Still fighting for
freedom, 100 years
after annexation
The annexation was illegal because it was
By Pat Omandam
not established by a treaty with Hawaii and
tens of thousands of protesters were ignored,
a ceremony organizer says
Star-BulletinMelvin Lonokaiolohia Kalahiki says there are two things to remember about Hawaii's annexation to the United States 100 years ago tomorrow.
First, he contends, the July 7, 1898, annexation was not valid because it was accomplished by a joint resolution of Congress, instead of by a treaty between the United States and the Republic of Hawaii.
Second, tens of thousands of native Hawaiians in 1896, including Kalahiki's ancestors, had petitioned Congress for a public vote on annexation. Kalahiki said their petition went unheard.
Those points, he said, will be among those discussed on Aug. 12, when Hawaiians are expected to get together and remember the last official day a sovereign Hawaiian flag flew over these islands.
Organizers hope to use the two-day event at Iolani Palace to springboard Hawaiian sovereignty into a mainstream national issue in Washington, D.C. Recent events show it is headed that way.
Just last week, several native Hawaiian groups and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs were briefed by federal officials on concept papers for a government entity to represent native Hawaiians. Also discussed were draft bills to the U.S. Senate to recognize their political status.
And a Hawaiian sovereignty vigil and march has been set in the nation's capital for Aug. 7-8. The "Aloha March" from the U.S. Capitol grounds to the White House spotlights America's involvement in Hawaii history.
Kalahiki, 71, who heads the 34-member steering committee planning the annexation observance, hopes the Hawaiian community will use the day to take another step toward sovereignty.
"After our (Aug. 12) ceremony, the question will be, 'What will we do tomorrow?'" he said.
Those of "Hawaii Loa Ku Like Kakou -- All Hawaii-Stand Together" say the event gives the public a clear understanding of the history behind the annexation. Equally important is the chance for native groups to speak in solidarity, much as they did to remember the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom five years ago.
On Jan. 17, 1993, thousands of people swarmed Iolani Palace to mark the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the monarchy. Later that year, sovereignty gained a solid foothold when President Clinton signed U.S. Public Law 103-150 on Nov. 23.
The joint resolution apologizes to native Hawaiians for America's involvement in the 1893 overthrow. Since then, several Hawaiian groups have used the document as a foundation to argue for the restoration of independence.
Committee member Mahealani Kamauu said the 1898 centennial is important because until then, the political status of Hawaii remained in question. For the five years after the overthrow, Queen Liliuokalani continued to lobby Congress to restore the kingdom and not to annex the islands, she said.
"So the annexation itself is really important," Kamauu said. "It is that event that signified the sort of suspension of our political sovereignty."
The observance begins with an 18-hour vigil at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 on the palace grounds.
The next morning, a palace-bound procession leaves Mauna'ala, the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu, stopping to pay homage at Washington Place and other sites.
Washington Place is an important footnote because Liliuokalani refused to attend the official Aug. 12, 1898, annexation ceremonies.
Instead, she remained at Washington Place while the Hawaiian flag was lowered over Iolani Palace and replaced with the American standard.
In commemoration of the event, a Hawaiian flag will be raised over the palace at noon, Aug. 12. Speeches, entertainment and other events continue that afternoon, all in hopes of creating a memorial document or declaration to mark the occasion, said program organizer Manu Boyd.
Boyd said the program highlights the 38,000 people who signed a petition in 1896 in a failed attempt to ask Congress for a public vote on annexation.
"We never really hear about them," Boyd said. "All of us today, all Hawaiians today, descend from those people who signed the (petition) documents, paying tribute to our own ohana."
Also, prominent native Hawaiians who have died in the past 30 years will be remembered for their contributions to the contemporary Hawaiian political movement, Kamauu said.
Kalahiki expects a crowd as large as that of January 1993. Some national television networks, such as CNN and C-SPAN, as well as those from Japan and New Zealand, have shown interest in covering the ceremonies, he said.
Centennial
ceremonyWhat: Centennial observance of the July 7, 1898, U.S. annexation of Hawaii.
