Gov leaves U.S.
flag decision in hands
of palace group

The Friends of Iolani Palace will
choose when to fly the flag

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By Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.com

Gov. Ben Cayetano says he will leave it to the Friends of Iolani Palace to decide when it will again fly the American flag over the national historic landmark.

The governor last week considered directing that the Stars and Stripes be flown there every day after palace officials, in an open letter, apologized for flying the American flag between Sept. 28 and Oct. 28 to honor the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Raising the American flag over the former seat of the Hawaiian kingdom offended some native Hawaiians, who said the palace is a symbol of all that has been lost following the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy.

Today, in keeping with the building's historic period, only a Hawaiian flag of the monarchy era is flown in any of the palace's six flag masts.

The governor, through his spokeswoman Kim Murakawa, met recently with palace officials, who explained the American flag was flown when the palace was the home of the territorial government. After it moved out and the palace was restored, the Friends of Iolani Palace decided to fly the flag of the Hawaiian monarchy in keeping with the palace's historical theme.

Cayetano said the American flag can be flown there and he will let the palace board decide what occasions it will, Murakawa said.

Board Executive Director Alice Guild said this week her Nov. 8 letter was misinterpreted and that her apology was not for flying the U.S. flag, but for not providing the board with background information and staff input at the meeting where board members approved the gesture of sympathy.

"I would not have expected the board to have acted differently and, in fact, it has since reaffirmed its decision," Guild said.