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History of efforts to create a Hawaiian tribe from January 1 through April 30, 2019, including efforts to create a state-recognized tribe and efforts to get federal recognition through administrative rule changes, executive order, or Congressional legislation; and efforts to get local and international recognition of an alleged continuing independent nation of Hawaii

INDEX OF NEWS REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES FROM JANUARY 1, 2019 THRU APRIL 30, 2019

January 5-6, 2019:
(1) Prison officials ordered to accommodate Native Hawaiian religion. "Native Hawaiians make up about 40 percent of the prison population in Hawaii while representing just 21 percent of the general population. The state Department of Public Safety violated federal law when it ignored a Halawa Correctional Facility inmate's requests to engage in certain Native Hawaiian religious practices, according to a court ruling."
(2) Ex-president Obama launches Asia-Pacific leadership program in Hawaii
(3) A more detailed news report about Obama launches Asia-Pacific leadership program in Hawaii

Jan 11: Leon Siu [who styles himself the Foreign Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom] writes his first Ke Aupuni update for 2019. He repeats the usual twisted history about no treaty of annexation, pokes fun at the State of Hawaii for not planning a celebration of the State's 60th anniversary this year, and asks for money to finance his travels.

Jan 16: A state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would replace Presidents Day with a holiday that recognizes the Kingdom of Hawaii's independence.

Jan 17: March and rally from Royal Mausoleum to Iolani Palace to commemorate 126th anniversary of the revolution that overthres the Hawaiian monarchy.

Jan 18: A dozen or so members of a Kauai-based group known as Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi/Hawaiian Kingdom barged into the Nimitz Highway offices of OHA at about 11 a.m. [yesterday] before assaulting at least two staff members and harassing and verbally threatening others.

Jan 19: A Maui man authors incoherent commentary claiming he has "dominion rights, powers, and vested interests through unbroken lineal descendants and genealogical history ... with governing and prosecuting powers through our constitution of 1843 [no such thing]"; Editor of the Kaua'i island newspaper publishes it with reminder of the 1893 overthrow of Hawaiian monarchy.

Jan 25: Leon Siu, Ke Aupuni update, touts an article he probably wrote himself in "Diva International Diplomat, one of the most prestigious publications from the UN in Geneva featured a story about Hawaiian Independence Day"; Siu also describes events at Iolani Palace commemorating the 126th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, and describing how he will be in New York meeting with diplomats regarding his hopes for a resolution on Hawaiian independence to be introduced at the U.N. General Assembly

Jan 28: TV news report that Hawaii Congressional Rep. Ed Case has been appointed to the Appropriations Committee. [Ed Case and Senator Brian Schatz are both serving on the same two committees in their respective chambers that are responsible for Indian tribes and for appropriations.]

February 7, 2019: Voice of America News "Native Hawaiians Divided on Federal Recognition" accurately describes 2 opposing Hawaiian sovereignty activist viewpoints [secession vs. tribalism], but makes serious errors in describing history of revolution of 1893.

Feb 9: Leon Siu, Ke Aupuni update, mentions "meetings in New York City with diplomats, experts and movers and shakers at the UN ... making good progress with plans to have a resolution submitted to the General Assembly this Spring ..." Stresses need to travel frequently to maintain visibility in the international community.

Feb 23: Leon Siu, Ke Aupuni update, spending 2 weeks at UN in Geneva. "I will be attending the 40th session of the Human Rights Council to reiterate and reemphasize the numerous reports and complaints that our people have been submitting for years to bring awareness and empathy to our plight."

March 9, 2019: Leon Siu, Ke Aupuni update. "Hawaiian nationality was completely forgotten ... invisibility is the biggest advantage the US uses against us. ... The sooner we stop identifying ourselves as Americans ... the more the kingdom will come into focus in our own minds-eye and in the eyes of the world."

March 23: Leon Siu, yet another Ke Aupuni Update. Siu just returned from another 2-week trip to U.N. in Geneva and New York: "I am happy to report that we are on the verge of having some countries friendly to our cause, submit initiatives to the General Assembly that will trigger a UN inquiry of the United States' claim of sovereignty over the Hawaiian Islands."

April 4, 2019: OHA board approves new internal governance framework for the agency. [Subgroups of board of directors are meeting in secret after majority of board authorized them to violate state open-meeting laws]

Apr 10: Trisha Kehaulani Watson's weekly column in Honolulu Civil Beat notes that the quest for federal recognition of a Hawaiian tribe has stalled during Trump's presidency, and describes private meetings and fundraising to make it happen.

Apr 13: Leon Siu, yet another Ke Aupuni Update (#8). Stop focusing on being oppressed. Stop referring to the continental U.S. as "the mainland. The time of thinking of ourselves as a nation in distress has passed. We are a nation on the rise!

Apr 23: Honoring Hawaii President Sanford B. Dole on his 175th Birthday. Elected representative in Kingdom legislature, appointed Justice on Kingdom Supreme Court, President of revolutionary Provisional Government and then Republic of Hawaii, first Governor of Territory of Hawaii, Judge on U.S. District Court in Honolulu. He led Hawaii through extraordinarily turbulent times.

Apr 26: Leon Siu, yet another Ke Aupuni Update: ... although many, many countries sympathize very strongly with our efforts to Free Hawaii, they cannot risk the negative consequences to their own country should we fail to step up to the plate. ... If we don't have a realistic plan, it would be extremely foolish (and dangerous) for countries to stick their necks out for us ... we have to put our heads together to determine transitional and long-range plans and a vision for the future of our country.

END OF INDEX

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FULL TEXT OF ITEMS LISTED IN THE INDEX, FROM JANUARY 1, 2019 THROUGH APRIL 30, 2019

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/05/hawaii-news/prison-officials-ordered-to-accommodate-native-hawaiian-religion/?HSA=469a23ebeab3ad6cca3f2329c21e4089b5b81903
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, January 5, 2018

Prison officials ordered to accommodate Native Hawaiian religion

By Timothy Hurley

** Photo caption as summary
Native Hawaiians make up about 40 percent of the prison population in Hawaii while representing just 21 percent of the general population. The state Department of Public Safety violated federal law when it ignored a Halawa Correctional Facility inmate's requests to engage in certain Native Hawaiian religious practices, according to a court ruling.

The state Department of Public Safety violated federal law when it ignored a Halawa Correctional Facility inmate's requests to engage in certain Native Hawaiian religious practices, according to a court ruling.

First Circuit Court Judge James Ashford last week ordered the department to conduct a review of Robert Holbron's requests and to offer reasonable alternatives if they can't be accommodated in full. The ruling on the class-action lawsuit could have implications for other inmates who chose to practice the traditional Hawaiian religion. "To have a court of law say it is protected and respected -- that is a landmark moment for us," said Sharla Manley, the former Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. attorney who represented Holbron in his complaint.

Holbron, 69, a felon once convicted for kidnapping, was among six inmates who filed a class-action federal lawsuit in 2011 that ended with similar findings against Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona, which houses inmates from Hawaii. But then Holbron was transferred to Halawa in 2015 and found himself facing the same obstacles to practicing the Native Hawaiian religion.

"It was shocking to Robert that he would meet the same resistance back home," Manley said. "It was like he was starting over again." Holbron, she said, made formal requests at Halawa to observe the Hawaiian religion in the following way: by gathering daily outside for 30 minutes during sunrise with other Hawaiian inmates for chanting and prayer, by conducting worship outdoors at a permanent stone altar and by accessing Hawaiian sacred items for daily use.

The state ignored Holbron's requests, according to his 2016 complaint. The case went to trial for three days in December 2017.

During the trial state attorneys argued that no other religions meet more than three times a week at the prison, and it would cost about $421,824 per year in additional guards to accommodate the outdoor dawn worshipping. In addition, they said, not only is there limited space for a stone altar, there are security concerns, with rocks potentially used as weapons or to damage prison property.

In making his ruling, Ashford found Holbron to be a sincere practitioner of the Native Hawaiian religion and his requests rooted in authentic religious beliefs. The state's failure to adequately respond to Holbron's requests created "a substantial burden" on his religious exercise and a violation of the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the court found.

Under Ashford's order the state has 28 days to launch a review of three Holbron's requests: for certain religious items, daily outdoor group worship and a stone altar. The state must offer reasonable alternatives where the requests cannot be accommodated in full.

"At the core of this case is this: The Department of Public Safety cannot turn a blind eye to Native Hawaiian religious practices," Manley said. "These are the indigenous spiritual practices here. They are a part of the fabric that makes Hawaii Hawaii, whether you are Hawaiian or not."

"This ruling is important because the Hawaiian religious practices at issue are instrumental to the well-being of men like Robert Holbron, who need to know they not only can practice their faith, but have it recognized and treated with respect," she said.

The state Department of the Attorney General said in a statement Friday that it will be working with Public Safety officials to address the court's findings and orders. At the same time, however, "the attorney general is gratified that the court's findings make clear that inmates at Halawa Correctional Facility, before this lawsuit was filed, already had been allowed to participate in Native Hawaiian religious practices to the same extent as any other religion."

Testimony during the trial indicated that all religions, including Native Hawaiian, are allowed access to the prison's chapel or gymnasium up to three days a week.

Additionally, Ashford did not order any changes to the Department of Public Safety's policies because he found no "widespread pattern/practice" of violating federal law. "The court's findings have also recognized that plaintiff's demands were inflexible, impractical and remarkably different from prior requests," the attorney general's statement added.

Native Hawaiians make up about 40 percent of the prison population in Hawaii while representing just 21 percent of the general population. Manley said at one time at Halawa as many as 60 men were either practicing the Native Hawaiian religion or were on a waiting list to join the weekly meetings for lack of space.

In a news release, Native Hawaii Legal Corp. Executive Director Moses Haia said, "Robert has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to his religious beliefs. His legacy is that he and other men who are incarcerated at Halawa may follow the spiritual practices of their ancestors. Given the court's ruling, there can be no doubt that Native Hawaiian religious beliefs and practices are worthy of the protection afforded to them by law."

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** Ken Conklin's online comment:

Article cites an OHA propaganda "study" which says Native Hawaiians make up about 40 percent of the prison population in Hawaii while representing just 21 percent of the general population...

That assertion is based on bad statistical analysis. There are two main reasons why it is wrong.

(1) So-called "Native Hawaiians" are of mixed race, and most of them each has most of their ancestry from races that are NOT "Native Hawaiian" (like Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, European). But someone who says he is "Native Hawaiian" gets counted as though that's all he is -- his other ancestries are ignored. Even if someone is 1/8 "Native Hawaiian" and 7/8 Chinese, he gets counted as Hawaiian and does not also get counted as Chinese. So if mixed-race people were counted correctly and were allocated to their largest percentage racial group, or to all those groups, then other races would show up as having larger numbers of prisoners than Hawaiians.

(2) According to the last big Census, the median age of "Native Hawaiians" in Hawaii is 26 while the median age of everyone else in Hawaii is 42. Guess who commits most of the crimes -- especially violent crimes -- that deserve prison? It's YOUNG PEOPLE who commit such crimes. The huge 16-year age gap is the reason for "disproportionate" imprisonment. It's not racial prejudice or mistreatment; it's not because Hawaiians are bad. It's because Hawaiians are young, and most prisoners are young because most violent crime is committed by young people regardless of race.

Copy/paste these two sentences into your browser, including quote marks, for two different scholarly articles explaining these two points:[URLs provided on this website were not allowed on newspaper website comments]

"Ethnic Hawaiians Disproportionately Incarcerated? Not!"
https://www.angelfire.com/big09/DisparateTreatmentCriminal2012.html

"There are important scholarly/statistical issues raised by the report, and equally important political issues."
https://www.angelfire.com/big09a/DisparateTreatmentCriminal.html

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https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2019/01/05/hawaii-news/obama-launches-asia-pacific-leadership-program-in-hawaii/
Hawaii Tribune-Herald [Hilo], Saturday, January 5, 2019

Obama launches Asia-Pacific leadership program in Hawaii

** [Highlight: The leaders chosen for the program include two people from Hawaii, Marvin Kaleo Manuel and Leanne Kealoha Fox. Manuel is a planning manager at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Fox works as an executive manager at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.]

HONOLULU (AP) -- The Obama Foundation is launching an Asia-Pacific leadership program with a series of workshops in Hawaii for 22 emerging leaders.

The leaders selected for the conference being held on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa this weekend come from 16 countries and territories.

The workshops follow a pledge by President Barack Obama in 2015 to ensure Hawaii plays a role in his post-presidency work after Chicago was selected to house his presidential library and center.

"His overarching reason for wanting to do this program here is really emphasizing Hawaii is like a home to him. He has roots here. He has ties here. He thinks it's a wonderful place," said Bernadette Meehan, chief international officer of the Obama Foundation. "He thinks the community has a lot to offer, especially as the foundation was thinking about Asia-Pacific programming."

The foundation launched a leadership program in Africa last year that brought 200 leaders together for an ongoing training initiative. The conference in Hawaii plans to develop a similar program for the region.

The leaders chosen for the program include two people from Hawaii, Marvin Kaleo Manuel and Leanne Kealoha Fox. Manuel is a planning manager at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Fox works as an executive manager at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

The conference will include leadership training sessions, as well as a meeting with the former president to discuss ideas for the program.

"The president and Mrs. Obama really feel like one of the greatest things they can do as private citizens is taking the focus off of themselves and what they did during the administration and really using their spotlight to highlight the next generation of leaders coming up behind them," Meehan said.

------

** Ken's online comment:

Article says "The leaders chosen for the program include two people from Hawaii, Marvin Kaleo Manuel and Leanne Kealoha Fox. Manuel is a planning manager at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Fox works as an executive manager at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs."

Really? Obama chooses only 2 people from Hawaii as the best people for training as future Asia-Pacific leaders, and both of them are ethnic Hawaiians who are managers (i.e., entrenched bureaucrats) at the two state government agencies which are the core of a racial separatist empire. OHA says it has over $662 Million in assets which it devotes exclusively to "the betterment of Native Hawaiians"; and DHHL has over 200,000 acres of land where all the houses are required by law to be racially exclusionary, owned by someone who has at least 50% Hawaiian native blood. This is the racial divisiveness which passes for normal in Hawaii, whose political leaders complain about divisiveness in Washington. Go figure.

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https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/06/hawaii-news/hawaii-leaders-find-hope-in-obama-workshops/?HSA=fde03b4a0a4a48fb08cf822a3c32753dab624f3e
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Sunday January 6, 2019

Hawaii leaders find hope in Obama workshops

By Sophie Cocke

It was a message of hope that carried Hawaii-born Barack Obama into the White House a decade ago, and it's that same message he is continuing to carry through his post-presidency work to inspire and empower a new generation of international leaders.

That was clear Saturday as 21 young people chosen by the Obama Foundation as emerging leaders gathered at the East-West Center in Honolulu for a day of workshops and conversations about how to design a leadership program for the Asia-Pacific region.

They came from 16 countries and territories, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Two members of the cohort -- Kealoha Fox and Kaleo Manuel, both 34 -- are from Hawaii.

"There is so much affirmation that is coming out of the foundation: the leadership, the guests that they have brought, the distinguished lecturers that we are training with," said Fox during a break from the workshops. "It does give you a lot of hope. It really does inspire you. It empowers you to believe in yourself and to believe in your peers."

Fox works as executive manager for the head of the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She holds a doctorate in biomedical sciences and has worked to better indigenous health care. She's also served on the Hawaii Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Commission.

Manuel is a program manager with the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands where he leads a team of planners and community development specialists in creating affordable housing and homestead communities for Hawaiians.

Manuel and Fox are among a diverse group that includes a poet and nonprofit director from the Marshall Islands, a mathematician from Singapore and financial technology executive from Thailand. The broad diversity is an important part of the foundation's goal of encouraging cross-sector collaboration on a wide range of issues that are expected to emerge from the leaders themselves.

The foundation is nonpartisan and nonpolitical, but is rooted in values such as "teamwork, transparency, commitment to social good, stewardship and using resources responsibly -- things that don't have any grounding in any political ideology," said Bernadette Meehan, chief international officer for the Obama Foundation during an interview earlier last week.

The two Hawaii participants said they expect themes such as indigenous rights and climate change to play a role in the Asia-�Pacific leadership program. The foundation launched a similar program in Africa last year that brought together 200 leaders from around the continent for an ongoing leadership training initiative.

Technology is also sure to play a part, said Manuel, who sees the intersection of culture and technology as unique to his generation.

"If things need to be adapted and changed or evolved, I think our generation is really open to that. There really are endless opportunities, and technology can help with and support that," he said. "And I also think that we are also grounded in who we are. And so still having a center and not sacrificing who we are -- our culture, our identity, our perspectives, our world views, while also advancing, creating and innovating for the future -- I think those are the gifts that this generation has to offer."

Obama was not present for yesterday's activities but is expected to meet today with participants, who will pitch their ideas for the Asia-Pacific leadership program. The former president is scheduled to deliver remarks later in the evening at a private event.

-------

** Ken's online comment more detailed than previous one:

Article says: "21 young people chosen by the Obama Foundation as emerging leaders ... came from 16 countries and territories, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Two members of the cohort -- Kealoha Fox and Kaleo Manuel, both 34 -- are from Hawaii. ... Fox works as executive manager for the head of the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs. ... Manuel is a program manager with the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands where he leads a team of planners and community development specialists ... diverse group that includes a poet ... mathematician ... financial technology ..."

Really? Obama chooses 2 people from Hawaii as the best people for training as future Asia-Pacific leaders, and both of them are ethnic Hawaiians who are managers (i.e., entrenched bureaucrats) at the two state government agencies which are the core of a racial separatist empire. OHA says it has over $662 Million in assets which it devotes exclusively to "the betterment of Native Hawaiians"; and DHHL has over 200,000 acres of land where all the houses are required by law to be racially exclusionary, owned by someone who has at least 50% Hawaiian native blood. This is the racial divisiveness which passes for normal in Hawaii, whose political leaders complain about divisiveness in Washington. Go figure.

Article says "The foundation is nonpartisan and nonpolitical ..." OMG. LOL. Heck of a way for the "non-political" Obama to end his annual Xmas vacation in Hawaii. Too bad Sophie Cocke didn't dig a little deeper to report where the money came from for this "leadership program" and its parent "Obama Foundation." That would be good investigative journalism instead of merely parroting the PR in a press release.

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/01/ke-aupuni-update-january-2019-by-leon.html
Free Hawaii blog, January 11, 2019

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JANUARY 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National

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.

Aloha Makahiki Hou!

* The Year of the Hawaiian Kingdom ...
It's good to learn about what happened in the past to better understand our present situation. But it's now time to focus on the future. What do we envision a Free Hawaii to look like? We have to shift our attention to planning for and building toward the realization of a thriving, sovereign, independent nation. To help in this reset, we're inviting everyone to make 2019 the Year of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It's an opportunity to not only celebrate the fact that we are a nation in continuity, but we are a nation with a promising future. This reset is going to require imagination, dialog, strategizing, talent, resources, wisdom, optimism, courage and lots of Aloha 'Āina. Be thinking about this and stay tuned...

* 126 Years Ago...
...in total disregard for international laws, the United States landed troops in Honolulu to provide military support for a group of insurgents intent on deposing the Queen, seizing control of the government and handing the Hawaiian Kingdom over to the United States. The actions of those involved violated our country's sovereignty, hijacked the people's land and other fundamental rights It also set a precedent... a working template for international bullying and abuse by the United States and other big powers. Over the past 126 years, the US has used this template for regime change and repeated this pattern of bad behavior many times, destabilizing and overthrowing governments at the whim of American commercial and political interests. Greed and conquest are certainly not new, but what America did to the Hawaiian Islands -- taking over a country while making it look consensual and legitimate... and getting away with it -- led to increasingly egregious criminal behavior. An argument can be made that the United States' current arrogant habit of interfering, disrupting, invading and fostering of regime change had its genesis in the criminal acts the US committed against the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands 126 years ago.

* Has Anyone Seen any Mention of the 60th Anniversary of the Fake State? Ten years ago, the State of Hawaii's 50th Anniversary celebration fizzled. Our protests of the Fake State drew way more global attention than the state's furtive jubilee. This year, the state's 60th Anniversary is so far nowhere to be seen. Maybe it's because state officials know it's a fake state and not something to celebrate. This would be a good time to ask state officials a few niggling questions like:

* When and how did the Hawaiian Kingdom become a possession of the United States?
* Where is the treaty of annexation?
* Why wasn't "independence" on the ballot of the 1959 plebiscite?
* Who voted in the 1959 plebiscite?
* Was the 1959 plebiscite legitimate?
* How did Hawaiians become US citizens?
* Are all Hawaiians US citizens?
* Do Hawaiian nationals living in the Hawaiian Islands have rights?
* Is the state going to stop harassing Hawaiian nationals?

It would be interesting to get a state response to these questions.

The Campaign to Free Hawai'i is funded by people like YOU.
We cannot do this crucial work without your help... your kōkua.
It takes funding to make these important accomplishments happen and we deeply appreciate all financial contributions, large or small.
Any amount you contribute will make a huge impact on our ability to continue this work (and can be tax-deductible if needed).
We have much to accomplish in 2019 and your contributions toward that are very important and needed.
Your KŌKUA is greatly appreciated!
To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
Mahalo Nui Loa!

Malama pono,
Leon Siu

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http://www.kitv.com/story/39803176/lawmaker-wants-to-replace-presidents-day-with-hawaiian-independence-day
KITV news, Wednesday, January 16th 2019

Lawmaker wants to replace Presidents Day with Hawaiian Independence Day A state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would replace Presidents Day with a holiday that recognizes the Kingdom of Hawaii's independence.

HONOLULU - A state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would replace Presidents Day with a holiday that recognizes the Kingdom of Hawaii's independence.

The holiday is known as La Ku'oko'a. It was first recognized on November 28, 1843, when Great Britain and France acknowledged the Hawaiian Islands as an independent nation. It was widely celebrated under the Kingdom of Hawai'i and during the initial years of the Territory of Hawai'i, until it was dropped as a holiday in 1903, according to the Hawai'i State Archives.

Sen. J. Kalani English plans on introducing a bill this legislative session that would reinstate La Ku'oko'a as a state holiday and replace it with Presidents Day, which is held every February.

He explained, "You know, Texas celebrates Texas Independence Day; the day Texas broke from Mexico and declared their independence. Alaska celebrates Stewards Day; the guy who signed the treaty with Russia to buy Alaska. So we feel this is really important."

La Ku'oko'a is still celebrated by many residents statewide, but is not an official holiday.

"Looking back at the history, every government in Hawai'i recognized this and had it as a holiday," said English. "What sparked us drafting this bill, is that it was being celebrated in Hawai'i by Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians, but it's not officially recognized."

The bill must first pass through the Senate and then the House.

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http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/01/17/hundreds-mark-years-since-overthrow-hawaiian-kingdom/
Hawaii News Now (3 TV stations), January 17, 2019

Hundreds to mark 126 years since overthrow of Hawaiian kingdom

By Mileka Lincoln

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hundreds are expected to gather at Iolani Palace on Thursday to commemorate 126 years since the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The overthrow happened on Jan. 17, 1893.

After imprisoning Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani, a group of American businessmen set up a provisional government with the support of the U.S. minister and military troops.

Queen Liliuokalani protested and asserted herself as the constitutional sovereign of Hawaii, eventually leading to an investigation that ended nearly a year later with President Grover Cleveland acknowledging the overthrow was a "substantial wrong" committed to a friendly nation.

Cleveland urged Congress to repair the United States' relationship with the Hawaiian Kingdom, but instead members passed a resolution to annex Hawaii.

On Aug. 12, 1898, the Hawaiian flag was lowered at Iolani Palace and replaced with the American flag.

One-hundred years after the overthrow, in 1993, President Bill Clinton apologized for the overthrow with a formal acknowledgement and resolution. That same year, more than 10,000 people flooded the streets for a march and rally much like the one that's planned Thursday. While much has changed over the last 26 years, Thursday's overthrow commemoration comes as Native Hawaiians continue to fight for rights. Leaders within the Native Hawaiian community are calling for increased land rights, cultural preservation and recognition.

The observance will begin with traditional Hawaiian protocol at the Royal Mausoleum at Maunaala and then a large procession to I'olani Palace begins at 10 a.m. The group will walk in solidarity down Nuuanu Street to Beretania Street and then through the Hawaii State Capitol Rotunda, stopping at Queen Liliuokalani's statue.

The Royal Order of Kamehameha, other Native Hawaiian societies and hundreds of students are expected to present hookupu for offering before ending the Peace March on the Palace grounds. The event at Iolani Palace is called "Onipaa Kakou," which means "We Are All Steadfast". Organizers say it's as much about remembrance as it is recognition.

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https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/18/hawaii-news/sovereignty-group-storms-oha/?HSA=abb8dd06e488405fdf7334748ac254c3aa100435
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, January 18, 2019

Sovereignty group storms OHA

By Timothy Hurley

Five people were arrested Thursday after a radical sovereignty group muscled its way into the Honolulu headquarters of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on the anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

A dozen or so members of a Kauai-based group known as Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi/Hawaiian Kingdom barged into the Nimitz Highway offices at about 11 a.m. before assaulting at least two staff members and harassing and verbally threatening others.

"It was very traumatizing and emotional for our employees," OHA CEO Kamana'opono Crabbe said afterward.

Men wearing police-type badges and T-shirts proclaiming "federal marshal" took control of the OHA lobby, forcing employees out with threats of violence and intimidation, witnesses said.

Two men were assaulted, including one who was tackled to the floor. Authorities said a 38-year-old man complained of pain but declined treatment.

OHA employee Zuri Aki said there were some tense moments that featured posturing, pushing and threats. A couple of the men told him they were seizing OHA assets, he said.

Dozens of police officers responded to the scene, eventually blocking access to the offices while the standoff continued for nearly two hours.

Police arrested four men, ranging in age from 27 to 62, at 1:45 p.m. on suspicion of third-degree assault. Their bail was set at $100 each. A fifth man, age 39, was arrested on suspicion of harassment.

All five remained in police custody Thursday night, said Michelle Yu, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman.

During the takeover, employees were presented with "Search and Seizure Warrants" as well as a document claiming the property was registered with the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi/ Hawaiian Kingdom.

"The real kingdom is back," one of the Atooi men shouted during a social media livestream.

Some businesses in the largely retail center at 560 N. Nimitz Highway were told to close during the incident, and OHA staff members were released for the day. "On behalf of the board and the administration, we take this matter very seriously to protect our employees," Crabbe told the media afterward. "We want to thank HPD for responding so quickly."

Crabbe said the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi group had appeared at the OHA headquarters two weeks ago with some concerns. He didn't elaborate on the concerns, but Crabbe said he was under the impression they had reached a mutual understanding. Why they returned today is unclear, he said. "We can't respond to what their motives were," he said. Crabbe said OHA would be working with HPD to improve security.

The event comes on the 126th anniversary of the overthrow of Hawaiian Queen Lili'uokalani, and hundreds of Native Hawaiians marched from Mauna Ala burial ground to Iolani Palace to mark the occasion.

OHA Trustee Brendon Kalei'ina Lee said it was sad the incident would dominate the news instead of the peaceful march and commemoration. Hawaiian community leader Hinaleimoana Wong condemned the action by the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi. "I question their integrity, I question their logic and I question their complete lack of leadership and the negative precedent that this sets for the Hawaiian community," she said.

The Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi is led by Dayne Aleka Gonsalves of Kekaha, also known as Alii Nui (king) Aleka Aipoalani. Gonsalves has had some run-ins with the law, including the time he was arrested during a Superferry protest in 2007 and when he flashed a kingdom federal marshal badge at a county meeting the same year.

Honolulu attorney James Wright said the group has a reputation on Kauai for being dangerous and violent. "They don't hold signs and pule (pray). They're more in the tradition of cracking heads," he said.

Wright, who testified in the trial against Majesty Akahi Nui, also known as James Kimo Akahi, the Maui man and self-proclaimed king of Hawaii who briefly occupied Iolani Palace in 2008, said the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi is well organized, committed and should be taken seriously.

Thursday's incident, he said, underscores a growing restlessness among some Native Hawaiians anxious about their rights and conditions in the islands.

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http://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/01/19/opinion/sovereign-nation-ko-hawaii-pae-aina-of-1843-is-alive-well/
The Garden Island [Kaua'i] Saturday January 19, 2019, guest commentary

Sovereign nation, Ko Hawaii Pae Aina of 1843, is alive, well

By Duane Kamai

* Editor's note: Thursday was the 126th anniversary of the overthrow of Hawaiian Queen Lili'uokalani, which happened on Jan. 17, 1893.

As stated in the United Nations Security Council memorandum of Feb. 25, 2018, our kingdom is fully operational and under a strange form of occupation, by the army known as the state of Hawaii and paid by the terroristic nation of the United States of America.

This is a war crime and a human rights violation by international laws, treaty agreements and the sovereign nation constitution. By the unalienable rights granted by Jehovah and our king, we will be enforcing our constitutional rights and laws as our king has laid them down as the legal title and land owner and legal representatives of the treaty nation.

We have dominion rights and powers given to me by the sovereign himself. By unbroken lineal descendancy and genealogical history. My vested rights and interest are protected by the law.

To all whom this may affect directly or indirectly. To the belligerent force illegally occupying our peaceful and friendly nation. The private mercenaries' army known as the state of Hawaii and paid by the terroristic organization and nation of the United States of America.

Let it be known that my borders and boundaries are clearly marked and under the rules and requirements shown on the maritime navigational charts, by the laws of water and guidelines of the laws of sea.

From baseline, the underwater sea shelf of cliffs 336 nautical miles out to sea to the heritage from Kalei to Napali, these are my territorial waters of our neutral nations. We are not a combative nation and need to protect our borders from intruders, foreign and domestic.

Be it known to all federal and state employees, that each and every one of you are in violation of both international and Hawaiian kingdom law.

The state of Hawaii: Each employee and any entity associated with the state of Hawaii, you are acting as private mercenaries paid by the United State of America.

By the U.S. Constitution, the illegal and unlawful acts committed by the corporate pirates and paid by this terroristic nation are in direct violation of both international law and their own constitution, and they have no jurisdiction of any kind of any true authority.

Those who are employed by them are accessories to the crime and could be charged by law. Each individual will be held liable for their own actions. The fraudulent intentions and deceitful mannerisms of these two corporations to deprive the only true and legal title and landowner of their health, wealth, and property is a criminal activity and war crime.

I, Konohiki, Hinano Kaleleiki with dominion rights, powers, and vested interests through unbroken lineal descendants and genealogical history. I represent the treaty nation Ko Hawaii Pae Aina of 1843. It is with great pride and humility that I inform you of my existence with governing and prosecuting powers through our constitution of 1843 along with international and maritime laws, which the kingdom of Hawaii shall enforce to the fullest extent of the law.

---

Duane Kamai is a resident of Maui.

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/01/ke-aupuni-update-january-2019-by-leon_25.html
Free Hawai'i blog, 25 Jan 2019

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JANUARY 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National

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.

* Article in Diva International Diplomat... In early December we posted a montage of just a few of the many articles showing the attention we are getting from the international press. Well...

In its first issue of the New Year, Diva International Diplomat, one of the most prestigious publications from the UN in Geneva featured a story about Hawaiian Independence Day. The story was originally scheduled to be printed in the November 2018 issue to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Lā Ku'oko'a, but due to other priorities at Diva, it was shifted to the January 2019 issue. Just as good...as we are getting ready to celebrate the Year of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

On the past, the magazine featured stories of whether Alaska and Hawai'i are actually U.S. states. The September 2018 issue featured an article about Alaska.

In discussing topics for the article with the editor of Diva last September, we wanted to first address one of the biggest challenges we have with diplomats -- getting them to grasp the fact that the Hawaiian Kingdom is already a recognized sovereign, independent country... We decided what better way to make that point than to share the compelling story of how that recognition was achieved... and what better opportunity than the 175th anniversary of that achievement? Thus, this article.

In the future, Diva and other international publications, will be helping us frame the vision for a Free Hawai'i; that it is not about a break-up of a relationship, it is about a return to pono... to bring things into proper balance. We are seeking to normalize and resume a healthy, respectful, productive, peaceful, sovereign-nation-to-sovereign-nation relationship with the United States... and the rest of the world... and to do it with Aloha.

Stay tuned for future coverage in the international media.

You can view the entire article here -
http://divainternational.ch/the-hawaiian-islands-celebrates-175-years-of-independence.html

* Two days of Onipa'a and Ku'e... For two days last week the grounds of 'Iolani Palace and the (soon-to-be Hawaiian Kingdom) Capitol building were saturated with the sights and sounds of Onipa'a and Ku'e. It was intense... and glorious... celebrating the fact that the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive, growing and on the move. Thousands of people participated in highly visible activities dominating the area of the capitol and the palace. Mahalo to all who organized the events... and to all who came to ku'e and kako'o! It was an awesome two days.

* To New York to meet with International Diplomats...
By the time you get this update, I'll be in New York City for meetings with diplomats, dignitaries and movers and shakers at the UN. We are going over plans for the introduction of a resolution to the General Assembly later this Spring that we believe will help to turn the tide in our favor. We'll share more as things develop.

The Campaign to Free Hawai'i is funded by people like YOU...
We cannot do this crucial work without your help... your kokua.
It takes funding to make these important accomplishments happen and we deeply appreciate all financial contributions, large or small.
Any amount you contribute will make a huge impact on our ability to continue this work (and can be tax-deductible if needed).
We have much to accomplish in 2019 and your contributions toward that are very important and needed.
Your KŌKUA is greatly appreciated!
To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii

Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama pono,
Leon Siu

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https://www.khon2.com/news/local-news/house-speaker-appoints-ed-case-to-panel-on-natural-resources/1733029899
KHON2 TV News, January 28, 2019

House Speaker appoints Ed Case to panel on Natural Resources

Honolulu (KHON2) - U.S. Congressman Ed Case has received a second key committee appointment to the House Committee on Natural Resources. "This critical committee has jurisdiction over public lands and natural resources and is ground zero for our efforts in Congress to preserve the natural heritage that was gifted to us for generations to come," said Case. "It is also responsible for our national oceans policy which is becoming even more critical as the threat to our world's oceans from climate change, resources degradation and pollution become even more acute."

Case said his appointment to Natural Resources will enable him to work on key areas for Hawai'i within the committee's kuleana including ocean and fisheries programs through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Parks and Monuments, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Our state is special and distinctive in all the world - we are lucky to live Hawaii with one of the most unique natural heritages anywhere," said Case. "But our flora and fauna are also fragile - so much so that Hawaii is considered by experts as the 'Endangered Species Capital of the World' - and we need constant vigilance and innovative programs to assure their survival."

Other specific projects on which Case will focus through this committee assignment include restoration of the dock at the World War II Valor of the Pacific Monument (the Arizona Memorial), repairs at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park left severely damaged by the last year's volcanic and seismic activity, and the preservation of the 583-square-mile Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument located in waters off the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands which Case worked to establish during his prior service in Congress.

The Committee also has jurisdiction over federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior on behalf of Native Hawaiians. "We are at an especially critical time as our Native Hawaiian community charts the best course toward establishing a direct relationship with our federal government akin to that recognized with other indigenous peoples for some 150 years now," said Case. "My role on the committee will be to oversee and support that effort in Congress in close partnership with Native Hawaiians."

Case was also recently appointed to the House committee on Appropriations, one of the U.S. House's few exclusive committees, meaning that members are not usually permitted to serve on others, but was asked by the House leadership to add Natural Resources to his portfolio. "This combination of Natural Resources and Appropriations should be especially effective for programs under Natural Resources in being able to focus not only on the programs themselves but on adequately funding them," said Case.

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https://www.voanews.com/a/native-hawaiians-divided-on-federal-recognition/4775275.html
Voice of America News, February 7, 2019

Native Hawaiians Divided on Federal Recognition

by Cecily Hilleary

WASHINGTON --
The U.S. Civil Rights Commission recently recommended Congress officially recognize Native Hawaiians, making them eligible for the same government-to-government relationship and benefits given to hundreds of Native American tribes. But many Native Hawaiians reject that idea and say they won't settle for anything less than complete independence and control of more than a million acres of land.

Polynesian navigators first discovered the Hawaiian Islands more than a millennium ago, and for the next 1,000 years, flourished as a self-sustaining and self-governing people. In 1840, Hawaii's king Kamehameha III established a constitutional monarchy and later opened up Crown lands for private ownership. Native Hawaiians, whose population had already been decimated by introduced diseases, were now displaced from the land to make way for a prosperous sugar cane industry that came to be dominated by American planters.

In 1887, U.S. and European oligarchs forced King Kalakaua to sign a constitution that stripped him of his authority, removed Native Hawaiians' land rights and allowed foreign landowners the right to vote.

In 1893, Kalakaua's successor, Queen Liliuokalani, tried to draft a new constitution to restore the monarch's power. The planters, with help from John Stevens, the U.S. Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii, and a contingent of U.S. Marines, forced Liliuokalani from the throne and imprisoned her. Five years later, the U.S. Congress annexed Hawaii as a territory, and in 1959, named it the 50th U.S. state.

"Then there was a huge rush of settlement by U.S. citizens that coincided with the growth in jet travel," said Noelani Goodyear�Ka'opua, a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) scholar and expert in Native Hawaiian social movements. "After statehood, you had this a massive influx of people, which resulted in a boom in development of housing developments and hotels, leading to even more land struggles."

Calls for sovereignty

The U.S. government acknowledges Native Hawaiians as "a distinct and unique indigenous people with a historical continuity to the original inhabitants" of Hawaii. But Congress has never formally recognized them as it has 573 Native American tribes and nations, and Native Hawaiians have never established a formal government.

Native Hawaiians today, like Native Americans on the continent, are politically and economically marginalized. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, they numbered up to a million. Today, they represent only about 20 percent of the state's population and experience discrimination, high rates of poverty and homelessness, and disparities in health and longevity.

But the Kanaka Maoli, as Native Hawaiians call themselves, didn't take colonization sitting down. Even before annexation, they were organizing, petitioning and resisting, according to Ka'opua. And the sovereignty movement, always simmering, began to solidify after the 100th anniversary of overthrow, when thousands of Native Hawaiians rallied at Iolani Palace, former home of the monarchy.

"From that point, there were really two parallel streams of the movement," said Ka'opua. "One is seeking more of a nation within a nation, that is, federal recognition status. The other is asserting the claim for a country independent from the United states."

'A lesser deal'

In 1993, Congress apologized to Native Hawaiians for its role in overthrowing the monarchy and committing itself to a process of reconciliation. To that end, in 2014, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) held a series of hearings across Hawaii, giving hundreds of Native Hawaiians a platform to express their opinions on federal recognition.

Transcripts of the hearings reveal that the vast majority of those who testified oppose recognition, arguing the overthrow violated international law and the kingdom, in fact, never stopped existing.

In 2016, the DOI released a final rule to create a framework for formal recognition if Native Hawaiians form a unified government and call for a government-to-government relationship with the U.S. "If you look at that final rule, it basically says no federally controlled lands are on the table," said Ka'opua. "How is this in any way to our benefit? We wouldn't even be getting the crappy deal that Native American nations have. And once you accept a lesser deal, a better deal is impossible."

Indigenous or race group?

Davianna Pomaika'i McGregor, a Hawaii historian and founding member of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, views federal recognition as an important step in the right direction toward full sovereignty. "The acknowledgment of Native Hawaiians as indigenous people with the right of self-governance has nothing to do with acknowledging the independence of Hawaii," she said. "They are two separate issues, and one does not preclude the other."

Congress has passed dozens of statutes that recognize a special obligation to Native Hawaiians, and provide for health, education, job and other funding. But McGregor said these programs are vulnerable to court challenges.

"I'm very much in favor of reorganizing our government as a native people, not the government of the state of Hawaii as a whole, but the quest to reestablish an independent Native Hawaiian government within an independent Hawaii," said McGregor. "But I don't think that's going to happen in my lifetime."

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/02/ke-aupuni-update-february-2019-by-leon.html
Free Hawaii blog, FEBRUARY 9, 2019

KE AUPUNI UPDATE -

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National

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.

* Just returned from New York from meetings with Diplomats...
My meetings in New York City with diplomats, experts and movers and shakers at the UN went very well. We are making good progress with plans to have a resolution submitted to the General Assembly this Spring that will trigger a turning of the tide in our favor. Sorry to be cryptic, but we'll be able to share more as things develop.

Mahalo nui for those who contributed in funding and other ways to make the trip possible.

The Quick Facts Series... THE SITUATION OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS QUICK FACTS #6 Maintaining a Presence...

Advocating for our country's freedom in the international arena requires being there, in-person, as frequently as possible. This is necessary to not only establish but to maintain a presence and urgency about our cause. Otherwise, with all the intense crises going on in the world, the Hawaii situation can easily fall by the wayside and disappear. "Out of sight, out of mind" can be very real in the international scheme of things. Fortunately, the cause for independence for the Hawaiian Islands has developed credibility and traction in the international community because we have been persistent in showing up.

Over the past 12 years, we have attended over 40 international meetings, mostly at the United Nations in both Geneva and New York; but also the European Union in Brussels and Strasbourg; the Melanesian Spearhead Group in New Caledonia, the Pacific Islands Development Forum in Fiji, the Pacific Islands Forum, and so forth. We have also made trips to South Korea, Taiwan, England, the Netherlands, Cuba, Bern, the capitol of Switzerland to meet with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Universal Postal Union. We have also made frequent visits to Washington, D.C.

Attending and participating in these meetings involves a great deal of travel. The more progress we make, the more travel will be required by our diplomats. In the coming months it will be necessary to visit various capitals of various countries for face-to-face talks with the presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, parliamentarians (legislators) to discuss our situation.

As I've mentioned before, foreign diplomats used to say, "That's a very interesting story, I wish you well with the challenges you face." Now they are saying, "How do you think we can help?" This represents a quantum shift! The international community is starting to "see" us!

Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. The sovereignty (life) of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

In Quick Facts installment #7 we'll discuss what we can do here at home to cause people to "see" us.

Malama pono,
Leon Siu

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

http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/02/ke-aupuni-update-february-2019-by-leon_23.html
Free Hawaii blog, February 23, 2019

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - FEBRUARY 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National

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.

* Two UN HQs -- Geneva and New York...
Aloha! I'm sending this to you from Geneva, Switzerland, one of the two headquarters of the United Nations. I'm here for a couple of weeks.

The Palais des Nations is a sprawling complex with numerous conference rooms and hundreds of offices. This is where the Human Rights Council holds its major sessions three times a year, their Universal Periodic Reviews, and it's numerous other meetings throughout the year. The Palais des Nations is also where high level talks dealing with the crises in Syria, the Sudan, Myanmar, refugees, migrants, etc., etc. take place. And that's why we're here. The people here are focused on humanitarian concerns and are more receptive to human rights side of the situation in Hawaii. Geneva is the headquarters of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Right Council, the Human Rights Committee, etc.

While in Geneva, I will be attending the 40th session of the Human Rights Council to reiterate and reemphasize the numerous reports and complaints that our people have been submitting for years to bring awareness and empathy to our plight. Mahalo to the many individuals and groups who made their voices known in those human rights venues.

Other significant operations of the UN also located in Geneva are: The World Health Organization, The World Trade Organization, the International Labor Organization, the World Intellectual Properties Organization, and so forth. One could say the UN in Geneva is more sympathetic to the human side of international affairs. Geneva is where we have been able to get our story exposed to the international community, "to get our foot in the door"... And it will continue to be a source of friendly relations and mutual support.

* Meanwhile at the UN in New York City...
Things are about to heat up. New York City facility is home to the UN's 'governing bodies' ... the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Secretary General. We have maintained at least a perfunctory presence at the UN New York for at least 20 years and are about to dramatically increase our efforts there. More about that in coming installments of Ke Aupuni Update.

* Ku Kia'i Mauna ! ...
The judge in the contested case hearing of the Thirty Meter Telescope decided to ignore the overwhelming body of testimony against its construction, and gave it the green light. The State Supreme Court upheld that decision. So according to the State, the UH, and all the local and international conspirators, the TMT is a go.

But is it? Another showdown is brewing. Lines are being drawn. Protectors are preparing to prevent the construction; The state law enforcement has been given substantial funding (and training) to confront, arrest and prosecute any and all blocking the construction. The state is building a goon squad and adopting ways to restrict public (protectors) access. Protectors are trusting in non-violent resistance... Both sides are determined to prevail. Pray that Kapu Aloha prevails and keeps things from getting nasty.

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/03/ke-aupuni-update-march-2019-by-leon-siu.html
KE AUPUNI UPDATE, March 9, 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National

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.

The Quick Facts Series... THE SITUATION OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
QUICK FACTS #7
CAUSING PEOPLE TO "SEE" US

The most important component of any nation is its people. When we say the Hawaiian Kingdom still exists, the big question is: Where are its people?

Starting 120 years ago, the US began altering the identity of our people changing us from Hawaiian to American -- from Hawaiian subjects to U.S. citizens. Eventually it got to the point where Hawaiian nationality was completely forgotten. Our identity got so lost in the mix, it is no wonder the world today can't "see" us. In fact, we can hardly see ourselves!

This invisibility is the biggest advantage the US uses against us. Out of sight, out of mind. If people can't see us, how can they see our country? How will they understand our country still exists? Right now they see us as friendly, compliant natives of an American island-state called "Hawaii" instead of the people of a sovereign, independent nation. Unfortunately, that is also how many of our people see themselves. Unless that perception changes among ourselves, others will not take us seriously.

The sooner we stop identifying ourselves as Americans (U.S. citizens) and acting as if we are Americans; and the sooner we start believing we are Hawaiian subjects and behave as such; the more the kingdom will come into focus... in our own minds-eye and in the eyes of the world.

Changing how we "see" ourselves is not as hard as you think. Start with one simple thing: Stop using the word "mainland" when referring to the United States. Every time you stop yourself from saying "mainland" you'll be recalibrating your mind into seeing the Hawaiian Islands, not America, is our main land.

As we assert our nationality and begin living as free Hawaiians, we assume the authority to operate our country with pono and kuleana, pushing aside the fraud of the U.S. and its fake "State of Hawaii."

Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. The sovereignty (life) of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

Malama pono,
Leon Siu

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http://freehawaii.info, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - MARCH 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National
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 Verge of UN Breakthrough...

Aloha! I have just returned from another very productive trip to the two main offices of the United Nations: Geneva, Switzerland and New York City.

In Geneva I attended the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council where, besides the council meetings and the parallel events, I was able to meet, in the margins of the main session, with diplomats from UN member states, UN experts and officers, international journalists and other delegations (like us) knocking on the door of the UN seeking remedy for their situations.

As I mentioned in an earlier report, when we started out, the diplomats and UN officials would cordially express "interest" and politely wish us luck. But a few years ago, the mood began to shift from, "That's very interesting" to genuine curiosity ("Do you think that's possible?") and now, to getting involved ("How do you think we can help?").

We have been gaining traction with each successive trip. Now, when I call on these diplomats, they are eager to learn how we are progressing, and better yet, offering suggestions and advice on how we could proceed to attain our goal. This new level of engagement is happening at the UN offices on both sides of the Atlantic.

As I mentioned before, the UN in New York City is home to the United Nations' main "governing bodies," namely: the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Secretary General (and the agencies, committees and offices that serve these entities). The UN in New York is where any decision that will affect our status as a country will ultimately be made.

I am happy to report that we are on the verge of having some countries friendly to our cause, submit initiatives to the General Assembly that will trigger a UN inquiry of the United States' claim of sovereignty over the Hawaiian Islands. This might sound cryptic, but it has to be for now. The strategy is tied to several other components that will help other peoples and nations who are seeking independence. The operating principle is, to quote a favorite saying of President John F. Kennedy, "A rising tide lifts all boats." Sorry to be vague about specifics at this time, but soon we will be able to speak more openly.

In the months to come, we will have to step up activities to advance these initiatives. That means not only regular trips to the UN, but making visits to the capitals of certain key countries to speak with their leaders to garner their support. This will require committing more resources -- both human and material.

To better understand what we are doing in Foreign Affairs, go to:
HawaiianKingdom.net/HawaiianKingdom.net/Foreign_Affairs.html
It's part of the website: HawaiianKingdom.net

Malama pono,
Leon Siu
POSTED BY THE KOANI FOUNDATION AT 2:49 PM

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https://www.oha.org/news/oha-board-approves-new-internal-governance-framework/
Office of Hawaiian Affairs, news release, April 4, 2019

OHA board approves new internal governance framework for the agency

HONOLULU (April 4, 2019) - The OHA Board of Trustees today approved a new internal governance framework intended to better align the agency's decision-making within its different roles to enhance OHA's ability to meet the needs of the Native Hawaiian community. The new internal framework will improve the alignment of OHA's identity as an organization serving the Lāhui (nation [i.e., racial group]), its legal mandates as a state agency, its fiduciary duties as a trust, and its cultural values, policies and practices.

"I thank my fellow trustees for their vote today in approving a new governance framework for OHA," said OHA Chair Colette Machado. "This is just the first step on a significant new path for the agency that will ultimately improve how we serve our beneficiaries. We understand that this is a long journey, and we are committed to the work ahead."

OHA Vice Chair Brendon Kaleiʻāina Lee, who led the new governance framework effort, said: "Today's board action starts a historic shift in how the agency sees itself and, as a result, how we serve our people. Re-structuring OHA's governance by placing our commitment to the Lāhui and its cultural foundation above our role as a state agency and trust represents a major re-visioning of the identity of the organization and will lead to critical changes in how we conduct business for Native Hawaiians."

The new governance framework was a recommendation of an OHA Permitted Interaction Group that was formed by the OHA Board in January. The group was tasked with investigating various elements of governance frameworks and models. The group was led by OHA Vice Chair Lee and included Chair Machado and Trustees Robert Lindsey and John Waihe'e IV, as well as OHA Chief Executive Officer/Ka Pouhana Kamana'opono Crabbe, OHA Chief Operating Officer/Ka Pou Nui Sylvia Hussey, and trustee and administration staff.

The group reviewed OHA policies, procedures and five years of Board actions as well as governance frameworks of other Aliʻi Trusts and indigenous groups and native nations nationally and internationally.

Today's Board action establishes five new governance framework elements:

Identity;
Values and Mana;
Statutory Basis;
Policies;
Supporting Documents and Practices (Operations)

A significant change of the new governance framework is the re-structuring of OHA's identity, placing its Lāhui identity above its state agency and trust identities. The result is the following new identity structure:

According to the governance framework Permitted Interaction Group's recommendation, the new identity structure will ensure that:

OHA identifies with and operates more similarly to other Ali'i Trusts with a Lāhui mindset in improving the well-being of our Lāhui. Such an identity is rooted in the 'ōlelo no'eau, E 'ōpū ali'i, have the heart of a chief, have the kindness, generosity, and even temper of a chief. OHA's identity is also place based, that OHA's kuleana is to this place of Hawaiʻi.

The Board today also approved a new Permitted Interaction Group to implement one of the elements of the new governance framework by investigating the development of Lāhui policies. These policies will articulate the Hawaiian cultural foundation and values of the organization. The group will consider Lāhui policies relating to normalizing Hawaiian language; protecting and exercising native rights regarding 'āina (land), water, wahi pana (sacred places) and iwi kupuna (appropriate care of ancestral remains); strengthening 'ohana and kaiāulu (community), perpetuating Hawaiian culture, knowledge and practices; and engaging in national and international indigenous contexts.

The Board also discussed forming additional Permitted Interaction Groups, including the creation of trustee and CEO policies, in the near future to further implement the new governance framework elements.

** Note from Ken Conklin: State open-meeting law requires any group of three or more members of a government agency board of directors to publicly announce a meeting agenda and then to hold their meeting in public; unless a majority of the board members vote to allow a specific subgroup to meet in private. Such a Permitted Interaction Group can meet repeatedly in private without any published agenda and need not follow usual rules of procedure. Thus they can freely express views without public scrutiny and even without letting other board members know what they are doing. It's a good way to let a PIG openly and honestly discuss issues and make good policy proposals; but also a way to let a group do things in secret that the public or minority board members would not like). The OHA board has been sued previously for violating open meeting laws and concealing its checkbook register, and for tolerating refusal by its commercial LLC subsidiaries to report on their budgets and expenditures; so empowering PIGs might be a way for OHA to continue violating state law.

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https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/04/trisha-kehaulani-watson-pursuing-hawaiian-sovereignty-in-the-time-of-trump/
Honolulu Civil Beat, Wednesday April 10, 2019

Pursuing Hawaiian Sovereignty In The Time of Trump
The defeat of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 flattened the hopes and the voices of those who were hoping, alternatively, to see progress toward federal recognition.

By Trisha Kehaulani Watson [regular Wednesday columnist]

I've worked with Uncle Walter Ritte for well over a decade at this point -- long enough that we can bark at each other effectively and affectionately. I'm fairly certain it's how we remain so productive after all these years.

I've been bringing up federal recognition a lot lately, and it irritates him every time. "Why you gotta bring up something that's a dead issue?" he asks, annoyed, over breakfast at Big City Diner on Waialae Avenue a couple Sundays ago when I most recently brought it up.

"Because we were right, and we should make them talk about that," I said. "Eeeaaahh!" He flicks his hand at me, a sure sign of irritation. "Unity! We should be talking about unity."

"Unity" has become Uncle Walter's passion. It was the driving force behind our organization of the 'Onipa'a Kākou march last January. It's been a driving vision behind the formation of the nonprofit he now runs, 'Āina Momona. It's become his full-time work: unity.

And I'm on board with unity, because that's my job in all of this, back up Uncle Walter. But my job is also to watch the periphery. My job is to remain cautious and suspect.

I'm not convinced federal recognition is a dead issue. I think it's dormant. And after living on a volcanic island chain my entire life, I'm more than a little suspect of all things dormant.

Only a few years ago proponents of federal recognition were hell-bent on seeing it happen. They were coming straight through anything in their path, including those of us who stood in their way. It all seemed well lined up:

Barack Obama was considered a president friendly to Hawaiians and supportive of federal recognition.
Obama appointed a leading advocate for federal recognition as undersecretary of Interior for insular affairs.
Federal rules were passed that would pave the way for it to happen, circumventing congressional approval.

Various delays, some in part due to the gridlock of Washington and others in part to strong, vocal opposition on the ground here in Hawaii stalled implementation of federal recognition during Obama's terms, yet advocates seemed convinced of a Hillary Clinton victory and her willingness to finalize what Obama had started.

How Trump Changed The Conversation

Then Nov. 8, 2016, came and Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States.

I'll admit that while I strongly supported Clinton and gladly voted for her, the federal recognition issue stuck in my craw even then.

At numerous meetings, among heated discussions and even all-out fights, this had always been one of my favorite points to make: Why would we want to hitch ourselves to a government that could turn on us at any moment?

The strongly Democratic group favoring federal recognition always laughed this argument off. No one seemed to believe a Clinton/Democratic Party loss even possible, certainly not to Trump. Yet here we are, and Trump has gone out of his way to target federally recognized tribes.

So where are the federal recognition advocates now? For the most part, particularly on the issue of federal recognition: crickets.

Yet, delegates of Na'i Aupuni and those who voted in support of its constitution have continued to work their way into government. It's an interesting contrast to opponents who have built impressive momentum around sovereignty and awareness on issues critical to Native Hawaiians.

In addition to strategic placement within political and other leadership positions, leaders from Na'i Aupuni appear to be continuing their efforts to fundraise to hold an election to ratify the constitution written and voted on during the hasty month-long Kanaiolowalu process.

A fundraising letter was leaked in 2016 and as recently as last summer, representatives of the effort participated in a high-level funders conference in Washington, D.C., representing the "Aloha Lahui Collective Action Fund and Native Hawaiian Roll Commission."

Time will surely tell which of these rather different strategies proves more successful. What cannot be denied is that proponents are showing themselves to be more formidable in navigating the current Western-dominated system than the opponents of federal recognition. And to the extent that young Hawaiians should be assuming leadership positions, it's absolutely fantastic to see these advances.

Hard Conversations Needed

Yet, one must question how well they can represent a growing number of Hawaiians (and even non-Hawaiians) who do not want federal recognition. Whether on the left or the right, there's clearly an increasing number of people in Hawaii who are unhappy with governance here, both at the local and federal level.

The question remains: Why aren't we having active discussions about self-governance?

On one level independence seems unimaginable, and there are real questions as to whether Hawaii has enough of an economic base to be self-reliant. There's no doubting that many Pacific Island nation states rely heavily on foreign aid, which begs the question of whether we wouldn't be worse off if we were independent.

Yet, we need to at least begin to recognize that our current model is highly problematic. We continue to waste and ruin natural resources at an alarming rate. The wealth gap in Hawaii seems unbridgeable. A solution to the housing crisis continues to elude us.

This was the biggest problem of the race to federal recognition, it denied us the time and opportunity to have the hard conversations. It denied us the space to educate ourselves and each other about our needs and our future.

If the Aloha Lahui Collective Action Fund can find the time to fundraise on the continent and participate on panels there, it certainly should make the time to engage its base at home on the status and future of federal recognition.

We now have the opportunity to begin the hard conversations. The time is now. Let us begin.

About the Author
Trisha Kehaulani Watson is Kaimuki resident, small business owner, and bibliophile. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Hawaii and J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law. She writes about environmental issues, cultural resource management, and the intersection between culture and politics. You can follow or contact her on Twitter at
@hehawaiiau

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** Ken Conklin's online comment:

Trisha laments the lack of "progress" toward federal recognition of ethnic Hawaiians as though they are an Indian tribe. She seems bewildered why it's not happening. Consider this:

The people of Hawaii, including probably most ethnic Hawaiians, do not want the lands and people of Hawaii to be broken apart along racial lines. We believe in unity and equality: the unity of all Hawaii's people under a single sovereignty; the unity of Hawaii with the United States; the equality of all humans in the eyes of God regardless of race; and equal treatment under the law by our government regardless of race. Those worried about "white nationalism" on the mainland should be more worried about race-supremacist rhetoric and activity here in Hawaii.

Trisha says the tribalist have been infiltrating our government and secretly raising money, like sleeper agents in a bad spy movie. She's correct. Thanks for the warning. Let's not let them get away with it.

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/04/ke-aupuni-update-april-2019-8y-leon-siu.html
Free Hawaii blog, Saturday April 13, 2019

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - APRIL 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National
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.

The Quick Facts Series ... QUICK FACTS #8

THE SITUATION OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
OVERCOMING THE IDENTITY CRISIS...

Guess what? This morning I woke up in the Hawaiian Kingdom! I stretched, drew a few deep breaths, freshened up, brushed my teeth, went for a walk, showered, had breakfast, checked my emails, drove to town, had meetings, etc., etc ... And I did it all in the Hawaiian Kingdom! I look around me, the mountains, the ocean, the trees, the wind, the rain, the sunshine, the clouds ... the homes, the tall buildings, the country, the freeways, Waikiki ...it's all in the Hawaiian Kingdom.

We are Hawaiians, not Americans... We live in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands, not the United States of America. The sooner we start living our lives with that awareness, the sooner our identity and our country's identity will emerge.

Steven Biko, the great South African activist said: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. How true! If we keep thinking of ourselves as an oppressed people, we remain oppressed. If we keep saying the United States is "the mainland" it binds us to the notion that we are a subservient state.

On the other hand, if we act as a free people, we are a free people... and whatever constraints imposed by the U.S. and the Fake State are merely temporary obstacles... obstacles that we can overcome.

Our country is not going to be "given back to us." It never went anywhere. It's still here! Yes, the intruder has messed things up a bit, but we can fix it and rebuild it into a country that reflects the best of who we are as a people and a culture.

The time of thinking of ourselves as a nation in distress has passed. We are a nation on the rise!

Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. The sovereignty (life) of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

Malama pono,
Leon Siu

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https://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/04/23/opinion/honoring-president-sanford-b-dole-on-his-175th-birthday/
The Garden Island [Kaua'i], April 23, 2019, Guest Commentary

Honoring President Sanford B. Dole on His 175th Birthday

By Dr. Kenneth R. Conklin

Sanford B. Dole was native-born at Punahou on April 23, 1844 -- a school founded by his father, missionary Daniel Dole. He spent 11 of his most formative years (ages 11-22) growing up Hawaiian-style at Koloa, Kauai, where he became expert at konane (similar to checkers) and pahia (a special form of diving).

After attending Williams College (Massachusetts) he became a lawyer, and included plantation laborers among his pro bono clients. He adopted a native girl (probably his biological child) whose descendants are Hawaiian community leaders today including surnames Low, Lucas, Napoleon, Thompson.

His ties to Koloa remained strong. He was elected to the Kingdom legislature 1884-86 from Koloa. In 1887 he led the protest group that forced King Kalakaua to sign a new Constitution. Later Kalakaua appointed him to the Kingdom's Supreme Court.

In 1893 he honorably resigned his judgeship before the revolution; and then led the Provisional Government afterward. U.S. President Grover Cleveland "ordered" him to undo the revolution and reinstate the Queen.

Hawaii President Dole wrote a lengthy letter of refusal, confirming that Hawaii desired annexation but was not a puppet regime. His strong leadership allowed the Provisional Government not only to defy President Cleveland's "Black Week" gunboat diplomacy of December 1893 but also to crush the January 1895 attempted counter-revolution which used guns and bombs the U.S. Navy permitted to be smuggled in to Robert Wilcox.

Dole helped create the Republic of Hawaii and was its only President through four more years as an independent nation. Emperors, Kings, Presidents and Queen Victoria, who all previously recognized the Kingdom, sent Dole letters formally recognizing the Republic as the rightful successor government.

When U.S. President McKinley came into office, President Dole led negotiations for annexation, driving a hard bargain. The U.S. paid off the accumulated national debt of the Kingdom and Republic (more than the market value of the ceded lands at that time), and agreed to hold the ceded lands not as U.S. property but as a public trust for the benefit of all the residents of Hawaii.

In 1900 he became Hawaii's first Territorial Governor. In 1903 he was appointed judge of the U.S. District Court (Honolulu). Following many years of charitable works, he died in 1926.

Dole and Lili'uokalani were friends. During the 1893 revolution she was allowed to simply walk a block to her private home and live there unmolested, unlike deposed monarchs in France and Russia who were beheaded or shot. Rifles and bombs in her flower bed during the Wilcox revolt earned her a genteel "imprisonment" in a huge private room at 'Iolani Palace (with full-time servant, sewing and writing supplies).

After a few months President Dole pardoned her, allowing her to speak, write, and travel. She was allowed to organize a petition drive opposing Dole's most cherished goal of annexation, and to go to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress against it.

Sanford B. Dole was Hawaii's longest-ruling chief executive at 'Iolani Palace (1893-1903), where his firm hand guided Hawaii through a decade of extraordinarily turbulent times. His spirit remains there, and his statue belongs there. He was the last head of an independent nation of Hawaii. Happy birthday, Mr. President!

Dr. Kenneth R. Conklin is a retired professor who has lived in Kane'ohe for 27 years. He authored the book "Hawaiian Apartheid" available in libraries and through his large website "Hawaiian Sovereignty: Thinking Carefully About it."

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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2019/04/ke-aupuni-update-april-2019-8y-leon-siu_26.html
Free Hawaii blog, 26 April 2019

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - APRIL 2019

By Leon Siu - Hawaiian National
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.

* We hold the key ...
Aloha! I am in New York City attending meetings in and around the United Nations. As I mentioned before, diplomats, leaders and officials at the UN and other international bodies are being very helpful with advice and guidance on navigating the complex international systems. Things are going remarkably well... so well that we might be getting ahead of ourselves. Here's why...

Like any other governing body, the politics of the UN can be very complicated. Yes, there are rules and policies, but they are only effective if countries are willing to comply... or, if they can be made to comply. The bigger the country, the less likely it can be made to do something it doesn't want to do. Small countries have to be very careful swimming among the big guys.

About 10 years ago, a diplomat from a Caribbean country told me: "Every diplomat at the UN is there -- first and foremost -- to look after the best interest of his own country." Yes, these representatives also champion noble causes, but only to the extent that it serves in the best interest of their countries. Once you view the UN and its member states through that lens, their apparent ineffective of even erratic behavior begins to make sense.

So in the situation of the Hawaiian Islands, although many, many countries sympathize very strongly with our efforts to Free Hawaii, they cannot risk the negative consequences to their own country should we fail to step up to the plate. In other words, triggering international support depends on whether we can demonstrate we are prepared with a roadmap for transition and a plan to assume the reigns our country. If we don't have a realistic plan, it would be extremely foolish (and dangerous) for countries to stick their necks out for us.

This means we have to put our heads together to determine transitional and long-range plans and a vision for the future of our country. The sooner we can do this... the sooner we can get our story out to the world to create a global demand to Free Hawaii... the sooner friendly countries can help to activate international mechanisms like the UN on our behalf.

We hold the key to our freedom.

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To better understand what we are doing in Foreign Affairs, go to:
HawaiianKingdom.net/HawaiianKingdom.net/Foreign_Affairs.html

It's part of the website: HawaiianKingdom.net

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Malama pono,
Leon Siu

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

Send comments or questions to:
Ken_Conklin@yahoo.com

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