Join Lawful Hawaiian Government: Steps To Membership

The Hawaiian sovereignty movement is a grassroots political and cultural campaign to re-establish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii. The movement generally views the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani and the subsequent annexation as illegal. The US Federal law was amended in 1993 with the Apology Resolution, acknowledging the active participation of US agents and citizens in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and affirming that the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty. In 2009, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (commonly known as the Akaka Bill) was proposed to establish a process for US federal recognition of Native Hawaiians similar to an Indian tribe. However, the bill prohibits indigenous Native Hawaiians from gaming and other benefits available to federally recognized Indian tribes. The Hawaiian sovereignty movement seeks to address issues such as homelessness, poverty, economic marginalization, and the erosion of native traditions, which are attributed to the lack of native governance and political self-determination.

The history of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement

The Hawaiian sovereignty movement (Hawaiian: ke ea Hawaiʻi) is a grassroots political and cultural campaign to reestablish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii. The movement generally views the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani and the 1898 annexation as illegal.

The movement was spearheaded by Native Hawaiian activist organizations and individuals in the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with other indigenous activist movements. They were critical of issues affecting modern Hawaii, including the islands' urbanization and commercial development, corruption in the Hawaiian Homelands program, and appropriation of native burial grounds and other sacred spaces.

In the 1980s, the movement gained cultural and political traction, and native resistance grew in response to urbanization and native disenfranchisement. Local and federal legislation provided some protection for native communities but did little to quell expanding commercial development.

In 1993, a joint congressional resolution apologized for the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and acknowledged that it was illegal. The same year, the federal government issued a formal apology for the overthrow and acknowledged that the Hawaiian people never formally relinquished their lands.

In 2000, the Akaka Bill was proposed, which provided a process for federal recognition of Native Hawaiians and gave them some control over land and natural resource negotiations. However, sovereignty groups opposed the bill because of its provisions that legitimized illegal land transfers.

In 2009, a bill seeking federal recognition of Native Hawaiians as an Indigenous tribal group passed the U.S. House but has since stalled. Known as the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, or the Akaka bill, it would allow Native Hawaiians to form their own government. If passed, it would provide their first self-determination since America overthrew the monarchy in 1893.

The US's illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

> "I, Liliuokalani, by the grace of God and under the constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a provisional government of and for this Kingdom.

> That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America, whose minister plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support the said provisional government.

> Now, to avoid any collision of armed forces and perhaps the loss of life, I do, under this protest, and impelled by said force, yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon the facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands."

The overthrow of the monarchy was led by the Committee of Safety, composed of seven foreign residents (five Americans, one Scotsman, and one German) and six Hawaiian Kingdom subjects of American descent. They established the Republic of Hawaii, with the ultimate goal of annexing the islands to the United States, which occurred in 1898.

The US's involvement in the overthrow was investigated by President Grover Cleveland, who appointed Special Commissioner James Blount to "investigate and fully report to the President all the facts [he] can learn respecting the condition of affairs in the Hawaiian Islands". Blount's investigation concluded that the overthrow was an act of war and recommended that the US take appropriate measures to restore the Hawaiian Kingdom. Cleveland attempted to do so, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The US's annexation of Hawaii

The US annexation of Hawaii was a lengthy process that began in the 1800s and ended in 1959. Here is a detailed overview of the key events:

The Lead-up to Annexation

In the 1800s, leaders in Washington became concerned that Hawaii might become part of a European empire. In the 1830s, Britain and France forced Hawaii to accept treaties that gave them economic privileges. In response, in 1842, US Secretary of State Daniel Webster sent a letter to Hawaiian agents affirming US interests in Hawaii and opposing its annexation by any other nation.

Over time, the Hawaiian economy became increasingly integrated with that of the US. American and British missionaries arrived in Hawaii as early as the 1820s, and reported back on the ideal climate for planting sugar cane. This attracted business investors, who acquired large tracts of land and established a plantation economy. Discussions about the possible annexation of Hawaii began during the rule of King Kamehameha III, when Hawaii's whaling and sugar industries became tied to US trade. However, after his death in 1854, his successor, Alexander Liholiho, halted these efforts.

In 1875, the Hawaiian economy became even more intertwined with the US economy when a reciprocity agreement was signed, giving Hawaii duty-free access to export products like sugar to the US. In return, Hawaii's sugar industry had to serve American markets only, making the islands economically dependent on US trade. By 1890, Hawaii was shipping 99% of its exports to the US mainland.

Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy

The increasing economic and political power of American sugar planters in Hawaii led to tensions with the native monarchy. In 1887, a militia affiliated with the Hawaiian League, a non-native political party, forced King Kalākaua to sign a new constitution, known as the "Bayonet Constitution," as he signed it under duress. This stripped him of much of his power and replaced the cabinet with non-native politicians and businessmen.

When King Kalākaua died in 1891, his sister, Lili'uokalani, became the new monarch. She introduced a new constitution to restore her power and Hawaiian rights. However, this move was countered by the "Committee of Safety," a group of non-native US businessmen and politicians led by Sanford Dole, who had monetary interests in maintaining Hawaii's free-trade status.

On January 17, 1893, with the support of John Stevens, the US Minister to Hawaii, and a contingent of Marines from the warship USS Boston, the Committee of Safety overthrew Queen Lili'uokalani in a bloodless coup. The Committee proclaimed itself the Provisional Government, and Stevens recognized the new government and proclaimed Hawaii a US protectorate. President Benjamin Harrison signed a treaty of annexation with the new government, but it was withdrawn when Grover Cleveland replaced Harrison as president.

The Path to Annexation

Despite the withdrawal of the treaty, Sanford Dole refused to turn over power and proclaimed Hawaii a republic in 1894, with himself as its first president. Native Hawaiians staged a series of rebellions against the imposition of the Bayonet Constitution, including the \"Wilcox Rebellion\" in 1895, but they were unsuccessful.

In 1896, expansionist presidential candidate William McKinley was elected President. He was in favor of annexation and negotiated a treaty with the Republic of Hawaii. However, this treaty was defeated in the Senate as it failed to get the required number of votes.

The issue of annexation was raised again in 1898, following the Spanish-American War. It was argued that the Hawaiian Islands would be strategically valuable as a mid-Pacific fueling station and naval installation. A joint resolution to annex the Hawaiian Islands was proposed, which only required a simple majority vote in both houses of Congress. This approach bypassed the need for a treaty, which required a two-thirds majority.

Annexation and Statehood

On July 7, 1898, the joint resolution, known as the Newlands Resolution, passed Congress and was signed into law by President McKinley. Hawaii was officially annexed by the United States, and Sanford Dole became the first Governor of the Territory of Hawaii.

Despite the annexation, Native Hawaiians and non-white Hawaiian residents continued to push for statehood, seeking the same rights as US citizens. Over the next 50 years, the Territory of Hawaii worked towards this goal, sending multiple proposals to Congress. Finally, in March 1959, a Hawaii statehood resolution passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Eisenhower. In June 1959, the citizens of Hawaii voted in a referendum to accept the statehood bill, and on August 21, 1959, President Eisenhower signed the official proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th state.

The Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement

It is important to note that the Hawaiian sovereignty movement considers both the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the annexation by the US as illegal acts. This movement seeks to reestablish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii, advocating for sovereignty, self-determination, and self-governance. While a joint congressional resolution in 1993 apologized for the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and acknowledged its illegality, the movement continues to pursue its agenda through educational initiatives, legislative actions, and protests.

The Hawaiian Kingdom's international recognition

The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, was recognised as an independent state by several major powers, including the US, the UK, France, and Belgium. This recognition was formalised in the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, a joint declaration by France and Britain, signed by King Louis-Philippe and Queen Victoria. The proclamation assured the Hawaiian delegation:

> Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the King of the French, taking into consideration the existence in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands) of a government capable of providing for the regularity of its relations with foreign nations, have thought it right to engage, reciprocally, to consider the Sandwich Islands as an Independent State, and never to take possession, neither directly or under the title of Protectorate, or under any other form, of any part of the territory of which they are composed.

In addition to this, the Hawaiian Kingdom entered into treaties with most major countries and established over 90 legations and consulates.

However, the US invasion and overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government on 17 January 1893 ended this era of Hawaiian independence. Since then, the nation has been under prolonged occupation by the US, which has committed war crimes and human rights violations. The US annexation of Hawaii in 1898 is considered illegal by the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, which calls for an end to American rule and the reestablishment of an independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii.

The Akaka Bill

The bill was introduced in response to the growing frustration of Native Hawaiians over Hawaiian homelands and the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. The Apology Bill, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, acknowledged the US's involvement in the 1893 overthrow and committed to reconciliation. However, this did not satisfy Native Hawaiians, and the issue of Hawaiian sovereignty remained at the forefront of politics in Hawaii.

However, the Akaka Bill was controversial and had both supporters and opponents. Supporters of the bill argued that it was a matter of simple justice and that the American government was complicit in the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, which illegally denied the ethnic Hawaiians' collective right. They also argued that the bill simply treated ethnic Hawaiians like other indigenous peoples and that only racial discrimination prevented them from being recognized as a tribe. On the other hand, opponents of the bill argued that there was no historical basis for comparing ethnic Hawaiians to continuously existing Indian tribes and that the bill was an unconstitutional attempt to authorize racial preferences. They also pointed out that the Kingdom of Hawaii was a multi-racial society from its inception and that ethnic Hawaiians were a minority of the population by 1893.

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