Native Hawaii’s Movement for Independence
July 21st, 2008 by Palaka | no responses
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Native Hawaii’s movement for independence began many years ago and continues to this day. In 1893, Queen Lili’uokalani was overthrown and a military occupation of the Hawaiian Islands began. In 1898, Hawaii was annexed as part of the United States. Many native Hawaiians feel that both of these actions violated their right to independence as the native inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands.
Native Hawaii’s movement for independence takes on several different forms. Some Hawaiian natives seek a formal apology from the U.S. government along with formal reparations such as land or monetary compensation, and a reinstitution of the traditions and government of the native Hawaiian people.
Others would like to see Hawaii become independent from the United States and rule as a sovereign nation of its own. Some groups include only those with Hawaiian ancestry, while others include anyone considered to be a Hawaiian natural citizen, regardless of race.
Native Hawaii’s movement for independence is often compared to the plight of Native American Indians in the mainland United States. For this reason, some oppose the movement because they believe it encourages a form of racism. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled in Rice v. Cayetano that it was illegal to allow only Native Hawaiian citizens to vote in elections.
The United States government did issue a formal apology to the Hawaiian people for the United States treatment of Hawaiian citizens 100 years ago.
Native Hawaii’s Movement for Independence Today
According to a recent New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/us/03hawaii.html ), one Hawaiian independence group made the headlines once again in May of this year by taking control of the Royal Hawaiian Palace.
The Palace is now a museum and is open to the public. It is a popular tourist destination, but on a Friday afternoon in May 2008, members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, a group that supports native Hawaii’s movement for independence, locked visitors out of the Palace for several hours. The stand off ended peacefully a few hours later, but the group made a vow to return to the palace five days a week, Monday through Friday, to make a further show of their opposition to Hawaii’s lack of self-determination.
“We are here; we’re not going to go,” said the group’s leader, Mahealani Kahau, who had a security detail of a half-dozen men surrounding her Friday on a corner of the lawn behind the palace where they had erected a tent. Ms. Kahau said members of her group planned to return to the 11-acre palace complex, a public park abutting the Hawaii Capitol, every day except Saturdays and Sundays. (Taken from the aforementioned New York Times article by Janis L. Magin.)
Native Hawaii’s movement foe independence has many supporters and many opponents as well. The one thing the nearly all Native Hawaiians agree on is that unity is not a common quality for the Hawaiian people.
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The Author: Palaka
About: Palaka is Hawaiian for Brad. Pelanakelina is Hawaiian for Bradley. Brad is a staff writer for Aloha Condos.
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