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History of efforts to create a Hawaiian tribe during the 115th Congress from May 1 through June 30, 2018; including efforts to create a state-recognized tribe and efforts to get federal recognition through administrative rule changes, executive order, or Congressional legislation. Bob Jones, weekly column in Honolulu Midweek, describes Ken Conklin's analysis of the 2018 legislature's record of defeating most bills and resolutions that were focused on racial entitlement programs and racial separatism. Conklin vs. Kamehameha School and public schools re alleged Hawaiian values. Leon Siu gains publicity as Minister of Foreign Affairs of still-living Hawaiian Kingdom.


(c) Copyright 2018 Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D. All rights reserved

INDEX OF NEWS REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES FROM MAY 1 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2018

May 10, 2018: Writer from "Dope Magazine" visits Bumpy Kanahele's so-called sovereign "Nation of Hawaii" in Waimanalo (O'ahu) where he grows marijuana. Bumpy claims his piece of land is sovereign and independent; but he pays $250 per month lease rent to the State of Hawaii -- a fact not mentioned in the article. The article has many inaccuracies about Hawaiian history, which is typical of "news reports" written by reporters who are enthralled by charismatic leaders of the sovereignty movement.

May 11 and 13: Guam is a U.S. territory. For many years the issue of its political status has been debated. Candidates for Governor presented their views during a public forum. There's a proposal to hold a plebiscite where only those people who are descended from indigenous Chamorros would be allowed to vote among three choices: full independence, statehood in the U.S., or free association under a treaty. A lawsuit has been in federal court for several years regarding whether the racial restriction on voting is permissible, similar to Rice v. Cayetano and Akina v. Hawaii

May 22: Elaine Willman, past chair of Citizens Equal Rights Alliance, describes how "yesterday sticks" (long-dead treaties with Indian tribes) are used today to kneecap federal Indian policy. There are clear implications for Hawaii (overthrow of monarchy, "no treaty of annexation", apology resolution)

May 23: Bob Jones, weekly column in Honolulu Midweek, describes Ken Conklin's analysis of the 2018 legislature's record of defeating most bills and resolutions that were focused on racial entitlement programs and racial separatism.

June 10 & 12: Kamehameha Day celebrated at his statue in Washington DC by Hawaii Rep Tulsi Gabbard & Sen Mazie Hirono who turn it into a celebration of dead Senator Akaka and lamentation that some in Congress "oppose any measure that includes the words 'Native Hawaiian.'" and engage in "efforts to erase Native Hawaiians from the federal record."

June 13: Lengthy newspaper commentary by Superintendent of State of Hawaii Dept of Education, State of Hawaii chairman of the Public Charter School Commission, and CEO of Kamehameha Schools, urging that "Hawaiian values" should be infused even more pervasively into Hawaii schools. [see response on June 17]

June 14: "The Abolition of Slavery in Hawaii" describes how the Organic Act implementing annexation, enacted on June 14, 1900, abolished the indentured servitude of plantation workers which the Hawaiian Kingdom had enacted in the Masters and Servants Act of 1850.

June 14-15: News report about the statue of Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III , 12 ft. tall, costing $250,000, to be dedicated at Thomas Square in Honolulu on July 31 in celebration of Sovereignty Restoration Day [1843 when the British flag was taken down and sovereignty was restored to that King following a military occupation of several months by a rogue warship captain].

June 15: Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, "a senior professor at the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa" essay in Honolulu Civil Beat online newspaper: "Let's Create A New Native Hawaiian Homeland -- Giving Hawaiians land in each of the 1,600 Ahupua'a in Hawaii is a place to start."

June 17: Ken Conklin, letter to editor 'Correct some 'Hawaiian values' responds to June 13 commentary by calling for rejection of Hawaiian religious fascism in school curriculum and deploring Kamehameha School racial segregation policy. Defend the values of unity, equality, and the Aloha Spirit.

June 21: Letter to editor by Hawaiian sovereignty activist expressing outrage over Conklin's letter of June 17 and attempting a point-by-point rebuttal.

June 23: Stephen Kinzer commentary in The Boston Globe describes Hawaiian independence movement led by Leon Siu who lobbies at the United Nations, claiming the Hawaiian Kingdom still has sovereignty but is under military occupation by United States since 1893.

June 29-30 Ke Aupuni Update By H.E. Leon Kaulahao Siu - Minister of Foreign Affairs - The Hawaiian Kingdom.. Here's a shocker - The Hawaiian Islands is not a part of the United States of America! Domestic and international actions seeking restoration of Hawaiian independence.

END OF INDEX FROM MAY 1 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2018


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BEGIN FULL TEXT OF ALL ITEMS IN THE INDEX, FROM MAY 1 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2018

https://www.dopemagazine.com/untold-story-hawaii/
Dope Magazine, May 10, 2018

DOPE on the Road: Americans By Force
The Untold Story of Hawaii

by Jonah Tacoma

I stared out the backseat window of our rented Jeep Wrangler as the concrete sprawl of Honolulu gave way to lush jungle. We had spent the last three days working the Hawaiian Cannabis Expo, and all four of us were happy to be getting out of the city. I jokingly prepared the crew for what was to come. "There's probably going to be men with machine guns," I warned, playing on the anxiety that was building in the car. "They may make you wear a blindfold for the last part of the trip."

We were on our way to see our first large scale Hawaiian grow, and none of us knew just what to expect. Large-scale grows are almost unheard-of on the islands and never spoken of, especially to off-islanders. This was my fourth year working the cannabis scene on Oahu, and while we had seen our share of home grows and good island weed, this was a step beyond -- a step into a world few people even knew existed.

Steep mountain peaks rose up into the clouds, bursting out of the ground like a scene from a James A. Michener novel. Jurassic Park was filmed nearby, and it was easy to see why. More than 2,000 miles from the mainland, the eight-island chain is one of the most remote in the world. We turned off the two-lane road into the parking lot of a small BBQ spot, the droning voice of the GPS announcing our arrival. The smell of island pork filled the car. I found my contact waiting at a small picnic table outside, eating his lunch from a Styrofoam clam shell.

He quickly briefed me on what was about to go down. Turns out my tales of men with machine guns were not too far from the truth. "You are about to meet a man who many people recognize as the King of Hawaii," he explained, his voice somber. I briefed the crew as we fell in line behind his 4×4, all the humor gone from my voice. "We have to make sure we carry ourselves with respect," I said, turning to face my business partner, Jeremy, and his wife, Mari, in the back seat. "I have the feeling they don't get many visitors."

Veering off the one-lane road we followed the 4×4 onto a winding private drive, diving straight into the jungle, the mountain peaks now looming over us like protective giants. An eight-foot tall iron security gate halted our procession. An armed guard in a small security shack buzzed the gate and two trucks hummed to life, backing out of the way to let our procession through before retaking their positions.

A series of small houses lined the dirt road. Massive caged Pit Bulls crossed with a breed I didn't quite recognize greeted our arrival with howls and bays, clawing at their wire enclosures as we passed. We pulled to a stop in front of a large community building. One of the massive dogs ran up to me untethered as I stepped out of the Jeep, her face scarred but friendly. I ventured out a hand, holding it in front of her giant wet nose as she gave me a lick of approval.

Our contact motioned us into the building, leading our small party to a conference room. A giant, weathered table encircled by office chairs dominated the space. We took our seats only to quickly rise again as two large Hawaiians entered the room and stepped briskly to the side to make way for a third, an older, heavy-set, muscular man who introduced himself as "Uncle Bumpy," extending his oak tree of an arm to shake my hand.

"Welcome to the Hawaiian Nation, my brotha," he said. He motioned for us to take our seats and one of the men, who he introduced as his nephew, Brandon, began to pass out small, hand-printed pamphlets bearing the seal of the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii. I flipped through mine. The carefully typed print was highlighted in yellow, outlining a timeline of events leading up to the establishment of the Pu'uhonua o Waimānalo, loosely translated as place of refuge.

"I told them we were going to take all this land back, but it all started with our occupation of the beach at Sea Life Park some 300 strong." Bumpy's tone was low and serious, almost ceremonial, and our group sat quiet as he went on. "We just camped out. We built wooden structures up. This was a major tourist destination, and we stayed there for over 15 months, from 1994 to 1995. By the time they offered us the land I didn't want to sign, but I was worried because the beach was becoming crowded with unknowns using the beach to hide from the law."

I checked my recorder to make sure I was getting the audio. Uncle Bumpy went on. "I wanted to hold them accountable. It was like having your most prized possession taken away. We were colonized, brah. They taught us American ideals and American purpose. They tried to take our culture away, the same way they have tried to do to all Indigenous Peoples throughout time."

Hawaii had remained an independent monarchy until January 17, 1893, 100 years to the day before Dennis "Bumpy" Pu'uhonua Kanahele, AKA Uncle Bumpy, would lead his band of 300 Hawaiian natives to the occupation at Sea Life park, the eight-island nation taken over by a handful of American religious missionaries with the backing of a small contingent of U.S. Marines. Then-president Grover Cleveland reacted by rejecting the illegal takeover of a sovereign nation, demanding that power be returned to ruling queen Lili'uokalani. Seven months later, Congress declared the coup an "Act of War" on a friendly and independent nation. In spite of the lobbying, commercial and religious interests managed to pervade and the temporary republic was eventually adopted as the fiftieth U.S. state.

Bumpy went on. "We had treaties with over 20 different countries, trade, navigation -- we had all of this, brah." His tone was somber now, and you could feel the loss in his voice. "We are no longer looking for a win brotha -- we are looking to survive." His nephew Brandon spoke up for the first time, his voice surprisingly powerful, easily filling the small room. "In April we will speak before the United Nations. We want to present our issues, but then quickly pivot to the solutions we already have in place. This is applicable to all Indigenous Peoples. They can do what we have done, if properly supported." He motioned to the 50-acre compound around us.

Bumpy leaned in, locking eyes with me from across the table. "Imagine helping to create a country ... Inside our country, inside these gates, we can do what we need to do. We have a monetary system; we are embracing cryptocurrency. The stuff we grow over here is helping people all over the place -- real Hawaiian medicine, brah." The energy in the room was rising, and I could feel the hairs on my arms starting to stand up.

"We into making justice show up again," said Bumpy, his hands raised in exasperation. "It's been around the corner hiding for too long, because it's been suppressed. Your tattoos give you away, brotha -- you are one of us. Cannabis, cryptocurrency, they are the same; they need a country to embrace them, and we will be that country, brotha." With that he stood, motioning for us to rise as well. "Come, we will show you the land and then you can see what you came here to see," he said, smiling. We exited the building into a pair of waiting ATV's and raced off further into the jungle.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the kingdom, smoking oversized joints, and exploring the community cannabis gardens. As we hugged our goodbyes and promised to return again, one thing was certain: what they're doing here is groundbreaking. This little-publicized victory in the jungle was a win for the people. Like the cannabis movement, this land represented a chink in the armor of the powers that be. Whatever the future would hold, we all left wishing our best to this tiny sovereign nation holding its own in the South Pacific.

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** Note from webpage editor Ken Conklin: There have been court battles in Hawaii for 20 years over the question whether ethnic Hawaiians can hold a government-sponsored racially exclusionary election to choose their own governing entity. That struggle reached the U.S. Supreme Court in its year 2000 decision in Rice v. Cayetano; and again in the 2015 Supreme Court injunction in Akina v. State of Hawaii against the Na'i Aupuni election in November 2015. Legal briefs in the Akina case cited the 9th Circuit case regarding whether Guam can hold an election to make Guam an independent nation where the list of voters would be racially restricted to "indigenous" Guamanians; and that Guam lawsuit remains an issue in the 2018 Guam election of Governor. Here are two items published in Guam on May 11 and May 13, 2018. Hawaii is not mentioned, but the issues are closely similar. Both Guam and Hawaii are under jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, so that any decision about Guam or Hawaii is also binding on the other.

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https://www.postguam.com/forum/letter_to_the_editor/guam-needs-a-constitutional-convention/article_302d1f08-541a-11e8-b1cc-17dab4899777.html

Guam Daily Post, May 11, 2018, Letter to editor

Guam needs a constitutional convention

by Curtis Vandeveld

Self-determination for Guam is a matter best decided by careful consideration of all the options.

One option is to remain a possession, to seek statehood or to be a separate nation. An appropriate simplistic analogy of this issue is like having to make a decision which food tastes best, one which everyone has tried and two other options that no one gets to know before choosing. How can a person make a smart choice without knowing the consequences of the choice? Guam's residents understand the present situation of being a U.S. possession. This option itself holds opportunity for greater independence which includes self-support of government financial needs by creating our own tax laws.

As an independent nation, Guam will not receive federal grants to states and territories, a significant funding source the government now receives, and will have to establish its own tax laws and self-fund its government.

Like an adult child who lives with his parents, though the child is legally able to make his own decisions, as long as the child lives with the parents, the parents control their house and the child's power of self-determination is limited by "my house, my rules."

Guam needs to hold a constitutional convention. The last constitutional convention was nearly 50 years ago. The United States has funded constitutional conventions for other territories. Guam should seek federal funding for such a convention. The people of Guam should decide what independence looks like before taking the leap into self-government.

Attorney Curtis Vandeveld is a Piti resident.

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https://www.postguam.com/news/local/future-ties-with-us-weighed/article_bc9430ee-565e-11e8-9d17-4b7e2a036c45.html

Guam Daily Post, May 13, 2018

Future ties with US weighed

Tuesday's "One Guam" debate on decolonization offered Guam's five gubernatorial candidates a chance to state their positions in the ongoing debate over the island's political status.

All five candidates expressed their support for the proposed nonbinding plebiscite on the island's political status.

That plebiscite offers three options – independence, statehood or free association. Leaving the island's current political status unchanged is not among the options, and none of the candidates on Tuesday night expressed support for the status quo.

The plebiscite law is under legal challenge by retired Air Force officer Arnold "Dave" Davis who alleges racial bias because participation in the plebiscite is limited to CHamorus only, or those deemed "native inhabitants," in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood of the District Court of Guam found in favor of Davis in a ruling issued in March 2017. The case is under appeal now before the 9th Circuit.

Frank Aguon Jr. - independence

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sen. Frank Aguon Jr. was one of two candidates who declared their support for some form of independence.

Throughout the debate, a sign in front of his podium declared "I am one vote for independence," and that is what he declared, when the candidates were asked to sum up their positions.

"This evening I stand before you as a native inhabitant, a CHamoru," declared the senator, and "I believe that the time is now for our people to pull ourselves out from under any administerial power. ... I am one vote for independence."

When asked by The Guam Daily Post for a clarification on the form of independence he envisions, the senator issued a written statement saying "a single vote will not determine the future political status of our island" and he would "follow the mandate of the law and the chosen status of our people."

Carl Gutierrez – an independent stance

Former Gov. Carl Gutierrez also spoke about the need for independence, declaring during the debate "the only solution for decolonization is independence."

The two-term former governor later explained what he envisions.

Gutierrez does not advocate for complete separation from the U.S. government, but the adoption of an independent stance, approved by Guam voters, for the purpose of forming a federal commission that would include the governor, or whomever the governor appoints, and representatives from the State Department and the Defense Department.

"These are the two that really have the power here, right?" said Gutierrez. The Interior Department would be excluded from the commission, he said.

"They would review legislation coming out of the Congress," and make recommendations on what federal laws should or should not apply to Guam. "That's meaningful participation," said Gutierrez.

Lou Leon Guerrero – a complex issue

Democrat Lou Leon Guerrero called the decolonization issue complex.

She did insist on the right of CHamoru self-determination and said she would "continue the fight to hold a vote to correct the historical injustice against Guam," and appeal the Davis lawsuit "all the way to the Supreme Court."

But she said, "The most important question of this debate is this: Is Guam prepared for whatever option we might choose?"

Leon Guerrero did not declare herself in favor of any of the options. Instead, she said it was "very important that we educate our people ... so we know what the impacts are on commerce, trade, economy and social services."

Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr. – another option

"I stand here in full support of CHamoru self-determination," declared Democratic Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr. He also committed to supporting the plebiscite appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

However, he did not specifically declare himself in favor of statehood, independence, free association or the status quo.

Instead, Rodriguez suggested another option, "to go the Native American route." If the U.S. Congress were to grant the CHamoru people recognition as a federally recognized Native American tribe, that would be an alternative route to decolonization that he said would be worth exploring.

"We're going to enlist the help of the public policy center here at the (University of Guam) to really look further at this option," he said.

Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio – a continuing relationship

"We must right the wrongs," said Republican Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio, "by enabling native inhabitants, the CHamorus, to declare their fundamental right to self-determination."

"We need to allow a CHamoru-only vote," he said, and he would fight to appeal the Davis lawsuit all the way "up to the United States Supreme Court" to allow for such a vote to occur.

He took no direct stance on the political status options, but he made it clear that he continues to support a continuing relationship with Washington, D.C.

"The United States wants to stay here, that's fine," said Tenorio, "but come to the table and negotiate the terms, allow us a halfway equally seating."

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Note from website editor Ken Conklin: This article, written for a nationwide audience about federal Indian policy, has obvious application to demands for Hawaiian sovereignty and for federal recognition of a Hawaiian tribe. Remember Hawaiian claims about 1893 "illegal overthrow" of Hawaiian monarchy resulting from "armed invasion" by U.S. troops; 1993 apology resolution; Hawaiian Kingdom treaty of friendship and commerce allegedly takes precedence over "illegal" annexation by means of joint resolution; etc.

http://thiswestisourwest.com/index.cfm/in-the-news/kneecapping-america-with-yesterday-sticks/
This Is Our West, May 22, 2018

Kneecapping America with 'Yesterday Sticks'

By Elaine D. Willman, MPA

One of the most mean-spirited emotional weapons is what I call the Yesterday Stick. Here's how it works: A long-time married couple has survived a long-ago spousal affair, but one spouse never forgets and raises that Yesterday Stick as a power tool frequently in their marriage. Or a recovering alcoholic has successfully turned his/her life around with several years of sobriety, but relatives continually remember that "we knew you when!" Or a convicted felon who has paid the consequences and transformed his/her life is forever stained with the Yesterday Stick.

Yesterday facts are unfortunate events that cannot be changed. Slavery is one. Tribalism is another. Black Lives Matter radicals rely upon the Slavery Stick to continually demean all of America's ancestors and founders. Our country stopped this madness over a century ago, but weaponizing yesterday's flaws today works marvelously to spread false guilt and inferiority to our fellow Americans in this and future centuries. Until we stop it. Just stop it.

INDIAN TREATIES: A YESTERDAY STICK

The same can be said for long-ago dead Indian treaties. The legal industry thrives on conflict, so asserting ancient Indian treaty rights in the present creates instant conflict in light of contemporary demographics, towns and counties on reservations today. The Washington State "Culvert" case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court today is a prime example. The case asserts that old treaty rights are superior to state sovereignty. Yet, life has dramatically changed with predominantly non-Indian populations on reservations that include state, county and municipal jurisdictional authorities within reservation boundaries. Tribal constitutions limit their governance to their enrolled members and their Indian lands, only. That's likely why tribal governments and the legal industry are rapidly reclaiming old dead treaty rights for off-reservation and "aboriginal" rights.

RESERVATIONS' REALITY

On most reservations it is the non-Indian economy that provides abundant resources and quality of life to tribal and non-tribal reservation residents. And yet, the growing trend of reasserting treaty rights sends a message that all Congressional statutes and judicial rulings from the 1850's forward are irrelevant, and that only treaty rights are perpetual and cannot be supplanted. What a whopper of a lie is this Yesterday Stick.

Perhaps the remedy is to actually acknowledge these treaty rights and remove all other benefits that Congress and communities have provided to tribal governments for 200 years. Restore reservations to the 1850's – no more annual funding to tribes, no electricity, no flat screen TV's, no cell phones, no cars, no casinos, nothing that non-tribal Americans created for the benefit of all. Return reservations to their Old Life Ways under their old dead treaties. Yes, were we to succumb to the Treaty Yesterday Stick, the irony is that the resulting lifestyle would be one Native Americans truly would not want today. Instead, we have heavily rewarded tribal government with ongoing largesse while getting sand kicked in our teeth.

Justice Antonin Scalia in agreement with Justice Clarence Thomas, have clearly described America's racial problem in a 1995 Indian law Supreme Court ruling as follows:

"More than good motives should be required when government seeks to allocate its resources by way of an explicit racial classification system...the basic principle of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution protects persons, not groups ... distinctions between citizens solely because of their ancestry are by their very nature odious to a free people." -- Adarand v. Pena, USSC (1995)

We are clearly not a free and equal people while racial classifications exist in any form in America. We will never be a free people while American taxpayers are indentured to annually subsidize all the basic needs of just one ethnicity -- 567 Native American tribal governments.

FEDERAL AGENCIES: YESTERDAY STICK IMPLEMENTERS

So how are these Yesterday Sticks implemented? Within Columbia Law Professor Philip Hamburger's acclaimed body of expertise on Administrative Law in America, we learn that the Executive Branch has created a powerful workaround that transfers power from Congress and the Courts to federal "regulatory" agencies.

There is no better example than the enormous Bureau of Indian Affairs, staffed by thousands of predominantly tribal employees, funding all basic needs of 567 tribal governments composed of a mere 0.06% of our country's population. Yet another example is the thuggery implemented upon landowners across the country by Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture, et al.

Each of these federal agencies has their own Administrative Law Courts. They make the rules, set the fines and penalties, impose and enforce their regulations upon persons and private properties (bypassing state authority), then stand as judge and jury when a citizen objects. The Interior Board of Indian Appeals is a prime example of an agency Administrative Law Court. Imagine any objectivity in such a court. Federal agency autonomy, coupled with their administrative law courts, is a debilitating system that far exceeds the intent of the balance of power between the three branches of government succinctly defined in the U.S. Constitution.

In addition to Administrative Law, there is the onslaught of The Diversity Principle, fueled by 156 separate ethnicities identified by the U.S. Census Bureau, each category of which sets the stage for racially- based funded programs. Diversity propaganda over the past decade has turned "Equality" into an undesirable term ... now politically incorrect. Americans are consistently categorized by skin tone in a racial hierarchy that trumps our Constitutional Amendments and puts equality six feet underground.

THE RIGHT REMEDY: AMERICANISM

The entrenchment of these racial Yesterday Sticks is such that their removal from our American governance would be an earthquake shift among federal and state agencies, but it can and should be done. Just suppose that all federal funding were based solely upon one single and neutral requirement--annual household income. Period. Annual household income would not involve race, religion, marital status, sexual lifestyle; nothing except household income. It would simply be a calculation of the number of persons within an American household, and an established poverty income threshold level. That simple. Such fairness would collapse race-based programs throughout the maze of federal and state agencies, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The simplicity of Annual Household Income would eliminate most, if not all, of the Yesterday Sticks, and restore the principle of equality to its rightful place in this country. No American household in poverty would be ineligible.

Remedy will not come easily, but could begin with an Executive Order that requires elimination of all race-based federally funded programs within a reasonable time; perhaps two to three years. Congress could then follow the lead of the Executive Branch and ensure that America ceases its racial preference funding.

Tribalism is communalism based upon race, and was never contemplated as a governing system in the U.S. Constitution. Communalism is socialism, antithetical to the government our Founders provided. The federal government should return back to the tribes all lands acquired by tribes and donated to the federal government to be held in "trust" title by the United States on behalf of Indian tribes. Tribally owned lands should be restored to the authority and jurisdiction of the state, like all other lands ceded to the states upon statehood.

The severity of tribalism and diversity Yesterday Sticks is truly kneecapping equality and individual civil rights in this country. It is not too late to end these debilitating forces, but if nothing is done, it soon will be too late.

Elaine Willman, MPA, served from 2002 - 2007 as National Chair of Citizens Equal Rights Alliance (CERA), an organization of community education groups and citizens in 25 states who reside within or near federally recognized Indian reservations. She is a retired career municipal administrator, and author of Going to Pieces ... the Dismantling of the United States of America (2005), and Slumbering Thunder ... a primer for confronting the spread of federal Indian policy and tribalism overwhelming America (2016). Email her at: toppin@aol.com

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http://midweek.com/pdf/MidWeek/2018/0523/html5forpc.html?page=8
Midweek [Honolulu weekly newspaper], Vol. 34, No. 45, May 23, 2018, page 8.

"Hawaiian Issues Are No Biggie For Legislature"

by Bob Jones, columnist
[note by website editor Ken Conklin: Bob based his column on my webpage and a couple of email exchanges, after he saw an announcement I made on Facebook. My webpage is:
"Hawaii Legislature 2018 -- Bills and Resolutions Related to Hawaiian Sovereignty. Text, testimony, and outcome." at
https://tinyurl.com/yd4gknet

"Hawaiian Issues Are No Biggie For Legislature"


Photo caption:
Kenneth Conklin says lawmakers avoid offending Hawaiians and the "tycoons who run their megabucks programs" by killing controversial measures without voting on them.

The 2018 legislature killed 3.7 bills and resolutions on Hawaiian topics for every one it passed. That's stunning for a legislature normally vibrating to the same oscillation as its Hawaiian-blood constituents.

Coincidence or not, this was the year that anti-Hawaiian-sovereignty scholar Kenneth Conklin, with doctorates in philosophy and education, testified at length against a record 17 such bills and resolutions.

Conklin says: "Legislation focusing on ethnic Hawaiians is often explicitly and shockingly favorable to racial supremacy, racial separatism in the tribal concept, and/or restoration of Hawai'i as an independent nation."

He adds, "Legislation in Hawai'i for racial entitlement programs or race-based political power is usually passed unanimously, showing no difference between Democrats and Republicans."

Not this year, and what did not get enough votes (or stealthily died in a conference committee) is much more interesting than what did pass. Many of the dead ones would have tapped the state budget for lots of money:

•SB2136/HB1747 would have set $35 million as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' pro rata share of the public land trust money.
•HB1999 would require government decision-makers at the state and county levels to attend a training course on Native Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian rights.
•HB2438 states knowledge of the Hawaiian language should be a desirable qualification for all state positions. It would have required all public information officers of the state to have basic skills in Hawaiian.
•SB2079 would have charged/fined any person who captured or killed any shark within state marine waters, except for Hawaiian gatherers and/or cultural practitioners.
•HB12473/SB2424 would have authorized the construction and use of micro-housing units on Hawaiian Home Lands, notwithstanding any contravening zoning laws, permit provisions or building codes.

The Hawaiian bills or resolutions that did pass were truly manini. For example, House Concurrent Resolution 160, which urges -- not mandates -- use of the Hawaiian language when referring to place names and geographic features here. Who's going to argue about that? Or Senate Resolution 18 "encouraging the improved pronunciation of words in the Hawaiian language."

Finally, our lawmakers sometimes don't want to be on record with a yes or no vote. So a measure to let every person self-identify as born here or as a pre-1893 Hawaiian Kingdom person's descendant to qualify as Hawaiian went to sleep quietly with nobody on record except the introducers, Rep. Maile Shimabukuro, and Sens. Stanley Chang, Lorraine Inouye, Kai Kahele and Clarence Nishihara.

Conklin says of those no-vote-at-all measures: "So even if there's a legislator who is weary of spending megabucks on racial entitlement programs, he can avoid offending the 'Hawaiian caucus' and the tycoons who run such programs."

And of the yes voters: "That's because ethnic Hawaiians as a group are the state pet."

Conklin's a scholar, not a diplomat.

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http://www.kitv.com/story/38391986/king-kamehameha-honored-in-washington-dc
KITV, June 10, 2018

King Kamehameha honored in Washington DC

WASHINGTON, D.C. - King Kamehameha isn't just celebrated in Hawaii. Across the Pacific, Hawaii's Congressional Delegation and the Hawaii State Society honored the king with a lei draping ceremony in the Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday. They've done this for 49 years now.

This year they marked the recent passing of another Hawaii great, U-S Senator Daniel K. Akaka. Hawaii's Congressional members including Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02),Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and others also paid tribute to Senator Akaka's work in Congress on behalf of the Native Hawaiian community, the environment, and Hawaii's families.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard says, "As we gather to honor King Kamehameha and celebrate our shared culture and history here in the United States Capitol, we also honor my dear friend and mentor, Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka. He dedicated his life to serving the people of Hawaii and our nation with a servant's heart of aloha. Senator Akaka's legacy is deeply rooted in how he lived aloha every day, showing kindness to all, and uniting people around a common mission of service to the people and our planet."

Senator Hirono says, "Senator Akaka's accomplishments on behalf of the Native Hawaiian community are a testament to his strong, bipartisan relationships and his tireless work ethic. In his persistent advocacy, he was unfailingly kind. He even treated those who disagreed with him with aloha.

"In order to pass the Apology Resolution or secure another year of federal funding for Native Hawaiian programs, he had to overcome attacks from those in Congress who oppose any measure that includes the words 'Native Hawaiian.' Unfortunately, these forces are still hard at work here in Congress, and have been joined by many in the White House.

"Our Congressional Delegation is committed to carrying forward Senator Akaka's work--despite these efforts to erase Native Hawaiians from the federal record."

** Ken Conklin's comment: So, it wasn't Kamehameha Day in Washington DC, it was Akaka Day. And it was Defending Racial Entitlements Day "--despite these efforts to erase Native Hawaiians from the federal record." Wow.

-------------------

https://votesmart.org/public-statement/1250968/year-of-the-hawaiian#.WyILZC3MyV4

Year of the Hawaiian

Floor Speech

By: Mazie Hirono
Date: June 12, 2018
Location: Washington, DC

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, last weekend, we gathered in the Capitol Visitor Center to celebrate the 283rd birthday of King Kamehameha I, who, to the best of our knowledge, was born in Kohala, HI, in 1735.

Since 1871, generations of Hawaiians have formally celebrated King Kamehameha's birthday through annual celebrations--including floral parades and lei-draping ceremonies. Kamehameha Day is celebrated across the State and is an acknowledged State holiday.

These events recognize the many accomplishments of Hawaii's first King and his importance in unifying the Hawaiian Islands.

This year was no different, as this past weekend tens of thousands of individuals gathered in Washington, DC, and Hawaii to remember his legacy and celebrate his accomplishments.

However, this year's ceremonies came at another important time of reflection.

On February 17, 2018, Gov. David Ige proclaimed 2018 to be the "Year of the Hawaiian, Ke Au Hawaii" in Hawaii. The Governor's proclamation came after the Hawaii State Legislature made a similar proclamation for the year.

So as we gathered to remember King Kamehameha, we also reflected more broadly on the achievements and contributions of Hawaii's indigenous, Native Hawaiian community in the areas of politics and government, education and the arts, music, writing and literature, sports, business, medicine, law, and social work.

We reflected on the restoration and revitalization of Native Hawaiian language and traditions and the importance of promoting Native Hawaiian cultural practices.

We remembered great statesmen like Daniel Kahikina Akaka, U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry, who served in Congress over the course of five decades and recently passed away.

We remembered philanthropists like Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

It has been 30 years since the last Year of the Hawaiian was celebrated in 1988, and important advancements by and for the Native Hawaiian community have been made since that time.

We have seen the creation and expansion of Native Hawaiian immersion schools and Hawaiian-focused charter schools. We have seen the establishment of a College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaii. We have seen the continued revitalization of Native Hawaiian navigation practices, including through the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage, which visited more than 150 ports and 23 countries and territories.

We have seen more than 14,000 Native Hawaiians serve in the U.S. military. We have seen the return of land and repatriation of Native Hawaiian cultural artifacts. We have seen the protection of Native Hawaiian burial sites. We have seen the expansion of Native Hawaiian healthcare services. We have seen the expansion of opportunities for Native Hawaiian businesses.

We have also seen the Federal Government reiterate its special political and legal relationship with the Hawaiian people based on their unique status as an indigenous people of this country.

These advancements, while important in themselves, represent a continued commitment to making sure the Federal Government upholds its responsibilities to the Hawaiian people.

So as we continue through the Year of the Hawaiian and celebrate these achievements, let us also renew our commitment to the Hawaiian people and make sure we continue to fight for future generations.

Mahalo nui loa.

Source:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2018-06-12/html/CREC-2018-06-12-pt1-PgS3758-2.htm

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http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/06/13/editorial/island-voices/hawaiian-culture-has-much-to-teach-hawaiis-students/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, June 13, 2018

EDITORIAL: ISLAND VOICES

Hawaiian culture has much to teach Hawaii's students

By Christina Kishimoto, Sione Thompson and Jack Wong

Our world has become increasingly tumultuous, often because of economic and ethnic disparities. And though we have our share of problems, Hawaii offers another way.

In Hawaii, we enjoy living in diverse communities where sharing aloha with one another is one of our most cherished values. And despite an often impersonal modern context, in Hawaii we strive to build relationships that connect us and bring meaning to our interactions, not just with each other, but with the land and environment, too.

While the Earth's well-being teeters on our will and ingenuity to live sustainably, on this aina we are blessed with a heritage of innovative resource management and food production that enabled Hawaiians to live abundantly and in balance in our island home for over a thousand years.

This unique mix of traits that characterize our fortunate life in Hawaii springs directly from Hawaiian culture, a legacy that serves as our position of strength in leading change in our education approach.

At the heart of such education advancement are foundational strengths vital to cultivating what we treasure about our lives in Hawaii. What we call Nā Hopena A'o (HĀ) and Hawaiian culture-based education leverage such strengths to form a distinct approach to creating learning environments, engaging students, and assessing success.

HĀ and Hawaiian culture-based education are not only about Hawaiian content and language, but focus on education characterized by learning environments where:

* Students are sparked by experiential learning that is relevant to their heritage and home, rooting them to their communities and feeding their academic and personal growth.

* Students feel a sense of belonging and aloha in their schools and communities.

* Students feel inspired to fulfill their kuleana (responsibility and rightful place) to care for their ohana (families), communities, the environments of Hawaii, and the global community with which we are inextricably connected.

* Ohana and community members malama (care for) the schools that help raise our youth and have ample opportunities to engage with schools.

* Students are encouraged by challenges and hard work, see mistakes as learning opportunities, and gain confidence in their ability to grow, each through their own unique journey.

* Students trust that they can achieve success because they see the excellence of those who came before them and understand that excellence will be needed to create positive change.

* Community members, school leaders, faculty, and staff create environments where each student's total well-being is nurtured.

We wholeheartedly believe that HĀ and Hawaiian culture-based approaches will grow students who will thrive, lift our communities, and stand as true measures of our success. Our shared commitments to such focuses are firmly set in the goals of our institutions:

* The Hawaiian-focused charter schools' 2013 Vision of the Graduate.

* The state Board of Education's 2015 Policy E-3, Nā Hopena A'o (HĀ).

* Kamehameha Schools' 2016 E Ola! Learner Outcomes.

* The State Public Charter School Commission's 2018 Draft Strategic Vision and Plan for the Chartering and Authorizing of Public Charter Schools.

We are grateful that trailblazers began a shift toward Hawaiian culture-based approaches as early as the 1970s, leading the way to the emergence of numerous community-based programs, Hawaiian immersion schools, Hawaiian-focused charter schools, and more recently the above formal commitments.

We strongly support the growing momentum of this crucial movement that is engendering powerful and enduring change and applaud the recently announced Islander Scholars and Aloha 'Āina Leader Award recipients who exemplify the success of this movement.

And we are proud that such momentum across Hawaii's educational spectrum continues to grow. As you hear of such changes in our schools, we urge you to support this movement, engage in it as parents and community members, and be assured that these improvements are moving our youth and communities to a more fulfilling future.

Christina Kishimoto is schools superintendent of the state Department of Education; Sione Thompson is executive director of the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission; Jack Wong is chief executive officer of Kamehameha Schools.

------------

** Ken Conklin's online comment:

Values ascribed to "Hawaiian culture" are actually found deep inside all Hawaii's cultures.

Unfortunately some racial supremacist beliefs and practices have become entrenched and need to be corrected.

For example Kamehameha Schools has for decades enforced a race-based admissions policy which the school's founder never wrote into her Will and never intended. Trustees actually decided to maintain their racist admissions policy even if it results in the school losing its tax exempt status. Excluding 80% of Hawaii's children solely on the basis of race is worse than segregation in Southern schools which excluded only whatever percentage of their population was non-white. Let's reject KSBE's "Hawaiian value" of racial exclusion.

The most dangerous "value" being taught by Hawaiian racial partisans is what I call "Hawaiian religious fascism." Put that phrase into Google to find two webpages that thoroughly describe that concept and its evil consequences. A twisted version of the beautiful Kumulipo creation legend is being taught to all Hawaii's children in the "Hawaiian Studies" component of curriculum. It says that anyone with at least one drop of Hawaiian native blood is a child of the gods and a brother/sister to the 'aina in a way that nobody else can ever be who lacks a drop of the magic blood. This concept provides a fascist theological basis for claiming a right for ethnic Hawaiians to exercise racial supremacy in the political and cultural life of Hawaii.

Let's embrace the Aloha Spirit, including its twin pillars of unity and equality. Let's not divide the people and lands of Hawaii along racial lines, such as by creating a Hawaiian tribe. All people, regardless of race, are equal in the eyes of God(s); and all people, regardless of race, deserve to be treated equally under the law by our government. Let's not perpetuate a system of racial entitlement programs where we have two drinking fountains labeled "Native Hawaiian" and "non-Hawaiian."

** See also Conklin's letter to editor on June 17, below -- a shorter version of the online comment which was in the printed Sunday newspaper.

-----------------

http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/4473/June-14-1900-The-Abolition-of-Slavery-in-Hawaii.aspx
Hawaii Free Press, June 14, 2018

June 14, 1900: The Abolition of Slavery in Hawaii

by Andrew Walden (Originally published June 14, 2011)

The Organic Act, bringing US law to bear in the newly-annexed Territory of Hawaii took effect 111 years ago--June 14, 1900. As a result, US laws prohibiting contracts of indentured servitude replaced the 1850 Masters and Servants Act which had been in effect under the Hawaiian Kingdom and Hawaii Republic. Tens of thousands of plantation laborers were freed from contract slavery by the Organic Act.

The rest of this story is about historical revisionism--and a walk through several decades of irony.

The article below is from the ILWU-controlled Honolulu Record August 19, 1948. Six years after this article appeared, the ILWU-controlled Hawaii Democratic Party would win the majority in the Hawaii State legislature--a majority which they have maintained almost uninterrupted to this day.

Ironically, the Record was edited by Honolulu Seven defendant Koji Ariyoshi. Ariyoshi would in the early 1970s be instrumental in establishing the Ethnic Studies Department at UH Manoa. The UH Ethnic Studies Department created the anti-American pseudo-history under which the Organic Act is now regarded as a crime instead of a victory for freedom. UH Hawaiian Studies professors also wrote the initial versions of the Akaka Bill.

One of Koji Ariyoshi's columnists, Frank Marshall Davis--like Ariyoshi, also a Communist Party member, was a mentor to Barack Obama from age 10-18 (described as "Frank" in "Dreams from My Father"). Now President, thanks in part to early-money support from Hawaii Democrats, Obama is pledged to sign the Akaka Bill if it somehow reaches his desk.

In his memoir, "Livin' the Blues" (p320), Davis describes Booker T Washington touring Hawaii plantations at the turn of the 20th century and concluding that the conditions were even worse than those in the South. A shipload of black laborers left after one year of labor in Hawaii to return to the South.

The Ethnic Studies version of history falsely claims "America was founded on slavery." All Americans are supposed to suffer from this secular version of "original sin" and forever seek the absolutions dispensed by the self-appointed high-priests of political correctness. The weak-minded actually fall for this con.

Hawaii was the last place in the US to abolish indentured servitude. But Abolition--once a key part of the story of labor in Hawaii--gets swept under the rug in the Akaka Tribe's rush for land and power.

Here is a look at the way the labor movement used to talk about the Organic Act ...

*****

Honolulu Record, August 19, 1948, vol. 1 no. 2, p. 8
http://www.hawaii.edu/uhwo/clear/HonoluluRecord1/articles/v1n2/Looking%20Backward.html

looking backward

Contract Laborers Emancipated

Fifty years ago today, when the Republic of Hawaii was annexed to the United States as a territory, the Hawaiian sugar planters never imagined that the "docile" and "obedient" Japanese laborers would revolt against them to secure their freedom.

In 1899, one year after annexation, the sugar planters imported 26,103 Japanese contract laborers -- the largest number of Japanese brought to the islands in any single year.

This was the planters' last minute effort to beat the United States contract labor law of 1885 which prohibited importation of contract laborers into the states and territories.

Organic Act Ends Servitude

Then came the Organic Act which put an end to penal contract labor in June 1900, two years before the contracts of the 26,103 Japanese expired. The Organic Act stated in part: "That all contracts made since August twelfth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, by which persons are held for service for a definite time, are hereby declared null and void and terminated, and no law shall be passed to enforce said contract any way; and it shall be the duty of the United States marshal to at once notify such persons so held of the termination of their contracts."

Black Snake Rule

To the surprise of plantation owners, the Japanese laborers everywhere demanded that their contracts be canceled and returned to them.

They wanted freedom, and dignity which came with it. As contract laborers their bodies were practically the property of the sugar planters, to be abused and even whipped with black snake whips. In several places the Japanese went on strike to enforce their demand on the planters who were daily violating a US law in keeping them under servitude.

One of these places was Spreckelsville.

The Hawaiian Star reported the Spreckelsville strike of June 20, 1900, in the following manner: " ...
On Tuesday evening, a United States census agent, Moses Kauhimahu, with a Japanese interpreter entered a camp of strikers, who had not worked for several days, for the purpose of enumerating them. Immediately upon asking the first Japanese his name, the Special Agent and his interpreter were accused of being agents of Manager Lowrie sent into the Camp to secure the names of the ringleaders of the strike, and were set upon by a number of Japanese.

Strikers Revolt

"The Special Agent took to his heels ... but the interpreter was beaten and very roughly handled for a time, finally getting away with many bruises and injuries.

On Wednesday morning Sheriff Baldwin with a small posse of police went to this Spreckelsville camp to arrest the assaulters [sic] ... Upon their arrival there, the Japanese at a signal gathered together, about two hundred of them and attacked the police."

Sheriff Baldwin then called upon Mr. Lowrie and his lunas, as citizens to assist the Government, which they did, making all together a force of about sixty men armed with black snakes. The assaulting force of Japanese armed with clubs and stones, which they freely used and threw, were met and most thoroughly black snaked back to their camp and to a show of submission.

"On a road not far from this camp along which the white men and police were expected to pass, several hundred Japanese from other camps had gathered, armed with clubs and stones, with the apparent intention of attacking them as they came along.

The Government force however decided as they had no quarrel with this gang to leave them unmolested, and so did not pass near them; consequently the Japanese have the idea that the white force were afraid of them.

It perhaps would have been better had the Government force gone in and dispersed this gang, with a good thrashing thrown in, as the sixty men well mounted, were able to have done, merely for the moral effect of the same."

The Maui Planters' Association subsequently canceled all contracts, thus ending the strikes at most places.

------------

Free Hawai'i
Jun 15

KAMEHAMEHA III - KAUIKEAOULI TO STAND TALL AT THOMAS SQUARE IN HONOLULU

Hawai'i News Now - June 14, 2018

Amid the dust and grime of a California foundry sits the likeness of King Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli.

An unlikely place to find Hawai'i's longest reigning monarch, but there, he is of king-sized proportion.

As part of the City's plans to improve Thomas Square, Hawai'i's oldest park, an artist was commissioned to sculpt a statue of Kamehameha III to commemorate the monarch's historical connection to the area.

"It started with a call and we received over 80 applicants from all over the country," Tory Laitila, the Registrar of Honolulu Mayor's Office of Culture and Arts said.

Thomas Jay Warren, a sculptor from Oregon, was chosen to craft the $250,000 bronze statue.

"The total span of the project is going to 11 months, from the time I started enlarging, from the decision that was created by the commission, 11 months from that enlargement to 12 feet, to finishing the casting, to delivering and installing it in Honolulu," Warren said.

Island News

recently got a glimpse of the statue when Laitila traveled to Berkeley to check on the progress of the project.

Kauikeaouli will stand at 12-feet tall but laid in nearly two dozen newly cast pieces across the foundry that day. The characters - K III - can be seen etched onto his collar alongside a kalo. The monarch's hair - short, wavy, and slightly side-swept.

A sole flag pole donning only the hae Hawai'i, or Hawaiian flag, will accompany Kauikeaouli upon a pedestal near the center of Thomas Square when the statue is installed.

The statue will be shipped to Honolulu in July ahead of La Ho'iho'i Ea, Sovereignty Restoration Day.

"Restoration Day this year is the 175th anniversary of the event so there'll be a very large commemoration event at the park," Laitila said. "There are many people looking forward to actual restoration day this year as well as the dedication of the sculpture."

La Ho'iho'i Ea began in 1843 under Kamehameha III after rogue agents of the British Crown seized control of the government by order of British Lord George Paulette.

During this time, all Hawaiian flags were lowered and burned. Months later, Queen Victoria sent Admiral Richard Thomas to Hawai'i to remove Paulette and reinstate the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Following the reinstatement of the Kingdom, a flag ceremony was held in Thomas Square where the Union Jack was lowered and the Hawaiian flag raised. This ceremony is where Kamehameha III spoke the popular proclamation, "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono," loosely translated as "the sovereignty of Hawai'i is restored by righteousness."

The park's surrounding streets also acknowledge the Kingdom's history with Britain. Beretania Street, on the mauka-side of the park, means Britain in the Hawaiian language and Victoria Street, on the Diamond Head side, pays tribute to Queen Victoria.

And though he's been sculpting for over three decades, Warren is still moved by the opportunity to create memorials featuring persons of cultural significance. Those feelings resonated in the words he spoke of Kauikeaouli.

"He managed to get the Kingdom of Hawai'i back from the British without firing a single shot and that to me is an amazing piece of diplomacy," Warren said. "I research my subjects and the history, I read about him and we could use more people in public service like he was for his people."

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http://www.civilbeat.org/2018/06/lets-create-a-new-native-hawaiian-homeland/
Honolulu Civil Beat, June 15, 2018

Let's Create A New Native Hawaiian Homeland
Giving Hawaiians land in each of the 1,600 Ahupua'a in Hawaii is a place to start.

By Lilikalā K. Kame'eleihiwa

In rememberance of our great Ali'i Nui Kamehameha, still beloved for his great care of our people, on a day that honors him, and in this year of the Hawaiian, recently mandated by the Hawaii State Legislature, I write to ask for support for land for a new Native Hawaiian Homeland.

As our Hawaiian ancestors have lived in Hawaii for the past 100 generations, connection to Ancestral land is the most important aspect of Hawaiian identity. The kuleana of Mālama 'Āina is the cornerstone of Native Hawaiian culture, and the practice of "Caring for the Land" has been shown to heal the hurt of colonization.

However, it's hard to actually Mālama the land, when one doesn't have any land to Mālama, and lucky if even 1 percent of Hawaiians today own any beach front, from which we as great ocean voyagers used to Mālama the ocean.

So, the challenge today for Native Hawaiians is to find land in Hawaii for us to Mālama. It's quite difficult. As the result of colonization, houses on Oahu, even in Palolo valley, as recently reported, are selling for $1 million each.

This is why in the last census of 2010, we learned that 48 percent of Native Hawaiians have had to leave our beloved Hawaii, and move to North America in order to live, and to have a home. No doubt in the 2020 census, we will find that 58 percent of us have had to leave.

It seems as though every week, another cousin has reluctantly left for Vegas, or Seattle, or somewhere else in America. It's heartbreaking to move away, but it is better than being homeless in your own homeland where one-third of the homeless are Hawaiian.

All of my cousins want to move home. And for Native Hawaiians who do manage to live here in Hawaii, many are only one paycheck away from being homeless. Many others live three or four families in one house with each family squeezing into a single bedroom.

Now, perhaps some would suggest that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands could solve the problem, but that is actually a fallacy. At present we Native Hawaiians number 500,000 in the world, and the 200,000 acres in the DHHL inventory is simply not enough land.

Moreover, there are still another 24,000 Native Hawaiians trying to get on that land, and some have been waiting 30 years. Almost none of the Hawaiian Homes inventory is beach front, except for Waimanālo Beach Park, that has been confiscated by the State, and the 1,300 acres of Bellows, also in Waimānalo, currently occupied by the U.S. military.

My University of Hawaii colleagues are predicting that by 2030, there will be 1 million Native Hawaiians in the world. Clearly, 200,000 acres will not be enough.

From our research at the UHM Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, we know that there are 1,600 Ahupua'a (usually valley shaped land divisions) in the Hawaiian archipelago. I suggest that some land in each of these 1,600 Ahupua'a be set aside for a new state-sponsored Native Hawaiian Homeland for Native Hawaiians of any blood quantum, and leave the DHHL lands for the Native Hawaiians of 50 percent blood. As Native Hawaiians we define our Lāhui Hawai'i, our extended family, as someone having any Native Hawaiian Ancestor, beginning with Haumea (a.k.a. Papa) our Hawaiian Earth mother.

Let us have land in each of the 1,600 Ahupua'a, from the mountain top down to where privately owned lands begin. In the old days in Ka Lāhui Hawai'i, we always said that if you are lucky enough to own land in Hawaii, that is not the land we want.

If Native Hawaiians could have the mauka (mountain) lands in each of the 1,600 Ahupua'a, then we could Mālama 'Āina, and grow food to feed everybody. Since we currently import 90 percent of our food into Hawaii, the 1,600 Ahupua'a Native Hawaiian Homeland would benefit everyone.

We could build Hawaiian style housing near our gardens, and the Native Hawaiians who lived in that housing would Mālama 'Āina, paying no more than $500 a month in rent for a family of four. We already have Native Hawaiians designing such affordable housing.

Of course, it would be impossible for Native Hawaiians to Mālama all 1,600 Ahupua'a tomorrow, but let's make a plan to reserve these lands for the new State-Sponsored Native Hawaiian Homeland, for now and in the future.

Perhaps we should begin with a demonstration project, say one Ahupua'a in each of the six Moku districts on the island of Oahu, where a majority of all Native Hawaiians in the world live.

Most of the mauka lands on Oahu are currently controlled by the State of Hawaii, and some are already leased to Native Hawaiian nonprofits, as in Kalihi Valley. In He'e'ia, we have wonderful examples of brilliant young Native Hawaiians who have made nonprofit organizations to practice Mālama 'Āina, in the upland gardens of Waipao, in the Kalo fields of Hoi, and in the 88-acre fishpond managed by Paepae o He'e'ia. These efforts are made possible by the generosity of the Kamehameha Schools who owns the Ahupua'a of He'e'ia.

Since the state currently leases Mauna Kea for only $1 a year, it's only fair that each Ahupua'a should cost only $1 a year. And I will be glad to put up the first $1,600 needed to begin!

Let's all support the 1,600 Ahupua'a Native Hawaiian Homeland so that Native Hawaiians may live in the land of our Ancestors forever, our cousins can move home, and we all can continue to Mālama Honua for the next 100 generations. That would be the truest sign of aloha for Native Hawaiians!

As for the wonderful folks at Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae, who have brilliantly organized themselves to resolve their houseless situation and take care of their children and kūpuna, let's give them a 50-year lease, along with access to fresh water, like we did for Bumpy Kanahele in Waimānalo. His community is flourishing too! Aloha nui!

About the Author
Lilikalā K. Kame'eleihiwa is a senior professor at the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa.

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http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/06/17/editorial/letters/prepare-to-pay-more-for-cable-television/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Sunday June 17, 2018, Letter to editor

Correct some 'Hawaiian values'

Let's reject "Hawaiian religious fascism" that gives a theological justification for Hawaiian racial supremacy in our state's political and cultural life.

A twisted version of the beautiful Kumulipo creation legend is being taught in the public schools. It says anyone with Hawaiian blood is a child of the gods and a brother/sister to the 'aina in a way nobody else can ever be.

Let's deplore Kamehameha Schools' race-based admissions policy which excludes 80 percent of Hawaii's children solely because of race -- worse than Southern segregated schools which excluded only whatever percentage of kids were non-white.

Let's embrace the aloha spirit, including its twin pillars of unity and equality. Let's not divide the people and lands of Hawaii along racial lines, such as by creating a Hawaiian tribe.

All people, regardless of race, are equal in the eyes of God(s) and deserve to be treated equally under the law by our government. Stop socially divisive racial entitlement programs.

Kenneth R. Conklin
Kaneohe

** Online comment by "Wiseguy":
Conklin's letter to editor is unfortunately limited to about 150 words. It is a brilliant response to the lengthy June 13 commentary by the 3 amigos entitled "Hawaiian culture has much to teach Hawaii's students." The 3 amigos were the CEO of Kamehameha Schools, the Superintendent of the State of Hawaii Department of Education, and the chair of the State of Hawaii Public Charter School Commission (more than half of the charter schools are organized and focused around "Hawaiian values"). Those powerful institutions and the people who run them are pushing propaganda brainwashing our children to believe in Hawaiian racial supremacy, as Conklin explained. It's good to see someone fighting back to support unity and equality.

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http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/06/21/editorial/letters/protect-cws-from-unfair-lawsuits/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Thursday June 21, 2018, Letter to editor

Writer wrong about Hawaiian values

It is incredible the outrageous statements made by Kenneth Conklin ("Correct some 'Hawaiian values'," Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 17).

The outrage begins when he puts Hawaiian religion and fascism in the same sentence. The spiritual connectedness to Earth (Hawaiian religion) and the principles of governmental control (fascism) are two opposing poles of thought, let alone an argument to justify "racial supremacy."

The Kumulipo is a genealogical chant. His ridiculous interpretation of what is being taught in public schools is quite a stretch. The spiritual value of the relationship to the gods has no deviation that segregates one's worth.

The comparison of Kamehameha Schools to segregated schools in the American South is invalid. There was no freedom of choice in the racism that created segregation. The intent of Kamehameha Schools is to educate Native Hawaiians, not segregate them.

Aloha is a concept of all-encompassing love and is not political. Hawaiians have been socially divided since the overthrow of our queen. The advent of blood quantum sociological limits is the reason for entitlement programs for Native Hawaiians, not the divisive white supremacy propaganda Conklin and this paper are choosing to share.

Let's reject these types of thoughts.

Cy Kamuela Harris
Kaimuki

** Online comment to Harris letter by "Wiseguy":
IRT Cy Kamuela Harris: To see exactly what Conklin is talking about, including the twisted version of Kumulipo being taught to our keiki, put this phrase into your favorite search engine or browser search, including the quote marks:
"Hawaiian religious fascism"

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/06/23/hawaii-quest-for-new-type-independence/UUcAdtMnwgqEeaNcx01j8L/story.html
Boston Globe, June 23, 2018

Hawaii's quest for a new type of independence

By Stephen Kinzer

AT A COOL new bookstore in Honolulu called Da Shop, I met the foreign minister of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, Leon Kaulahao Siu. He spends much of his time lobbying at the United Nations and at international missions in Europe. His biggest challenge is persuading diplomats that the Kingdom of Hawaii exists. When they ask if Hawaii is not part of the United States, Mr. Siu hands them a pamphlet called, "The Basis for the Restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom."

"The Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands is actually an existing, sovereign, independent country," the pamphlet asserts. "The United States never lawfully acquired the Hawaiian Islands. The so-called 'State of Hawaii' is a fictional entity fabricated by the United States in order to make its presence in the Hawaiian Islands appear to be legitimate."

Hawaii is the only American state that was once a kingdom. The royal family was overthrown in 1893 with decisive help from President Benjamin Harrison and US Marines. Soon afterward a new president, Grover Cleveland, condemned the overthrow as "an act of war" and asked Congress to return the royal family to power. Congress refused. Instead, in 1898, it voted to annex Hawaii. In 1959 Hawaii was admitted to the Union as our 50th state.

The foreign minister insists that all of this was illegal. He has a good case. Nations, however, usually follow international law only when it suits them. The prospect that the United States would allow Hawaii to resume its place as an independent nation seems far-fetched. Nonetheless, visiting these islands makes clear that while Hawaii is in the United States, it is not of the United States.

A few dedicated activists like Siu are working for Hawaiian independence. What Hawaiians call the "sovereignty movement," however, has various faces. Many of its supporters would like something short of independence -- a form of autonomy, still undefined, that would give Hawaii more self-government than other states have. Washington should hear them out.

The Hawaiian archipelago is more than 2,000 miles off the coast of California. Less than a quarter of its inhabitants are white. Nearly 40 percent are Asian. Tokyo is closer than Washington. The press is full of stories from Japan and the Philippines, and rarely carries reports from further-off places like New York or Massachusetts.

Native Hawaiian culture is enjoying a renaissance. Cities and towns have passed ordinances stipulating that most streets should bear Hawaiian names. Clubs have sprung up to promote traditions ranging from hula dancing to navigation with double-hulled canoes. The University of Hawaii has opened a center for the study of native Hawaiian law. Courses in the Hawaiian language, which not long ago seemed on the brink of disappearing, have become steadily more popular. Some elementary schools offer instruction in Hawaiian only -- a far cry from days when schoolchildren were required to speak English and punished if they did not.

History, like ethnicity and geography, makes Hawaii distinct. The arrival of European and American mariners set off a series of devastating plagues. Within sixty years of Captain James Cook's arrival in 1778, the native population had fallen by more than 70 percent. The mariners were followed by hundreds of Christian missionaries, most of them from New England. They were horrified by native customs and worked tirelessly to suppress them. Some of their descendants went on to assemble vast sugar and fruit plantations, depriving natives of their traditional land. A handful of them organized the 1893 uprising in which Queen Lilioukalani was deposed, ending a monarchy that had ruled for nearly a century. They succeeded only because the United States, by prior arrangement, immediately recognized them as the legal government and landed Marines to secure their power.

The annexation that followed this overthrow, according to Siu and other advocates of Hawaiian independence, was illegal because it was accomplished by an act of Congress rather than a treaty -- unlike, say, our annexations of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and northern Mexico. He and three other Hawaiians have constituted themselves as a "regency council," modeled after the self-appointed "governments in exile" that claimed to speak for Belgium, Poland, and other countries occupied by Nazi armies during World War II. They have filed legal complaints at the United Nations and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

The sovereignty movement has not won any substantial concessions from Washington, where Hawaiian statehood is an article of faith. Hawaii is heavily militarized, with nearly twenty bases including the Pacific Missile Range. All American military activity in the Pacific -- where tensions seem certain to rise in the coming years -- is directed from a base in Oahu. This month, the world's largest international naval exercise will begin in waters near Hawaii. Given increasing tensions in the Pacific, and especially China's assertive naval ambitions, the United States would hardly be willing to let Hawaii go. An independent Hawaii might be able to remain neutral, but could just as easily be pulled into another country's sphere of influence. Hawaii is as intimately tied to the United States militarily as it is politically and economically.

Even without political independence, sovereignty activists can achieve much. They already have. Their movement both reflects and encourages the revival of cultural and historical consciousness. People took notice last year when Attorney General Jeff Sessions referred dismissively to Hawaii as "an island in the Pacific." He was recognizing that Hawaii is a Polynesian archipelago, thousands of miles from North America. Congress should do the same. Hawaii's unique history, including our evidently illegal annexation, qualifies it for some form of special status within the United States.

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2018/06/hawaii-in-transition-ke-aupuni-update_29.html
freehawaii.info, June 29, 2018

HAWAI'I IN TRANSITION

Ke Aupuni Update - June 2018

By H.E. Leon Kaulahao Siu - Minister of Foreign Affairs - The Hawaiian Kingdom

Here's a shocker - The Hawaiian Islands is not a part of the United States of America!

Over the years, through a series of illegal acts, the United States created the impression that Hawai'i was happily adopted into the U.S. family, when in reality Hawai'i was abducted... kidnapped!

The questions are - How do we break free from the grasp of the kidnapper? And, what can we do to rebuild our nation and our lives?

The first big challenge is freeing the Hawaiian Islands from captivity. The second is bringing healing and restoration to our kingdom to be a fully functioning independent country.

There are two fronts in which we are working to liberate our country: -- at home in Hawai'i and internationally.

On The Home Front -

Understanding that it is up to us to liberate our country, Hawaiian nationals are engaged in the following activities at home -

Building the identity (citizenship base, body politic) of our nation, with educational programs, workshops, strategy sessions, media outreach and special events to restore our Hawaiian national identity* and the people's confidence that we are eminently capable of running our own country. [* NOTE: This is about Hawaiian nationality, not Hawaiian ethnicity.]

Raising awareness and assuring our people that restoring our nation's independence is vital to our future survival and prosperity... and that it is achievable.

Creating broad public acceptance and participation in the vision for an independent Hawai'i, using all aspects of the media to develop and coalesce the movement around our true history, our culture, our character and our vision of a free Hawai'i.

Coordinating the Hawaiian nationalist/activist network in the islands and overseas to promote peaceful acts of resistance, media events, celebrations, informational rallies, etc. to persuade the US to peacefully and gracefully withdraw from the Hawaiian Islands.

Updating the education system in Hawai'i to correct 125 years of American propaganda and indoctrination; to bring new respect, pride and appreciation for the achievements and legacy of our nation; utilizing the resurgence of the Hawaiian language and culture, especially among our younger generations.

Creating a Hawai'i national transitional authority to develop a roadmap for the transition of our country from being American-operated to being Hawaiian-operated. The transitional authority would be visionary, inclusive, innovative and bold in carrying the weight and responsibility to actualize the liberation of the Hawaiian Islands.

The movement in the Hawaiian Islands to free Hawai'i is growing and advancing. It is expected that 2018 will continue to see significant breakthroughs as discussions and constructive ideas are openly developed, shaped and implemented.

Tomorrow - Part Two - On The International Front

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2018/06/hawaii-in-transition-ke-aupuni-update_30.html
freehawaii.info, June 30, 2018

HAWAI'I IN TRANSITION

Ke Aupuni Update - June 2018 - Part Two

By H.E. Leon Kaulahao Siu - Minister of Foreign Affairs - The Hawaiian Kingdom

Keeping in touch and updated on activities regarding the restoration of Ke Aupuni o Hawai'i, the Hawaiian Kingdom. Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka 'Aina I Ka Pono.

On The International Front -

The following are items that Hawaiian diplomatic representatives are pursuing through international organizations such as the United Nations, to assert the Hawaiian Kingdom's sovereign status and rights as an independent state -

Calling on the UN for a review and annulment of UNGA Resolution 1469, that was adopted by the General Assembly in December, 1959, based on a false report by the U.S. alleging the people of the Hawaiian Islands had freely exercised their right to self- determination by voting to be integrated into the United States of America as the "State of Hawai'i." [This action also included the country of Alaska]

Stopping the century-long practices of "legalized" land-theft in Hawai'i by asserting the rights of the lineal Hawaiian Heirs and Descendants to protect their inviolable interest (as holders of original land-titles) from foreign speculators and developers, aided by the illegal courts of the "State of Hawai'i"/United States.

Exposing the myth of "annexation" to prove the United States' claim to the Hawaiian Islands is fraudulent, making its presence in the Hawaiian Islands illegitimate, and its operations in the Hawaiian Islands a sordid criminal enterprise.

Exposing that the United States' control of the Hawaiian Islands constitutes ongoing serious, violations of international laws, particularly those prohibiting the imposition of foreign (US) puppet institutions, laws, taxation, economic control, military bases, etc. These constitute foreign-state-instituted policies to pillage, abuse and extinguish the Hawaiian people's civil, political and property rights as well as nationality.

Revealing the systemic discriminatory practices of the US against those of Hawaiian nationality (Hawaiian Kingdom subjects), resulting in persecution, arbitrary detention, confiscation of property, ruinous fines, penalties and punishments; the destruction of families and other violations of human rights indicative of genocide.

Protesting the extreme threat of nuclear annihilation of the Hawaiian Islands -- all the inhabitants and places of habitation -- caused entirely by the United States' criminal hyper-militarization of our neutral country in clear violation of International Laws, Humanitarian Laws and customary moral conduct.

Petitioning the UN for non-member state status, based on the legal premise that the Hawaiian Kingdom is a nation in continuity with treaty relations with 173 of the 2 member states of the UN -- 46 with direct treaties and 127 with indirect (successor) treaties.

Filing an international ‘disputed lands' claim (against the US) encompassing the entire Hawaiian Archipelago, to challenge the United States to produce evidence of its acquisition, or abandon its claim of jurisdiction over the lands and territorial seas of the Hawaiian Islands Archipelago.

Forming a peaceful, "Free Hawai'i" movement to initiate and coalesce international advocacy for the reinstatement of the Hawaiian Islands as a sovereign state to resume its proper and equal station among the nations of the world.

Initiating a Treaty of Peace for the normalization and resumption of proper, friendly relations between the Hawaiian Kingdom and the United States of America.

We welcome all who may want to help in discussing, formulating and implementing our plans to normalize and resume friendly, productive relations with the international community.


================

(c) Copyright 2017 - 2018 Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.

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