Hawaiian group demands restoration of the monarchy

[douglas9]

Source: Associated Press

Surrounded by royal guards and the occasional tourist, Her Majesty Mahealani Kahau and her government ministers hold court every day under a tent outside the palace of Hawaii's last monarch, passing laws and discussing how to secure reparations for the Native Hawaiian people.

Kahau and her followers are members of the self-proclaimed Hawaiian Kingdom Government, which is devoted to restoring the Hawaiian monarchy overthrown in 1893. Nearly two months ago, they stormed the gates of the old Iolani Palace, and they have politely occupied the grounds ever since, operating like a government-in-exile.

"We're here to assume and resume what is already ours and what has always been ours," said Kahau, who is a descendant of Hawaii's last king and was elected "head of state" by the group.

The Hawaiian Kingdom Government, which was founded seven years ago and claims 1,000 followers, uses its own license plates and maintains its own judicial system. In recent years, members have voted to dissolve the state of Hawaii, its land titles, welfare programs and public schools. They also claim the right to confiscate all bank assets in Hawaii.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/06/19/national/a114720D33.DTL

[AngryAmish]

1. I too would like 7 trillion dollars and get to boss people around

These thugs need to find out that monarchy is the worst form of government. Who elected them?

[atreides1]

6. And they're "Thugs" Why???

There are not doing anything to hurt people, nor have they be accused of any violent acts.

[Tarc]

2. "one of several native organizations that claim sovereignty"

Not that this has much legitimacy to begin with, but according to the article they aren't the only one who claims sovereignty.

[msongs]

3. the hawaiians had a brutal oppresive monarchy system maintained by fear and class nt

[ChicagoRonin]

4. Yeah, but so did all the nations of Europe . . .

. . . but they had a chance to face their own problems over time and eventually evolved into the modern States that exist today.

So, you really think it's better that a native peoples have their islands invaded and colonized by a combination of greedy foreign capitalists, invasive missionaries and foreign military? Then, subsequently have their people wiped out by alien diseases, their native plants and animals threatened by invasive foreign species, and have their culture gradually and inexorably wiped out over time, to be reduced to a few legitimate sprinklings and a watered-down Disneyfied version to entertain white tourists?

Sorry, my father grew up on the island of Kauai and my family worked for the sugar companies (and NOT as managers or owners, if you get the drift). I'm a tad sensitive on the subject.

[atreides1]

5. It Didn't Get Any Better

'In 1887, under the influence of Walter M. Gibson, a group of primarily American and European businessmen, including kingdom subjects and members of the Hawaiian government forced Kalākaua to sign the derisively nicknamed "Bayonet Constitution" which stripped the king of administrative authority, eliminated voting rights for Asians and set minimum income and property requirements for American, European and native Hawaiian voters, essentially limiting the electorate to wealthy elite Americans, Europeans and native Hawaiians. King Kalakaua reigned until his death in 1891. His sister, Liliuokalani (Liliʻuokalani), succeeded him to the throne and ruled until her overthrow in 1893.'

[cosanostradamus]

7. KOHU 'OLE

.
Nonsense.

Hawaii's last monarchs were elected or appointed by the legislature, due to a failure of the previous monarchs to name their own heirs. The position ceased to be hereditary following the adoption of the Bayonet Constitution of 1887. Kalakaua, the "Merrie (or spendthrift) Monarch" was the last King. His sister, Lilioukalani, was the last Queen, deposed in 1893. Neither had any children, and neither descended directly from Kamehameha I, the first king, put in place by British guns in 1810. Before that, each island had its' own chiefs, but there were no kings over all. No one owned any land until the Brits introduced the notion of ownership of land. Soon, the monarchy was ripping off, doling out, mortgaging and selling off the "people's" land. It was their own "ali'i" that screwed them in the first place. Their reign lasted only 83 years; begun and ended by haole guns.

The whole sovereignty movement is based on fairy tales of a paradise that never existed, where there was peace and harmony and plenty, and everybody had land and a just government. There are no legitimate representatives of the Hawaiian people today. There are very few people with even 50% Hawaiian blood any more. Due to squabbling and backstabbing and greed and power-madness, there will be no solution to the sovereignty question any time soon: Most "activists" oppose the only game in town, the Akaka Bill, stalled in Congress for years now. By the time the dust settles, there will be no one with 50% Hawaiian blood, a requirement modeled on Indian sovereignty agreements.

The clowns at the Palace, which was the most expensive edifice ever constructed by an Hawaiian monarch, and in which no monarch ever lived until Lilioukalani was imprisoned there, briefly, are an embarrassment to the real Hawaiian people, whose ethos they violate by their every act. They're a joke that nobody even bothers to laugh at. Nobody in their right mind wants a monarchy back, certainly not the undemocratic kind they used to have.

It's a sad story. But most histories are.
.

[KamaAina]

8. E komo mai and welcome to DU!

The life of a DUer out here is a lonely one indeed... :hi:

[cosanostradamus]

9. ALOHA & MAHALOS.

.
Lonely how?
.

[KamaAina]

11. There are very, very few Hawai'i posters

and one moved back to L.A. last year. :(

At the moment, you've pretty much got mahina, ellisonz, myself, now yourself, and of course the great opihimoimoi.

There are, however, plenty of mainland DUers who take an interest in us, as evidenced by the replies here.

[cosanostradamus]

13. OIC

[KamaAina]

10. This has been going on for weeks

so now, of course, the mainland press finally picks up on it. The SF Chron reporter probably saw them while out here on vacation. :eyes:

The first occupation (by this particular group; there have been others) occurred on Apr. 30.

http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=7036

A group calling itself the Hawaiian Kingdom Government left the grounds of Iolani Palace this afternoon after temporarily blocking the public, tourists and government workers from the area today....

This morning, the group put locks and "No Trespassing" signs on the palace gates. Two men at the gate fronting the state Capitol, Harris Fuller and Kimo Kamakeeaina, said they were sheriffs in the Hawaiian Kingdom Government and would not let non-Hawaiians nor people who were not "citizens of the kingdom" enter. The gates had large yellow signs claiming that entering the area would be considered "Criminal Trespass" by the Hawaiian Kingdom Government....

The Friends of Iolani Palace issued a statement late this morning decrying the takeover the palace....

"As a matter of historical record, we wish to point out that the original seat of government of the Hawaiian Kingdom was NOT Iolani Palace. The Palace was the royal RESIDENCE. Government activities were carried out in the original Courthouse (now demolished), then later in Aliiolani Hale," the statement continued.

edit: smilie

[cosanostradamus]

12. I TRY TO AVOID THAT PART OF TOWN

[KamaAina]

14. I have to ride the bus right past it on the way home

so, no can do. :-)

[cosanostradamus]

15. NOT A NEIGHBORHOOD YOU WANT TO BE IN AT NIGHT, DOWNTOWN

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KamaAina]

17. Could it be the CAPS?

ALL CAPS is considered poor form hereabouts.