
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May 27, 2002 |
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by: Robynne Boyd
 Strolling across the Haena Beach Park lawn I saw a large tent flying two Hawaiian flags in the strong north shore winds and a painted sign claiming ownership to the national lands of Hawaii within a Ti leaf decorated fence. I had come to seek an education on the much debated, Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement.
This was Sunday, November 4, 200l, the third day of the, “Hawaiian Occupation,” a week long camp out with four sites located around the island of Kauai. “To educate the people of Hawaii and the world that the reinstated lawful Hawaiian government has initiated the process of reclaiming all the national lands that belong to the inherent sovereignty,” read the bold print once inside the tent. “But, what exactly does this mean and is this a possible reality,” I asked Kopa, one of the official spokespersons for the site.
Kopa looked at me with compassion in his eyes and began to recount a detailed history of the Hawaiian Islands. In January of 1893 armed naval forces of the United States, led by John L. Stevens, the U.S. Minister assigned to the kingdom of Hawaii surrounded Iolani Palace in order to force the monarchy into submission. Queen Lili’uokalani, the constitutional monarch presiding at the palace in Honolulu, had no choice but to relinquish her authority due to the fear of bloodshed.
”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, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands,” quotes the Queens letter to President Cleveland.
The provisional government took hold of the island and five years after the coup d’etat elections took place. Prior to this election, only Hawaiians held the right to vote, but this time things had changed. All persons speaking languages other than English, were allowed to vote, leading plantation workers to vote in favor of the insurrectionists, the people they worked for. The votes in favor of the United States outnumbered the Hawaiians drastically,and so in July of 1898 control of the national lands of the Kingdom of Hawaii was given to the United States.
One hundred years later, 1993, the Joint Resolution Public Law 103-150 was created, admitting to the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, which was a breach in international law. This was the first time in history the indecency was publicly and politically recognized.
These are but a few highlights as to why every government ever to create laws since 1893 could be viewed as illegal. Silence. I stared at Kopa while the avalanche of new knowledge tumbled through my mind. Prior to this moment I did not understand the reasons behind the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement. When injustice has occurred the only way to affect change is to act, this is exactly what is occurring and it is happening peacefully.
“I was born to this island, destiny is already set. If we don’t reclaim, reinstate and reorganize, everything in our culture was worth nothing. It is my kulian, my responsibility. Everybody has one responsibility to our ancestors to make it rite, if not, we are promoting the extinction of the Ka na ka maoli race, (a blood line which can be traced back 1,000 yrs. prior to Christopher Columbus) then we have helped with the genocide of our people.” Kopa words rang in my head and floated away on the winds. We stood up, a new understanding growing between us, and I too headed out into the wind.
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