Synopsis: “Ceded lands” is a misnomer since no treaty of merger exists.

Noi aku nei ke Kia‘āina Lingle i ka ‘Aha Ho‘okolokolo Ki‘eki‘e ma Wākinekona e kōkua i ke aupuni o ka Moku‘āina ‘o Hawai‘i ma ka ho‘okō ‘ana i ka mana e kū‘ai lilo a ho‘oponopono i nā ‘āina i kapa ‘ia he “ ‘Āina Ho‘ohui ‘ia”. ‘O ke ‘ano o ia ‘ōlelo “ho‘ohui ‘ia”, me he mea lā, ua ho‘okō ‘ia kekahi hana e ho‘oili ai i nā mana o ke Aupuni Mō‘ī o Hawai‘i i ke aupuni ‘o ‘Amelika Hui ‘ia.

Eia nō na‘e, he aha ka palapala nāna i ho‘oili i ia mau mana mai ke Aupuni Mō‘ī a ‘Amelika? Mana‘o ‘ia i kēia wā he moku‘āina ka pae‘āina ‘o Hawai‘i o ‘Amelika. E alualu paha kākou i ka palapala nāna i ho‘oili i nā mana o ke Aupuni Mō‘ī o Hawai‘i i luna o ‘Amelika.

I ka makahiki 1959, ho‘oholo ka ‘Aha‘ōlelo o Wākinekona ‘o Hawai‘i ka moku‘āina 50 o ‘Amelika. Akā, pehea i mana ai ‘Amelika e ho‘oholo i kēia? I ka makahiki 1898, ho‘oholo ihola ka ‘Aha‘ōlelo o Wākinekona he kelikoli ‘o Hawai‘i o ‘Amelika. Pehea i mana ai ‘Amelika e ho‘oholo me kēia inā he ‘āina kū‘oko‘a ke Aupuni Mō‘ī mai ka makahiki 1843 mai?

I kēia wā, mana'o 'ia ua pau ke Aupuni Mō‘ī o Hawai‘i i ka makahiki 1893, a laila, lilo ka ‘āina iā ‘Amelika. A‘o ‘ia he maika‘i ka hopena o ka ho‘okahuli aupuni ‘ana, no laila, he mea ‘ole ke kū ‘ole o ia hana i ke kānāwai a ua pōmaika‘i kākou i kēia wā i ka noho po‘o mai ‘o ‘Amelika ma luna o Hawai‘i.

Kūkulu ‘ia ke kumu kānāwai o ke Aupuni Mō‘ī i ka makahiki 1842 ma lalo o ka Mō‘ī Kamehameha III a ho‘ouna ‘ia ‘o Timoteo Ha‘alilio i nā ‘āina like ‘ole e kūkulu i nā ku‘ikahi me ia mau aupuni. Pūlima ‘ia ke ku‘ikahi mua ma ka 1843 e ko ‘Amelika aupuni a me nā aupuni like ‘ole. Pēlā i nānā ‘ia ai he ‘āina kū‘oko‘a ‘o Hawai‘i a ua ho‘omaopopo ‘ia kēia ‘āina ma ka inoa ‘o Ke Aupuni Mō‘ī o Hawai‘i.

Mai ia manawa mai, hana 'ia 23 ku'ikahi me nā aupuni like ‘ole. He mau ku‘ikahi kēia o ka ho‘ohoaloha ‘ana me ka ‘ae aku a ‘ae mai i ke kū‘oko‘a o kekahi a me kekahi. Pēlā i like ai ke kūlana o Ke Aupuni Mō‘ī me ‘Amelika ma nā ‘ano a pau.

He aha ka hana kūpono e hui ai kekahi mau ‘āina a lilo i ho‘okahi? Ho‘okahi nō ‘āina ‘o Kelemānia i kēia wā, akā, i ka makahiki 1842, ‘ekolu nō Kelemānia. Ma ke ku‘ikahi, ua hui like ia mau aupuni a lilo i ho‘okahi. He hana ‘olu‘olu ia a ‘a‘ohe wahi lima ikaika ‘ana o kekahi ma luna o kekahi. No laila, ‘o ke ku‘ikahi ka pono.

‘A‘ohe wahi ku‘ikahi ho‘ohui ‘āina ma waena o ke Aupuni Mō‘ī a me ‘Amelika a hiki i kēia wā. Ma hope o ka hiki ‘ana mai o ka pū‘ali koa ‘Amelika i Hawai‘i nei ma ka 1893 e kāohi i nā luna aupuni Hawai‘i me ka pū, ‘o ka ho‘opa‘ahao wale nō kā lākou i ka po‘e mana‘o e ho‘okō i nā kānāwai o ke Aupuni Mō‘ī. He ‘a‘e kuleana kanaka kēia. E ho‘omau ‘ia ...