(c) Copyright 2020
Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
All rights reserved
INDEX OF NEWS REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES FROM JULY 1, 2020 AND CONTINUING
July 11, 2020: Leon Siu, who styles himself Foreign Minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom, has yet another Ke Aupuni Update (he publishes 2 per month). This one appeals for support for a petition asking that the name of U.S. President McKinley be removed from the name of McKinley High School (because he succeeded in getting Congress to agree to the Treaty of Annexation proposed by the Republic of Hawaii).
July 25: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update touts two 1843 historical Hawaiian Kingdom holidays to be celebrated this year: Ka La Ho'iho'i Ea (sovereignty restoration day, July 31) and Ka La Ku'oko'a (independence day, November 28).
July 31:
(a) Hawaiian kingdom holiday Ka La Ho'iho'i Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day, 1843)is revived with public display of 1000 small flags in Kailua, and ceremonies in Thomas Square by huge statue of Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III dedicated to that holiday;
(b) Viciousness of Hawaiian sovereignty attack on alleged white nationalism, male dominance, and colonialism is displayed in comments timed for today by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling for removal of statues of white male European Saint Damien who served native Hawaiian leprosy patients on Moloka'i for decades until he died from contracting that disease. She had visited Hawaii 2 years ago to campaign for state Rep. Kaniela Ng, a Hawaiian activist running for Congress.
August 1, 2020: OHA vice chair Brendon Lee, a race-partisan, devotes his regular column in the OHA monthly newspaper for August to a vicious attack against fellow at-large board member Keli'i Akina who is running for re-election. Earlier in the week Dr. Akina was the focus of a splendid 30-minute YouTube interview calling for unity of all Hawaii's people regardless of race.
Aug 10: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update discusses upcoming project to get United Nations to revisit 1959 removal of Hawaii from list of non-self-governing territories.
Aug 20: NYU Law Review article "How to Say Sorry: Fulfilling the United States' Trust Obligation to Native Hawaiians by Using the Canons of Construction to Interpret the Apology Resolution" says Supreme Court Indian Canons of Construction should be expanded to include indigenous populations who do not have federal recognition.
Aug 21: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update notes that today is the Hawaii Statehood Day holiday which in reality nobody celebrates. Siu trashes the progression from fake revolution to fake Republic to fake annexation to fake Territory to fake statehood vote, and once again discusses upcoming project to get United Nations to revisit 1959 removal of Hawaii from list of non-self-governing territories.
Aug 22: Con artists are still pitching a sovereignty scam asking people to pay thousands of dollars to get registered with the Hawaiian Kingdom so that after the United Nations recognizes the Kingdom then registered members will get their share of huge Kingdom assets.
September 12, 2020: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update focuses on petition asking Hawaii Dept of Education to change the name of McKinley High School to its original name Honolulu High School; asks for money as usual.
Sept 16: Ken Conklin brief oral testimony to the University of California Board of Regents debunking the claim by some ethnic Hawaiians that the Thirty-Meter Telescope proposed for Mauna Kea would be a desecration because Mauna Kea is a sacred place.
Sept 25: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni update reports that a request to the Board of Education to change the name of McKinley High School and remove the President's statue has been forwarded by the BOE to a school community council for study of the issues.
October 10, 2020: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update describes how OHA was founded to be semi-autonomous but, he says, the "fake state" power elite expected it would fail and that would help discredit and kill ethnic Hawaiian self-determination and control over Crown Lands. OHA trustees have been corrupt and lots of infighting until Keli'i Akina got elected and pushed audit; thus he should be reelected.
Oct 18:
(1) Tax Foundation of Hawaii notes that OHA persists in covering up the "red flags" indicating likely financial corruption in Akina-inspired audit report, most notably the contract with wholly-owned subsidiary Akamai to handle election of delegates to write a proposed
constitution for Hawaiian tribe [Akamai got full $500K even though there was never an election];
(2) OHA election contest Machado vs. Alapa re ethnic Hawaiian nationhood, Mauna Kea, etc.
Oct 19-20: Retired reporter Ian Lind describes grossly inappropriate organizational/financial structure of the new race-based Aloha 'Aina political party; Ken Conklin online comment draws hostile response and rebuttal regarding why Conklin focuses on ethnic Hawaiians for criticism.
Oct 23: One fully recognized tribe in North Carolina opposes federal recognition for another tribe which has sought recognition for a century but might compete for casino business.
Oct 24:
(1) Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update discusses plight of Hawaiian Kingdom subjects living under U.S. occupation and needing to vote in fake-state elections to influence living conditions.
(2) The first article in a newspaper propaganda blitzkrieg pushes proposal for a gambling casino on the Hawaiian Homelands in a State where any form of gambling is illegal and where there is no federally recognized Hawaiian tribe. The proposal is designed to create revenue for housing in racially exclusive ghettos but also to promote race-based political sovereignty.
Oct 27:
(a) Navajo-Hopi newspaper: Biden-Harris roll out plan for Indian Country;
(b) Non-profit online-only "social-justice" newspaper: Climate justice is at the center of the Biden-Harris plan for tribal nations
Oct 31: London radio station interview: Hawaii ex-Governor John Waihe'e III says Trump reelection could spur Soviet-style break up of United States; cites Hawaiian sovereignty.
November 5, 2020: Kai Kahele, a Native Hawaiian, easily won election to Congress representing Hawaii district 2 (rural O'ahu plus all neighbor islands). "KAHELE SAID HE ANTICIPATES BEING A VOICE FOR HAWAIIANS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CONGRESS, AND THAT HE EXPECTS TO TAKE ON ISSUES RELATED TO HAWAIIAN HOMELANDS AND FEDERAL RECOGNITION."
Nov. 10: 2 news reports focus on newly elected Rep. Kai Kahele (D, HI) and his intentions for legislation related to Hawaiian racial entitlements and federal recognition of a Hawaiian tribe.
Nov 13: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update focuses on election fraud -- "the fake plebiscite of 1959 by which the U.S. alleged the people of Hawaii voted for "statehood.""
Nov 21: Leon Siu briefly notes that McKinley High School administrators are stalling regarding the name change he demands, and are not asking students, parents, alumni etc. for input.
Nov 27: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update focuses on Ka La Ku'oko'a, a Hawaiian Kingdom holiday celebrating an agreement between Britain and France on November 28, 1843 recognizing Hawaii as an independent nation and pledging each other not to interfere with Hawaii.
December 11, 2020: Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina bill for federal recognition passed House, has chance in Senate (been trying for 130 years!). Ken Conklin compares with efforts to get fed rec for a proposed Hawaiian tribe.
Dec 14: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update focuses on proposal to remove name and statue from McKinley High School; says they show just how deep and pervasive the denationalization [of Hawaiian Kingdom] effort was after annexation.
On December 16 the Honolulu Star-Advertiser began a series of lengthy and strident daily articles constituting a propaganda blitzkrieg pushing a proposal for a gambling casino on the Hawaiian Homelands in a State where any form of gambling is illegal and where there is no federally recognized Hawaiian tribe. The proposal is designed to create revenue for housing in racially exclusive ghettos but also to promote race-based political sovereignty. A webpage provides a compilation of articles in that newspaper in collaboration with the far-left propaganda "newsroom" Pro-Publica. The webpage describes how the blitzkrieg unfolded, the twisted history provided in the newspaper articles, excerpts and full text of the October 24 article intended to "soften up" the readership and of numerous subsequent articles in the series starting December 16. See
https://tinyurl.com/y8qha8pq
December 26, 2020: Leon Siu Ke Aupuni Update: Coming challenges regarding DHHL proposal to build a casino on the Hawaiian Homelands; In Congress: Unlike the Akaka Bill that was specifically aimed at fabricating a Hawaiian tribal nation, this time it will be bundled with American Indian tribes that have been petitioning Congress for years to grant them federal recognition; military buildup expected. It's time for The Huli: flip the tables and restore our Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands.
December 31, 2020: Article headline in "The Guardian":
"Congressman-elect Kai Kahele represents an 'awakened generation' of Native Hawaiians:
“We have an awakened generation of Native Hawaiians that know their past, they understand and speak their language and they’re not turning back… People are split about how to right the wrongs, whether it’s through sovereignty or federal recognition, and part of my role is trying to figure out what the future path looks like. Having a voice in Congress and representation at the table is important.”
==================
FULL TEXT OF ITEMS LISTED IN THE INDEX, FROM JULY 1, 2020 AND CONTINUING
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/07/ke-aupuni-update-june-2020-keeping-in.html
Free Hawaii blog, July 11, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JULY 2020
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.
McKinley High School
Hawaiians were outraged and vigorously protested the 1893 illegal seizure of their kingdom. In 1897, they signed the Ku`e Petition and overwhelmingly defeated the scheme to annex the Hawaiian Islands to the U.S. In 1898, although Hawaiians knew a U.S. resolution was not the same as a treaty, the U.S. government apparently did not and “annexed” Hawai`i.
Why wasn’t there a bigger outcry from Hawaiians? They were witnessing in real time, President William McKinley sending tens of thousands of U.S. troops, veteran “Indian fighters”, pass through Hawai`i on their way to the Philippines to violently crush the Filipinosʻ independence movement. What would happen to our people if we gave the blood-thirsty American President William McKinley the slightest excuse to slaughter Hawaiians?
In 1901, Hawaiians created the Independent Home Rule Party and became the majority in the territorial legislature. They approved dozens of bills that would undo much of the damage caused by the “annexation”. But the U.S.-appointed Territorial Governor, Sanford B. Dole had the power of veto. Because of that veto, not a single one of the Home Rule Party measures became law. This continued for several sessions. The fake-media of the day, ridiculed and denigrated the mostly native Hawaiian legislature as completely incompetent and disseminated this across America and world-wide. Thus, this portrayal of Hawaiians are seen as incompetents stuck. And Hawaiians became marginalized.
Meanwhile, the Territory of Hawai`i was conducting a massive fake-news campaign abroad, that because of their incompetence, native Hawaiians were happily embracing America for rescuing them from the despotic rule of racially inferior monarchs. The Territory radically altered the curricula in all the schools in Hawai`i, public and private, to be completely filled with American indoctrination… And, of course, a distorted Hawaiian history where a villain such as McKinley is portrayed as a hero.
In 1911, Queen Lili`uokalani was still alive and many of her prominent supporters were still alive... and despite the fake media, everyone in Hawai`i — perps and victims — knew what really happened.
In 1911, in order to gloss over the fake annexation and create a legacy of legitimacy, Sanford B. Dole the Governor of the fake “U.S. Territory of Hawai`i,” had Honolulu High School renamed President William McKinley High School, honoring the president for being a champion of the annexation. To complete the insult, a statue of McKinley was cast holding a scroll titled “Treaty of Annexation 1898” and erected in front of the school.
What was meant by traitors and criminals as a display to celebrate and solidify U.S. rule over Hawai`i, is a complete contradiction to the facts of history. It is offensive and needs to be corrected.
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue -
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/restore-original-name
Ua Ola ke Ea - Celebrating the Hawaiian Kingdom
Ua Ola ke Ea means, Sovereignty Lives. This is the theme of the celebration. If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Celebrating the Hawaiian Kingdom,” please contact: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Kick-off date of the celebration is July 31, 2020… La Ho`iho`i Ea.
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to grow ... as soon as this pandemic subsides, we expect significant movement in gaining support from the global community. Your kokua is vital to this effort...
Your kōkua, large or small, is much appreciated and will help greatly to move this work forward.
To contribute, go to
http://gofundme.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at Info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also
Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause.
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
---------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/07/ke-aupuni-update-july-2020-keeping-in.html
Free Hawaii blog, Saturday July 25, 2020
Ke Aupuni Update
Keeping in touch and updated on activities to restore Ke Aupuni o Hawaii, the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
Why Celebrations Are Important
Next week Friday, we will be celebrating Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea - Sovereignty Restoration Day! This has been celebrated in the Hawaiian Kingdom since July 31, 1843, the day King Kamehameha III was restored by Admiral Richard Thomas of the British Royal Navy, to his rightful position as the ruling King of the Hawaiian Islands. Four months later, on November 28, 1843, the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of France issued a joint proclamation formally recognizing the Hawaiian Kingdom as an equal, sovereign state. The United States followed suit shortly after. The day of the joint proclamation is known as Lā Kuʻokoʻa – Independence Day. This year is the 177th Anniversary Celebration of both of those momentous events in the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Why do we celebrate these as holidays? Because those events, Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea and Lā Kuʻokoʻa, put the Hawaiian Kingdom on the global map with the elite status of a sovereign, independent nation-state, on par with the most powerful nations in the world. It is this sovereign status that endures until today. Even though it was obscured and suppressed by the United States and nearly forgotten (out of sight, out of mind) for a hundred years, that sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom was never extinguished… the Hawaiian Kingdom is still sovereign.
The celebrations of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea and Lā Kuʻokoʻa and other holidays of the kingdom are not only reminders of events past, they serve as proof and affirmations that, standing on those firm foundations, the Hawaiian Kingdom lives today.
This is where we live today... In this living legacy from our kūpuna. The more we embrace the reality that we live in the Hawaiian Kingdom; the more we celebrate each day as another exciting day in the Hawaiian Kingdom; the more we fix our eyes on building this nation into a place where our children and their children can live and thrive; we confront, challenge and overthrow the myth of Hawaii being part of America.
That’s why celebrations are important. To assist in resetting our minds to the reality and the potential of the living Hawaiian Kingdom, we are planning a broad-based, virtual and real, Celebration of the Hawaiian Kingdom...
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
Celebrating the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
The initial announcement will be made July 31, 2020… La Hoʻihoʻi Ea...
Kick-off date: September 2, 2020 Queen Liliʻuokalani’s Birthday...
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue -
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/restore-original-name
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to grow ... as soon as this pandemic subsides, we expect significant movement in gaining support from the global community. Your kokua is vital to this effort...
Your kōkua, large or small, is much appreciated and will help greatly to move this work forward.
To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at Info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also...
Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause.
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
---------------------
https://www.kitv.com/story/42440065/hundreds-of-hawaiian-flags-planted-on-sovereignty-restoration-day
KITV News, July 31, 2020
Hundreds of Hawaiian flags planted on Sovereignty Restoration Day
It's a holiday Hawaii first celebrated on July 31st, 1843.
A group planted hundreds of Hawaiian flags across O'ahu for Sovereignty Restoration Day.
It's a holiday Hawaii first celebrated on July 31st, 1843.
Friday's La Ho'iho'i Ea celebration began with about 1,000 flags planted in Kailua, then proceeded to a ceremony at Thomas Square, where another 500 flags were planted.
The '1,000 Flags' movement was created to show Hawaii support, and exceeded their GoFundMe goal.
Proceeds went to the Hui Aloha Aina Momona 501(c) to support aloha aina activities.
** Ken Conklin's online comment: The diehard deadenders of the Hawaiian Kingdom will never have a leader like MLK, because the core of their "movement" is race-nationalism and race-supremacy. The best they can hope for is a leader like Louis Farrakhan or the early Malcolm X. Google my essay
"Hawaiian religious fascism: A twisted version of a beautiful creation legend"
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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/after-aoc-decries-statue-hawaiian-catholic-says-st-damien-of-molokai-gave-his-life-serving-lepers-79484
Catholic News Agency, July 31, 2020
After AOC decries statue, Hawaiian Catholic says St Damien of Molokai 'gave his life' serving lepers
By Matt Hadro
A Hawaiian Catholic catechist said that St. Damien of Molokai is a “hero” to the Hawaiian people, after a prominent congresswoman claimed the statue honoring him in the U.S. Capitol is part of colonialism and “patriarchy and white supremacist culture.”
St. Damien “gave his life” serving the isolated leper colony at Kalaupapa peninsula on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, said Dallas Carter, a native Hawaiian and a catechist for the diocese of Honolulu, in an interview with CNA.
“Any Hawaiian here who is aware of their history--which most Hawaiians are--would absolutely, Catholic or not, defend the legacy of Damien as a man who was embraced by the people, and who is a hero to us because of his love for the Hawaiian people,” Carter said.
“We did not judge him by the color of his skin. We judged him by the love that he had for our people,” Carter told CNA.
In an Instagram story on Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) asked why there were not more statues honoring women historical figures, at the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. The collection includes statues honoring historical figures from all 50 states, which are chosen by the states and sent by them to Congress for display.
“Even when we select figures to tell the stories of colonized places, it is the colonizers and settlers whose stories are told – and virtually no one else,” Ocasio-Cortez posted, with a picture of Fr. Damien’s U.S. Capitol statue in the background.
In 1969, Hawaii chose to honor St. Damien alongside Kamehameha I in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol.
Ocasio-Cortez noted on Thursday that Hawaii’s statue was of Fr. Damien and not of “Queen Lili’uokalani of Hawaii, the only Queen Regnant of Hawaii,” implying that it was an example of “colonizers” being honored instead of historical figures who are native to states.
“This isn’t to litigate each and every individual statue,” she said, arguing that “patterns” among the “totality” of the statues in the Capitol reveal they honor “virtually all men, all white, and mostly both.”
“This is what patriarchy and white supremacist culture looks like!” Ocasio-Cortez said. “It’s not radical or crazy to understand the influence white supremacist culture has historically had in our overall culture & how it impacts the present day.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s office told CNA that "it’s the patterns that have emerged among all of the statues in the Capitol: virtually all white men. Each individual could be worthy, moral people. But the deliberate erasure of women and people of color from our history is a result of the influence of patriarchy and white supremacy."
Her office later added that "Fr. Damien conducted acts of great good, and his is a story worth telling. It is still worthy for us to examine from a US history perspective why a non-Hawaiian, non-American was chosen as the statue to represent Hawaii in the Capitol over other Hawaiian natives who conducted great acts of good, and why so few women and people of color are represented in Capitol statues at all."
St. Damien of Molokai was a religious priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who spent the last 16 years of his life caring for lepers in the Hawaiian Kingdom.
He was born Jozef De Veuster in Belgium in 1840, and he entered the Picpus Fathers in 1859, taking the name Damien. He was sent to the mission in Hawaii in 1864, and was ordained a priest that May.
Shortly after that, the Hawaiian government and King Kamehameha V passed a law mandating that lepers quarantine themselves in an isolated colony on the island of Molokai. The local bishop asked for volunteers to minister to the leper colony, and Fr. Damien presented himself, beginning his work there in 1873.
Carter noted that the Hawaiian government of the time “did not know how to deal with leprosy,” and that “no one wanted to deal with Kalaupapa [colony].”
Damien himself was afraid to go and minister to the lepers, Carter said, but “over a period of time—his journal is very clear, and the writings of the Hawaiian people in that town are very clear—that he fell in love with the people.”
Eventually, Damien was given an ultimatum by his religious superior to either leave the colony or remain there permanently. He chose to stay.
The priest served the colony for the rest of his life, attending to both spiritual and temporal needs of the lepers. By 1884 he had contracted leprosy, and he continued to minister until his death in 1889.
St. Damien is beloved by native Hawaiians, Carter said, and then-princess Lili’uokalani—who Cortez implied should be given a statue instead of Damien—made Fr. Damien a Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kalākaua in 1881, for his “efforts in alleviating the distresses and mitigating the sorrows of the unfortunate.”
Damien is also the only priest-saint in the Hawaiian martyrology “that spoke the native Hawaiian language,” Carter said. “He loved the Hawaiian people, he embraced our culture,” he said, and in turn “he was part of our kingdom. He was one of us.”
The priest was canonized Oct. 11, 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, who said that “his missionary activity, which gave him such joy, reached its peak in charity.”
On the occasion of the canonization, U.S. president Barack Obama expressed his “deep admiration for the life of Blessed Damien De Veuster.”
“Fr. Damien has also earned a special place in the hearts of Hawaiians. I recall many stories from my youth about his tireless work there to care for those suffering from leprosy who had been cast out,” Obama, who was born on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, said.
“Following in the steps of Jesus' ministry to the lepers, Fr. Damien challenged the stigmatizing effects of disease, giving voice to the voiceless and, ultimately, sacrificing his own life to bring dignity to so many.”
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https://kawaiola.news/trustees/makaala-for-the-oha-election/
Ka Wai Ola O OHA [OHA monthly newspaper], August 2020, p. 24, OHA board member monthly editorial half-page column
Makaʻala for the OHA Election ["Maka'ala" means Be vigilant; on your guard]
By Brendon Kalei‘āina Lee, Trustee at-large and Vice-Chair of OHA, July 30, 2020
With the primary election upon us it is a good time to remind everyone of the importance of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs elections. Most Hawaiʻi residents are unaware that they can vote for candidates in this race or feel uneasy casting their vote because they feel it is a “Hawaiian” issue and not theirs. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In 2018, of all the ballots cast in the primary, over 300,000 left the OHA races blank. With some of the OHA races being decided by less than 10,000 votes, you can see how important these numbers are.
Not included among the number of blank ballots are those who believe Native Hawaiians are not entitled to any rights; these people actively campaign against Hawaiians and continuously file lawsuits, not just against OHA, but against all Native Hawaiian rights.
These groups campaign for their followers to vote in the OHA elections and support candidates who actively work to force OHA to spend revenue from the Native Hawaiian Trust on redundant audits and frivolous lawsuit defenses, rather than on its mission to better the condition of Native Hawaiians. These right-wing ultraconservatives believe that any Native Hawaiian program is an illegal and unconstitutional race-based program that must be shut down or be opened to all State of Hawaiʻi citizens.
The most influential of these groups here in Hawaiʻi is the Grass Roots Institute. This nonprofit was founded by, and receives significant funding from, no less than three right-wing ultraconservative organizations on the continent, either with ties to – or were themselves founded by – the Koch brothers. (Donors Trust, Donors Capital Fund, Cato Institute {sourcewatch.org})
Grass Roots financed a 2015 lawsuit against OHA, then went on to actively campaign to remove Trustee Haunani Apoliona by publishing half-truths about the Board of Trustee’s dealings saying that OHA needed to be held “accountable.” How, exactly, is OHA not being held accountable? OHA is audited every two years, just like any other state agency, and publishes an annual financial self-audit. Misleading the public into thinking that OHA is reckless and fraudulent is how Grass Roots was able to get those who would seek to further diminish Native Hawaiian rights to vote in the OHA race and start to tear the agency down from within.
Having been successful in 2016, they seek to boost their influence and try to complete the task of dismantling all Native Hawaiian rights. There is a coalition running for multiple trustee seats in 2020. If they are successful, we should all be worried about what is to come: efforts to erode native gathering rights, water rights, iwi kūpuna protections, zoning laws to protect cultural and historical practitioners and sites, and so on. As well as the continuous assault on the Native Hawaiian Trust.
The $400 million dollars, hard fought for by former trustees, is just a drop in the bucket of what is owed to Hawaiians after more than two centuries of injustice. We desperately need to help our people with housing, education, health care and economic development. We cannot afford to have these monies actively whittled away by those who believe Native Hawaiians are not entitled to anything despite having our lands stolen.
We need to makaʻala!!! Do your research about the candidates; who they support and who supports them. More importantly, reach out to your friends. Let them know that Hawaiians need their support and help. Tell them to cast their vote in the OHA race and help educate them about the candidates. I promise you, those who would stand against Native Hawaiians are voting.
Brendon Kaleiʻāina Lee was elected OHA Trustee-at-Large in 2018 and is currently serving as Vice Chairman of the board. He is a founding member of the Na Opio program with the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club and remains an active member of the club today. He is the President of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association and served as the Chair for the ‘Aha 2016. To contact, call (808) 594-1860 or email brendonl@oha.org.
** Note by Ken Conklin: This column by OHA Vice-Chair in OHA official newspaper is a direct personal attack against Keli'i Akina, also trustee-at-large, who is a candidate for re-election in the upcoming primary election of August 8 and the general election of November 3. Dr. Akina is also President and CEO of the Grassroot Institute. A 30-minute YouTube interview where he describes his views about Hawaii and OHA can be viewed at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=S9xGfyb63KE&feature=emb_logo
** Ken Conklin's online comment to that video says:
The best part of this conversation came near the end when Jay Fidell asked Dr. Akina what is his vision for the future. The answer: "It's time to stop dividing Hawaii's people and start uniting. For too long the actions of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have divided us culturally and socially. And while I believe that people are very much committed to helping Native Hawaiians, we must be also committed to a community here in Hawaii in which we all live together, in which we're all in the same boat, in which we're all the beneficiaries of a rising tide. So I truly believe with all my heart it's time to stop dividing Hawaii's people and start uniting them."
My own view is that OHA is both illegal and immoral. It is illegal to the extent it is an agency of the state government which spends government money on projects that are racially exclusive for ethnic Hawaiians, contrary to the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment which says that all persons must be treated equally under the law by the government. And it is immoral because by its very nature it divides the lands and people of Hawaii along racial lines, fomenting attitudes of racial separatism, race-nationalism, racial entitlement, and racial supremacy.
I believe OHA should be abolished; but the only ways that can happen is if a court rules OHA is federally unconstitutional, or if the state constitution is amended to rescind the 1978 amendments which created OHA. But since we are stuck with OHA for the foreseeable future, we should have someone like Dr. Akina on the OHA board as a watchdog for transparency and accountability and as a highly intelligent and morally upright person who will work toward bringing all Hawaii's people together in unity, equality, and aloha.
-------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/08/ke-aupuni-update-august-2020-keeping-in.html
Free Hawaii Blog, August 10, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - AUGUST 2020
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 Hawaiian Kingdom Celebrations
Two of the most important holidays we celebrate every year throughout the Hawaiian Kingdom are Lā Ho`iho`i Ea - Sovereignty Restoration Day (July 31) and Lā Ku`oko`a – Independence Day (November 28)
Ten days ago on July 31, we had an awesome celebration of Lā Ho`iho`i Ea. There were many postings all over social media of the festivities at Thomas Square, all around Hawai`i nei and even around the world.
And we look forwaerd to Lā Ku`oko`a – Independence Day at the end of November.
The Statehood Admission Scam
On the other hand, the Fake State of Hawaii, has an event that they sorta, kinda observe that happens parallel to our Hawaiian Kingdom holidays. That is: Hawai`i Admission Day – Statehood Day (August 21).
In the late 1950ʻs the US was worried that under its obligations to the United Nations Charter they would be forced to allow the people of their two most precious “possessions”, Alaska and Hawai`i the right to choose their future governance... even independence would be on the table. Alaska and Hawaii were two “possessions” the US did not ever want to lose to independence. So the US cooked up a scheme: They would conduct rigged plebiscites in “The Territory of Alaska” (1958) and “Territory of Hawai`i” (1959) to make it appear that the people give their consent to becoming “states” of the United States of America. It was a major scam, but at the time, the US got away with it. As a result, in 1959, Alaska and Hawai`i were inducted into the US as the 49th and 50th States respectively... and the United Nations accepted it as a valid political resolution for those two American “territories”.
This is where we have been stuck. But over the years we have gathered the evidence to prove it was a scam… all we have to do is expose it in the right venue…
UPDATE... We are about to trigger an investigation at the United Nations that will reveal that, since 1946, the UN had been scandalously scammed by the US with regard to Hawai`i. The findings of the investigation would cause the withdrawal of international support to the United States ʻ claim to the Hawaiian Islands. The United States ʻ claim would collapse and they will be forced by mounting pressure of us Hawaiian patriots and the international community, to withdraw its claim — and its presence — from our country in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes, the sooner there will be a Free Hawai`i.
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
Celebrating the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Kick-off date: September 2, 2020 Queen Lili`uokalani’s Birthday...
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Please join the ku`e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue -
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/restore-original-name
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to grow ... as soon as this pandemic subsides, we expect significant movement in gaining support from the global community. Your kokua is vital to this effort...
Your kōkua, large or small, is much appreciated and will help greatly to move this work forward.
To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at Info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also...Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause.
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
----------------------
https://racism.org/articles/citizenship-rights/native-hawaiian-sovereignty/8805-how-to-say-sorry-fulfilling
Race, Racism and the Law - On the Web since 1995, Thursday August 20, 2020
How to Say Sorry: Fulfilling the United States' Trust Obligation to Native Hawaiians by Using the Canons of Construction to Interpret the Apology Resolution
by Ian Falefuafua Tapu
J.D., University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law, 2020; A.B., Dartmouth College, 2008.
Abstract
Excerpted From: Ian Falefuafua Tapu, How to Say Sorry: Fulfilling the United States' Trust Obligation to Native Hawaiians by Using the Canons of Construction to Interpret the Apology Resolution, 44 New York University Review of Law and Social Change 445 (2020) (270 Footnotes)
(Full Document)
https://socialchangenyu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6_Tapu_44.3_Digital.pdf
As a child, one of the first lessons you learn--whether in the home, on the playground, or at school--is how to say “sorry.” According to one dictionary definition, an apology is “an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret.” As we age, and as our life experiences expand, so too does our understanding of the concept of an apology. In whatever permutation “sorry” may take, it is a fixture of the human experience. If love is considered to be the architect that helps to build healthy connections in a complex social system, then apologies are the doctors that heal damaged, fragile, and broken relationships.
Traditionally, apologies have been utilized in all cultures and societies as a means to facilitate dispute resolution and reconstruction, affirm human relationships, and diffuse conflict. Saying “sorry” at recess for cutting someone in line at the swings, apologizing for an accident that occurred while in surgery, and issuing a presidential declaration apologizing to a population for their abhorrent mistreatment illustrate varying forms of the same act. In a legal setting, statistics have shown that apologies can facilitate settlement and dissuade victims from bringing a lawsuit, especially in the field of medical malpractice, which in turn saves money and time for both parties. A nation's apology represents a formal attempt to acknowledge and redress “a severe and long-standing harm against an innocent group.”
Yet not all apologies have the same meaning and import. Leading attorneys and legal scholars have framed apologies under a legal lens as “not synonymous with an admission of guilt or fault,” and, in fact, have advised parties to exploit the ambiguities of apologetic language to their advantage.
“[C]orporate executives and directors of institutions have resisted apologizing for fear of personal exposure to liability, but also because they risk breaching fiduciary duties to their constituencies.” And, as this Article makes clear, the complexities and intricacies inherent to the act of apologizing are especially pronounced in a nation's apology to a large class of people, such as its Indigenous population.
In the United States, while colonization has impacted all Indigenous peoples, the federal government has established a hierarchy that legally situates groups differently. The principles of Federal Indian Law guide and inform the rights of those Native peoples who are able to meet the narrow requirements of federal recognition. As one example, the Supreme Court concluded in Morton v. Mancari that federally recognized tribes have a “unique legal status” and that the Bureau of Indian Affairs' employment preference for Indians constitutes a political preference rather than one that is “racial in nature.” Unlike Native Americans, however, the Indigenous peoples who inhabit the unincorporated territories of the United States exist within the legal fiction created by the Insular Cases, which dictates Congress' plenary role in choosing how the Constitution is to apply to the territories. Native Hawaiians, however, fall under a legal gray area: on the one hand, they are not federally recognized and, on the other, Hawai'i is not a territory of the United States.
In 1993, the United States federal government passed the Apology Resolution “to offer an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i” and to express a commitment “to provid[ing] a proper foundation for reconciliation between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people.” The Joint Resolution garnered sweeping bipartisan support in both Houses, passing the Senate by a roll call vote of 65 to 34. While the historic moment marked “the first step in the healing process,” the Apology Resolution became a hollow expression of reconciliation that failed to materialize into institutional changes--like the rights to self-determination and self-governance--for Native Hawaiians.
Using the Apology Resolution as a case study, this Article will analyze how government-issued apologies to Indigenous peoples that are not treated as legitimate in judicial interpretation amount to nothing short of empty rhetoric that undermine concrete and substantive reconciliation efforts. Currently, the Federal Indian Law principles of the Canons of Construction (“the Canons”) have been narrowly utilized by the U.S. Supreme Court to interpret legislation and treaties involving only federally recognized Indian tribes. This Article contends that the Canons should be expanded in scope to include legislation and treaties on behalf of those Indigenous peoples who are not and cannot be classified as “Native American.” The Supreme Court's use of the Canons in interpreting the Apology Resolution would neither dilute nor alter established precedent under Federal Indian Law, but would in fact more directly align our country's jurisprudence with the goals of restorative and reparative justice for formerly colonized Indigenous peoples. And more importantly, it would lead to the kinds of reconciliation efforts sought by Native Hawaiians and the Hawai'i Supreme Court, based on the legislative language and intent of the Apology Resolution.
Part II of this Article sheds light on the complex and “schizophrenic” nature of Federal Indian Law and, more specifically, analyzes the historical evolution of the Canons of Construction. While the Canons have been utilized by the Court as a tool to preserve tribal sovereignty, their applicability and scope may be limited when competing canons are at play. Moreover, this Part will illustrate that the judicial interpretation mechanism is not based on Indian status or the special designation of federal recognition, but instead on the federal government's historical trust relationship with its Indigenous population, which includes Native Hawaiians and the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific.
Part III will explore and critique the conflict between two schools of jurisprudential thinking--legal formalism and legal realism. In particular, this Part will explore the limitations of traditional legal theories in capturing the full gravamen of the continuing and systemic impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples. It argues that courts can and should better align their decision-making values with the international human rights principle of self-determination by leveraging the “contextual legal analysis” developed by University of Hawai'i law professor Kapua'ala Sproat.
Part IV will specifically elucidate the historical and special trust relationship between the United States and Native Hawaiians and make the case that this relationship demands that the Court apply the same Canons for Native Hawaiians as it does for Indians.
Finally, Part V of this Article describes the historical underpinnings of the Apology Resolution and illustrates its potential to cement true reconciliation efforts for Native Hawaiians if viewed through the lens of the Canons. This Article posits that the Canons of Construction directly comport with a restorative justice framework that embodies self-determination for Indigenous peoples, including Native Hawaiians. ...
There is a “degree of consensus on the modern Supreme Court supporting the overall force and applicability” of the Indian Canons of Construction in our present judicial system. These Canons recognize that Native peoples today are the product of colonialism and that self-determination is at the root of any Indigenous movement. The scope of the Canons can and should be expanded to include those Indigenous populations that may not have the ability, resources, or political capital to gain federal recognition. Expansion of the Canons to include all Indigenous peoples has the potential to catalyze lasting protections for Native Hawaiian claims.
The Indigenous Canons comport and align with the contextual legal analysis framework by supporting Native Peoples' path toward self-determination. Through the Canons' tenets--a liberal interpretation with ambiguities resolved in favor of Indigenous groups--Native peoples will be able to achieve any one of the four realms or values articulated by Professor Sproat: cultural integrity, lands and natural resources, social welfare and development, and self-government. The re-envisioned Indigenous Canons would--alongside contextual legal analysis--yield lasting results for Native Hawaiian and other Indigenous peoples, especially those from the United States territories.
---------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/08/ke-aupuni-update-august-2020-keeping-in_21.html
Free Hawaii blog, Friday August 21, 2020
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 Fake State’s Fake Holiday
Today, August 21 is on the calendar as Hawai`i Statehood Day. It’s supposed to be the most important holiday of the “State of Hawai`i”… But do you see anybody celebrating? Thatʻs a NO… After the delirious response in 1959 when “statehood” was announced, the holiday slowly began to taper off. It really took a nose-dive in 1993 when the U.S. issued its Apology, admitting its illegal role in toppling the Hawaiian Kingdom government a hundred years before. People quickly connected the dots: If the U.S. presence in Hawai`i started on such illegal footings, how can the “State of Hawai`i” be legitimate?
Today, Hawaiʻi Statehood Day stands as a bitter and shameful reminder that “Hawai`i the 50th State” is based on a litany of fraud; and the ongoing United States’ presence in the Hawaiian Islands is an international crime, not a friendly embrace. No wonder no one celebrates.
The Rigged Election
Of all the underhanded dealings — the fake “overthrow” and the fake “provisional government” (1893)… the fake “Republic of Hawaii” (1894)… the fake “annexation” (1898)... and the fake “Territory of Hawaii” (1900) — the most damaging was the fake “Statehood Vote” of 1959.
Talk about a rigged election! There was massive voter fraud, stuffed ballot boxes and no options offered. This “statehood” scam has been a formidable roadblock to our efforts to reinstate our nation. In 1959, following the granting of “statehood” to Hawai`i, the U.S. reported to the United Nations General Assembly that the “people of Hawai`i” had voluntarily consented (through the statehood vote) to join the United States. Without checking the accuracy of the United States’ report, the General Assembly deemed the political status and future governance for Hawai`i as settled. With the political question settled, any legal question of the U.S. jurisdiction over Hawai`i became irrelevant. This is why the State and the U.S. simply brush off lawsuits and complaints pertaining to their jurisdiction over our land, our resources, our welfare, our nationality, etc. To them, since “the political question has been settled,” they don’t need to respond to legal questions of jurisdiction.
The UNʻs position is that the “statehood vote” equates “consent” of the people. It is the linchpin that holds together the United Statesʻ claim of sovereignty over Hawaii. But that same “statehood vote” also provides us the means to overturn the U.S. claim to our country. We are working to have the UN General Assembly take a second look at that lynchpin (UNGA Resolution 1469) which they had blindly rubber-stamped into place in 1959. We expect an honest review of Reso 1469 will obligate the UN to correct their error, which would “un-settle” the political question, which would cause the United States’ claim of supremacy over the Hawaiian Islands to unravel and collapse.
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes, the sooner there will be a Free Hawai`i.
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Kick-off date: September 2, 2020 Queen Lili`uokalani’s Birthday...
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue -
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/restore-original-name
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to grow ... as soon as this pandemic subsides, we expect significant movement in gaining support from the global community. Your kokua is vital to this effort
Your kōkua, large or small, is much appreciated and will help greatly to move this work forward.
To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at
Info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause.
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu, Hawaiian National
-------------------
https://www.ilind.net/2020/08/22/con-artists-are-still-pitching-those-sovereignty-scams/
Ian Lind blog, August 22, 2020
Con artists are still pitching those sovereignty scams
by Ian Lind
It looks like there’s another Hawaiian sovereignty scam that is dangling “too good to be true” offers before potential victims. And unfortunately there are still people gullible or trusting enough to buy in before realizing they’ve been conned.
I was contacted this week by a woman who grew up on Maui but is now living on the mainland. She passed along some details about a relative who has been trying to scam other family members spread across the globe, from France to Hawaii, the Philippines, and Singapore. The scam is a variant of one that’s been around for years. What isn’t clear yet is whether her aunt is acting on her own, or whether she is linked to the “Privy Council” and “lawyers” for a larger sovereignty group, as the scammer has claimed in emails to her potential victims.
Frauds like this are called “affinity scams.” The pitch is made by someone who is an “insider” and, hence, considered a trusted member of the group or organization, a church, religious denomination, neighborhood group, political or professional group, or as in this case, an extended family. (See “The Allure and Danger of Affinity Fraud,” or “Affinity Fraud: How to Avoid Investment Scams That Target Group“).
This pitch goes something like this.
The Hawaiian Kingdom is now pressing a lawsuit that could lead to independence, and at the same time is in negotiations with the UN toward the same end, according to the scammer. And the as-yet-unrecognized Hawaiian Kingdom happens to have a well-endowed treasury, with funds due to be distributed to registered Hawaiian nationals soon after the kingdom’s sovereignty is recognized.
And there’s big money in the treasury, more than needed to reward people now in Hawaii. So, the scammers say, relatives living outside of Hawaii can now register as part of the Hawaiian Kingdom and become part of the group that will get a payout when the treasury funds are dispersed.
All it requires is a “sponsor,” and a payment somewhere between $2,500 and $5,000 as “a processing fee for Hawaiian Kingdom registration.”
According to one email from the scammer:
"They limited the number of people to register to open bank in Hawaii, recently they added only 350 people to register. After they open bank, they will start notifying other people who live in Hawaii who qualify. We are blessed because we are first. We will be a part of history who claimed the Hawaiian Kingdom. The people who are working on it are all here in Hawaii. Hawaiian Kingdom. International attorneys, AIIB board of directors, counselors. Sorry for not sharing a lot of other information but everyone who registered so far are very excited. Just hang in there. It will happen. we’ve waited over three years but it’s worth the wait."
When potential “investors” have balked, additional benefits are dangled as a lure.
At least one relative in this case was told that if they registered, they would not only be eligible for the eventual distribution of the treasury funds, but would also qualify for Hawaiian Kingdom visas that would admit the family to Hawaii without going through the U.S. immigration system.
And when that still wasn’t enough, the con artist said there would also be a job waiting when the family got to Hawaii, where they would now be eligible for free health care offered through the World Health Organization.
“My question is do you have the money to pay and do you want to come here so that your life is not hard up and you can give your kids their future,” the scammer asked. “You just need to trust me.”
Trust me. Really?
One family sent their $5,000 payment, and so far have received nothing.
But the scammers have an explanation. This is usually the case. It’s the stage of the classic confidence scam referred to as “cooling the mark out.”
In this case, the “delay” in producing the promised benefits is blamed on President Trump who, they claim, is holding up the process to squeeze money out of the Kingdom.
"I wasn’t able to communicate in the past about what we are waiting for because they might hack this and they will get the information. Trump is really desperate with the Hawaiian treasury even the other leaders of other nations like Russia, he wants America to control the treasury. Even if he knows, it will not work because the trust says the beneficiary is nationals of Hawaii. Because the money is so big other nations are also interested now….I cannot explain here but hopefully by Christmas they will fund you. Please pray for it."
In documents she provided, her aunt said the matter is being handled by the Hawaiian Kingdom Privy Council, but refused to provide any information about the claimed Kingdom lawsuit or the visa offer, and said she had referred the questions to unnamed “Hawaiian Kingdom lawyers.”
Complaints have been made to several Hawaii regulatory agencies, so far without notable success.
See:
“From the alleged sovereignty mortgage scam to the Hawaiian Kingdom visa scam,” iLind.net, June 11, 2011
https://www.ilind.net/2011/06/11/from-the-alleged-sovereignty-mortgage-scam-to-the-hawaiian-kingdom-visa-scam/
“Frivolous Claim Over Sovereignty Snags Homeowner,” Civil Beat, April 10, 2013
https://www.civilbeat.org/2013/04/18797-hawaii-monitor-frivolous-claim-over-sovereignty-snags-homeowner/
“On scams and the sovereignty narrative,” iLind.net, October 11, 2013.
https://www.ilind.net/2013/10/11/on-scams-and-the-sovereignty-narrative/
“Maui Resident Sentenced for Fraud and Tax Charges Related to Debt Elimination Scheme,” FBI.gov, December 3, 2014.
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/honolulu/news/press-releases/maui-resident-sentenced-for-fraud-and-tax-charges-related-to-debt-elimination-scheme
“Two sovereignty advocates hit with allegations of mortgage rescue fraud,” iLind.net, May 11, 2019
https://www.ilind.net/2019/05/11/two-sovereignty-advocates-hit-with-allegations-of-mortgage-rescue-fraud/
“Lawyer known for “sovereignty defenses” barred from future foreclosure assistance,” iLind.net, June 21, 2020.
https://www.ilind.net/2020/06/21/lawyer-known-for-sovereignty-defenses-barred-from-future-foreclosure-assistance/
-------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/09/ke-aupuni-update-september-2020-keeping.html
Free Hawaii blog, September 12, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2020
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 McKinley Legacy
Dismantled Five Civilized Tribes
Spanish American War
Philippine-American War
Fake Annexation of Hawaii
White Supremacy
Doctrine of Manifest Destiny
McKinley Name Changer - Game Changer
I wrote in the July 11 2020 issue of Ke Aupuni Update:
“…in order to gloss over the fake annexation and create a legacy of legitimacy, Sanford B. Dole the Governor of the fake “U.S. Territory of Hawaii,” had Honolulu High School renamed, President William McKinley High School, honoring the president for being a champion of the annexation. To complete the insult, a statue of McKinley was cast, holding a scroll titled “Treaty of Annexation 1898” and erected in front of the school.”
A few days ago, a group called, “Right Our History Hawaiʻi” had the US Postal Service deliver by certified mail, a letter to Dr. Christina Kishimoto, the DOE Superindendent of Schools, requesting that she recommend the State Board of Education change the name of President William McKinley High School. Under the provisions of BOE Policy 301-8, the board has the sole authority to determine the name schools in the state system.
The letter explains how Pres. William McKinley is not only undeserving of the honor, but having a school named after him, is an affront to history and the Hawaiian people. Equally offensive is the statue of McKinley holding a fake “Treaty of Annexation.” The letter points out that the BOE, overseeing one of the world’s oldest public education systems — one that was founded in the Hawaiian Kingdom — has a profound obligation to correct such misrepresentations of historical facts.
At this point, either the BOE will honor the request to change the name, or take the unenviable position of trying to defend the indefensible. I think they will agree to the name change.
That will be a game-changer. That will cause a quantum shift! Check-mate! Game over! It would be a public repudiation of annexation by the largest agency of the State of Hawaii, the agency whose job it is to know about history. This one perfunctory name-change action will expose the U.S. State of Hawaii as having no basis in law or historical fact! It’s a fake state.
We’re almost there! Get ready to enter… The Transition!…
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes, the sooner there will be a Free Hawai`i.
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Kick-off date: September 2, 2020 Queen Lili`uokalani’s Birthday...
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue -
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/restore-original-name
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to grow ... as soon as this pandemic subsides, we expect significant movement in gaining support from the global community. Your kokua is vital to this effort.
Your kōkua, large or small, is much appreciated and will help greatly to move this work forward.
To contribute, go to
GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at
Info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also...
Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause.
Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
--------------------
Ethnic Hawaiian sovereignty activists have demanded that the regents of the University of California should withdraw participation and investment in the project to build a thirty-meter telescope on Mauna Kea. Their main argument is that Mauna Kea is a sacred place and TMT would be a desecration of it. On September 16, 2020 the Board of Regents held a hearing to receive public testimony on a variety of topics including TMT. Here is Ken Conklin's testimony, given orally by telephone and broadcast through live-streaming. This testimony is also available in a blog post at
https://historymystery.kenconklin.org/2020/09/16/tmt-mauna-kea-u-of-calif-regents-oral-testimony-given-on-9-16-20/
Aloha kakou.
'O Ken Conklin keia mai ke ahupua'a 'o He'eia, Ko'olaupoko, O'ahu, Hawaii.
I am Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D., a retired professor of Philosophy.
I have lived in Kane'ohe for 28 years, have studied Hawaiian history and the ancient religion in depth, and speak Hawaiian with moderate fluency.
Some ethnic Hawaiians oppose the TMT project because they claim Mauna Kea is a sacred place, and TMT would be a desecration of of it.
Here are three reasons why that claim should be rejected.
1. Most ethnic Hawaiians today are Christians. The real disrespect of ancestors and desecration of the ancient religion comes at the hands of ethnic Hawaiians who today abuse it as a mere pawn in their political chess game. The four primary native Hawaiian leaders, exercising self-determination on behalf of their people, officially abolished their old religion in 1819, when Kamehameha died, the year BEFORE the Christian missionaries arrived. They were King Liholiho Kamehameha II; Keopuolani who was Kamehameha's sacred wife and mother of the next two Kings; Ka'ahumanu who was Kamehameha's favorite wife and acted as co-ruler with Liholiho; and Kahuna Nui (High Priest) Hewahewa. They abolished the old religion by publicly violating an important taboo at a large banquet and then ordering the heiaus (stone temples) and wooden idols to be destroyed throughout all the islands. Today's ethnic Hawaiians are welcome to invent any religion they wish; but cannot claim the old religion remains authoritative.
2. According to the most widely-recognized creation legend from the old religion, the goddess who gave birth to Haloa, the primordial ancestor from whom all ethnic Hawaiians are descended, was Ho'ohokukalani . Her name literally means "She who placed the stars into the heavens." She gave birth to Haloa on Mauna Kea. Therefore Mauna Kea is exactly the right place where mother goddess Ho'ohokukalani should be worshipped by her descendants. Telescopes are today's implements whereby Hawaiians today can worship their primordial goddess Mother who placed the stars into the heavens.
3. It would be unconstitutional for any governmental agency, including the Board of Regents, to adopt a religion as the basis for making laws or regulations. The First Amendment to our Constitution commands that there shall be "no law respecting an establishment of religion." Neither the U.S. nor State of Hawaii nor State of California nor Board of Regents is allowed to elevate the ancient Hawaiian religion, nor any ersatz reinvented version of it, as the authority for making government decisions. No matter how much you may respect the ancient religion, no matter how much you may admire the modern people who reinvent that religion as a basis for their own political activism, you must ignore that religion when setting government policy for the shared use of Mauna Kea by all the people of our multiracial society.
----------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/09/ke-aupuni-update-august-2020-keeping-in.html
Free Hawaii blog, Friday September 25, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE
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.
McKinley Name-Change Moves Forward
We hear from the office of the Superintendent of Schools of the State Department of Education (DOE) that the request to change the name of President William McKinley High School has started to move forward.
Superintendent’s office reports that they transmitted the request to the McKinley High School Community Council for its “review, input and recommendation.” At first glance, it looked like the DOE was trying to stall or divert the issue away from the Board of Education (BOE), but I think it is actually the right way to go, because…
it is following proper procedure
it makes the issue public and includes more people in the conversation;
it includes those with a stake in the school: alumni, staff, students, parents…
it informs them that there’s a proposal to change the name;
it causes them to learn why, question and participate in the process…
it leads to producing an informed consensus;
it makes this a kākou thing, and no one feels like he or she has been railroaded.
Of course, thatʻs trusting that in objectively considering the facts and vetting the pros and cons, the school community will come out in favor of the name change. When they do, the BOE will feel more confident in approving the change.
So, our job now is to help the school community council see that the name change can be a win-win situation… that it’s a great, opportunity to liberate and rejuvenate their school… and no longer be associated with the name of a rogue American President. And that changing the name of the school in no way diminishes the outstanding reputation of the school, its culture or the achievements of its students, faculty and community.
And as for the general public… Once people know the facts of what McKinley really did, their sense of justice will kick in and they’ll want to see the right thing is done. This is not a question of whether or not McKinley committed bad deeds… that is a given fact. The question is should he continue to be honored by the name of one of the premiere schools of Hawaii?
If you or anyone you know is associated with McKinley High, then please kokua and talk to them about changing the name to something more honorable…
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
http://tinyurl.com/alohaoemckinley
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to: https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/10/ke-aupuni-update-october-2020-keeping.html
Free Hawaii blog October 10, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - OCTOBER 2020
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.
A Critical Time for OHA
Back in 1978, I was part of a small Hawaiian “think tank” hui that used to meet on a boat docked at the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. The group consisted of Aunty Virginia and Uncle Sam Kepanu (who owned the boat), Aunty Pilahi Paki, Kawaipuna Prejean, Liko Martin, Hank Fergestrom and me. We would discuss myriad Hawaiian issues.
One of the most prominent issues was a constitutional amendment that the 1978 State of Hawaii Constitutional Convention was about to pass to create an “Office of Hawaiian Affairs.”
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs was supposed to be an autonomous governing body. Our question was: Why would the controlling powers (those running the fake State of Hawaii) allow Hawaiians to govern themselves and have access to their assets (the Crown Lands)?... And why would the Fake State risk losing control of Hawaiians and Hawaiian assets? The answer is simple. They expected OHA to fail. They also saw OHA as an opportunity to deflect the growing suspicion that the State of Hawaii is a fraud. Throw the Hawaiians a bone and let them fight over it…
After a couple weeks of discussion our little hui deduced: It would be a wonderful thing if we Hawaiians could make OHA work; but it could be a disaster for Hawaiians and our movement if OHA was to fail. We concluded, the controling powers of the Fake State had set a trap... They expected Hawaiians to scrap amongst ourselves and make a big mess. The Fake State would then swoop in and “rescue” the Hawaiians from the mess, dissolve the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and take full, permanent control over Hawaiian affairs… and assets.
Over the years, the State of Hawaii has done a lot to undermine and hamstring OHA. But to their credit, most OHA trustees have done a noble and admirable job in carrying out their kuleana. But in the past decade or so, certain OHA trustees have seriously compromised the integrity of OHA. We Hawaiians, the beneficiaries of the trust, have been bitterly complaining of the wrong-doing, but those in power just disregarded or dismissed our complaints…
Then in 2016, Keli’i Akina was elected as a trustee, running on the platform of holding OHA fiscally and operationally accountable to its beneficiaries. In his first year, despite heavy resistance from the “old guard trustees” Akina and a good number of beneficiaries who had been complaining for years, were able to pressure the “old guard trustees” to agree to a forensic audit. Even then, “old guard trustees” obstructed, delayed and defiantly refused to comply. The state legislature till today is withholding state funds to OHA to force cooperation with the audit… Finally, the forensic audit was conducted.
As we expected, the audit uncovered hundreds of illegal expenditures, and other highly suspicious irregularities. And still today, the “old guard trustees” are blocking auditors’ access to the books of the illegal Limited Liability Corporations OHA formed to carry out deals certain trustees made with cronies. These are trustees that should be looking out for the best interest of the beneficiaries, not using their positions to cover up their crimes.
Unless the corrupt “old guard trustees” (or their clones now running for OHA seats) are replaced with honest people willing to clean up the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the state and federal government will step in and shut it down, saying: “See? We gave you Hawaiians chance, and you blew it.”
Choose wisely when you vote for OHA trustees. We want the reformers who will bring back transparency, not the ones that will cover up and bleed OHA dry.
Ke Aupuni O Hawaii, the Hawaiian Kingdom is not involved in State of Hawaii or U.S. elections. BUT, The Koani Foundation and Free Hawaii TV is supporting: Keli’i Akina for the At-Large seat; Lanakila Mangauil for the Big Island seat; and Luana Alapa for the Molokai seat.
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes, the sooner there will be a Free Hawaii.
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
http://tinyurl.com/alohaoemckinley
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to:
https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
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https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/10/tom-yamachika-pulling-teeth-at-oha/
Honolulu Civil Beat October 18, 2020, Community Voice
Tom Yamachika: Pulling Teeth At OHA
An accounting report that found “red flags” at the agency was never adequately addressed.
By Tom Yamachika, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.
Imagine that you wake up one day to an awful toothache, and you march into your dentist’s office.
But then your dentist says, “Well, you tell me your tooth hurts, but can you prove that you have a cavity?”
“Um … no,” you reply.
“Well, then, get out! You’ve just wasted my time. I’ll be sure to send today’s bill to you personally, not your dental insurer, for this outrage.”
Similar logic (if you could even call it logic) is being used at our Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and that argument has become an issue in the upcoming election for OHA trustees.
In September 2018, the OHA Board of Trustees, at the urging of At-Large Trustee Keli‘i Akina, engaged a national accounting firm to conduct a contract and disbursement review, looking for indicators of fraud, waste, and abuse. The accounting firm’s report was issued on Dec. 4 at a cost of $500,000.
The report and a summary of the report put together by Trustee Akina’s staff highlighted a number of “red flags,” or potential problems. Here are some examples.
Various places in the report, including at pages 70-72, discuss a $2.6 million grant made to Akamai Foundation to conduct a Native Hawaiian self-governance election, including independently monitoring the election and funding self-governance activities after the election was concluded. The money was supposed to be paid out in five tranches.
‘Waste Of $500,000’
But Akamai Foundation asked that all funds be paid out at once, before the nonprofit incurred a large portion of the costs, and OHA did so (in violation of its internal policies). The election was cancelled, leaving the auditors wondering whether some of the funds disbursed were really needed or actually spent for the requested purposes.
Page 121 of the report discusses a contract with Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. OHA paid $349,527 for consulting services. Neither the procurement documents nor any deliverables could be found. But of course the money went out the door.
On the day the report was issued, a statement of OHA Chair of the Board Colette Machado and Chair of the Committee on Resource Management Dan Ahuna said, “While this report observed indicators of potential fraud, waste or abuse, it did not identify actual instances of fraud, waste or abuse.”
Thus, on a recent PBS “Insights” candidates’ forum, Keoni Souza, who is running for OHA Trustee-At-Large against Akina, said, “Do I think there was a waste of $500,000? Absolutely.”
Chair Machado then doubled down by saying, “Keli‘i, you tried to find the smoking gun. And there was none. It’s on you now.”
OHA paid $349,527 for consulting services.
Has your tooth stopped hurting yet?
Just to be clear: CliftonLarsonAllen, the accounting firm issuing the report, is not the police, is not the FBI, is not law enforcement. An accounting firm can’t arrest people, throw them in jail, or otherwise find that they have committed illegal activity.
We have previously urged OHA to turn the report over to law enforcement. Apparently, that hasn’t happened because, well, there is no smoking gun so why trouble law enforcement?
Ouch! Give us the Novocain!
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https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/10/oha-race-machado-alapa-differ-on-hawaiian-self-governance-mauna-kea/
Honolulu Civil Beat October18, 2020
OHA Race: Machado, Alapa Differ On Hawaiian Self-Governance, Mauna Kea
Colette Machado spent more than two decades on OHA’s board and has changed her position on TMT while newcomer Luana Alapa is hesitant to take strong positions on key issues.
By Anita Hofschneider
Colette Machado has served on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees since 1996. Back then, she was known for her protests against development by Molokai Ranch and her advocacy for the protection of Molokai’s streams and fishponds.
But this year she faces a strong challenge from Luana Alapa. The former Miss Hawaii and current modeling instructor managed to beat Machado during the August primary — although she didn’t garner enough votes to win outright.
The two differ on whether to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea; whether to spend OHA money on furthering Native Hawaiian self-governance; and how to ensure transparency and accountability at OHA. Machado’s supporters include well-known local Democrats while Alapa’s overlap with conservative candidate Keli’i Akina.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Board of Trustees makes key decisions about how OHA spends its trust funds, investments and assets worth a combined estimated $600 million. Its nine trustees serve four-year terms and there are no term limits. Machado’s is one of three seats on the ballot this November.
Although Machado’s seat represents Molokai and Lanai, all Hawaii voters cast ballots in each OHA race. That means it’s possible Molokai and Lanai voters won’t choose their representative. Even though Alapa garnered more votes overall during the primary, Machado was favored in Maui County, which includes Maui, Molokai and Lanai. But Alapa won handily on Oahu, which has far more voters.
As of Sept. 26, Machado had spent more than 18,000 — more than twice as much as Alapa — and still had more than $9,600 in the bank. Both candidates spent the bulk of their money on advertising, according to their latest campaign filings.
Machado received $2,000 from Jennifer Sabas, who was a staffer for the late Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye and also gave money to OHA candidate Keoni Souza. Machado also got money from Esther Kia‘aina, who served in the Department of the Interior under former President Barack Obama, and former OHA trustee Oswald Stender.
Alapa has spent more than $7,400 as of Sept. 26 and still had over $1,700 in the bank. She received $2,500 from Ironworkers Local 625 and $200 from retired University of Hawaii professor Randall Roth, who also gave money to Akina.
In her more than two decades on OHA’s board, Machado has survived political infighting and currently serves as its chair. In 2000, she joined the rest of the OHA board in stepping down in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Rice vs. Cayetano, which said Hawaii law limiting elections to voters with Hawaiian ancestry was unconstitutional. She was re-elected and says she’s proud of her record establishing guidelines for disbursing OHA’s grants and supporting lawsuits and communities pushing for water rights.
In 2009, she voted in favor of building the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea along with most of the board. Six years later, she and the board withdrew their support under pressure from activists. They later sued the state over its mismanagement of the mountain and now Machado said she opposes the construction of the TMT on Mauna Kea.
She told Civil Beat that her initial opinion was influenced by TMT supporters such as Richard Ha and later changed by detractors who made her aware of how large the structure would be and its environmental impacts.
Like Machado, Alapa believes that the state has poorly managed the mountain. But unlike Machado, she doesn’t outright oppose the telescope construction.
Alapa told Civil Beat that it’s hard for her to say whether she supports the TMT, noting, “I don’t want to be in a position where I have that being attacked.” Instead, she said she believes the project should not move forward until stakeholders come to the table.
“Right now nothing really should move forward until we meet and address these management issues and allow our stakeholders and Hawaiians be part of the decision-making,” she said. She wants OHA to be able to co-manage the mountain.
Alapa also declined to say where she stands on Hawaiian self-governance. Machado is a longtime supporter of obtaining federal recognition for Native Hawaiians.
OHA helped fund a Native Hawaiian constitutional convention but a planned vote on the constitution was derailed by a lawsuit from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, led by Akina. A judge ruled OHA couldn’t fund an election limited to people of Native Hawaiian descent.
Machado hopes a privately funded election would occur and said she thinks OHA might legally be allowed to encourage beneficiaries to participate in the election. She lamented Akina’s lawsuit that prevented a vote from taking place, calling it a “calculated move” to prevent Hawaiians from establishing a nation within a nation.
Alapa, meanwhile, doesn’t think OHA money should be spent on nation-building efforts.
“We already spent millions of dollars that didn’t produce anything. So we need to be careful and not go that route again until they come to a determination,” she said, referring to Native Hawaiians deciding what self-governance model they prefer. “Only the Hawaiian people can re-establish the Hawaiian nation.”
She declined to say whether she supports federal recognition, independence or any other form of self-governance. Instead, she said she’d support whatever form of government the majority of Hawaiians vote for in an election separate from OHA.
Another area where the candidates differ is on how to ensure accountability and transparency in spending. If re-elected, Machado promised to work on creating a transparency portal on OHA’s website to explain where all of the agency’s money is going. At the same time, she criticized the focus on OHA spending.
“We are audited up the gazoo consistently, annually, quarterly,” Machado said. “I just don’t understand why people don’t just leave us alone and allow us to do our (jobs).”
The semi-autonomous state agency has often clashed with the state Ethics Commission and the auditor’s office. A judge recently ruled in OHA’s favor in an ongoing lawsuit, preventing the state auditor from accessing attorney-client protected conversations from OHA trustees during executive session.
Alapa has made transparency and accountability a central part of her platform, telling Civil Beat that she wants to address the concerns raised in the state’s audit of OHA.
“It’s like taking over a business,” she said. “You need to know: where’s the money, where is it going to?”
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https://www.ilind.net/2020/10/19/aloha-aina-party-facing-questions-as-election-approaches/
Ian Lind blog October 19, 2020
Aloha Aina Party facing questions as election approaches
The Aloha Aina Party, a new Hawaiian political party which garnered lots of positive news coverage earlier this year when it qualified to field its own candidates during this year’s election, is now in chaos and facing unanswered questions about its finances, structure, and control of the party organization.
The party traces its political heritage to Hui Aloha Aina, an anti-annexation political group of Native Hawaiians formed following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Aloha Aina Party has described itself as the first Hawaii political party in 107 years. It has 14 legislative candidates and a Congressional candidate on the general election ballot.
The party appeared to have the potential to be a voice for Hawaiians in the political system. However, it has failed to take advantage of that potential.
While Hawaii’s established political parties are nonprofit corporations, and some small parties appear to be unincorporated associations, this new Hawaiian party was formed as a limited liability corporation, legally a for-profit company, according to the state’s business registration records. And it is Aloha Aina Party LLC which registered as a political party with the state Office of Elections, the Campaign Spending Commission, and the Federal Election Commission.
Control of the LLC, and presumably the party, appears to have been changed by two back-to-back filings with the state Business Registration Division on September 25, 2020.
The first, received at 11:26 a.m., reported that the prior list of officers/directors/members/managers of the LLC had been replaced by just two, Daniel Decker and Black Pen Capital LLC, both at a common post office box address on Saratoga Road in Waikiki.
The second filing, received at 3:11 p.m. on the same day, named Black Pen Capital LLC as the sole member of the Aloha Aina Party LLC.
Both filings were signed by Daniel Decker on behalf of the Aloha Aina Party LLC. Decker had been listed in previous filings among the members or managers of the party.
Black Pen Capital turns out to be a Nevada company created by Decker in April 2016, and later registered to do business in Hawaii. However, the business registration system maintained by the Nevada Secretary of State currently lists the status of Black Pen Capital as “revoked.”
However, the company continues to be registered in Hawaii. As of September 29, 2020, it reported having a single member, Forerunner Consulting, Inc, state business records show.
Forerunner Consulting Inc. is a new company incorporated in Hawaii on August 14, 2020. On October 5, it listed two officers–Landis W. Ornellas Jr. (president, secretary, and director) and Daniel Decker (vice-president, treasurer, and director).
To make the circle complete, the registered agent for Forerunner Consulting is Black Pen Capital, business registration records show.
Ornellas could not be reached for comment.
Decker responded to a voicemail message via text indicating that he was not available to talk this morning, but would call later. No further response has been received at the time this was posted.
However, in a telephone conversation in late September, Decker said he had gotten involved in recruiting candidates to run under the Aloha Aina Party umbrella, and was then asked to serve as party treasurer. Both state and federal campaign spending reports confirm he did serve as treasurer. Decker said he started as treasurer on June 26, 2020 and continued until he was removed on August 28.
Decker said he had not been given information he needed to be an effective treasurer, and his questions about what had been spent on t-shirts and other merchandise had gone unanswered.
“I was told to just file reports showing zero,” he said.
He said the party was not really like a political party, but “a dictatorship” controlled by a few members who hold ranks in the Royal Order of Kamehameha.
Donald Kaulia, one of the party’s three origial founders who is now party chair, declined to answer questions about the legal status of the Aloha Aina Party, and referred those questions to attorney Keoni Agard, who was listed as a a member and officer of the LLC at least until August 2020.
However, an attempt to reach Agard failed because the call was transferred to voicemail, but the mailbox was full and would not accept a message.
When asked about the Aloha Aina Party’s finances, Kaulia said that the party has not raised or spent any money. That is consistent with its required reports to the Campaign Spending Commission, which showed the party has not received any contributions, and has not made any expenditures.
“We’re not rich like those other guys,” Kaulia said, referring to the major parties. “What we’ve got is heart.”
However, what appears to be the official website of the Aloha Aina Party (votealoha.org) has been both soliciting funds and offering logo merchandise for sale since in April 2020, according to domain registration records. When asked directly about donations to the party through the website, Kaulia said no money came to the party. Any solicitations were done by individual candidates, he said.
He did not respond when asked about the merchandise offered for sale, which includes two different t-shirt designs priced at $35 and $45 each.
In addition, money was solicited for the party via a website, CampaignHQ.com. The website reports $2,910 has been contributed to the Aloha Aina Party by 88 people. The solicitation page provides a link to AlohaAinaParty.com, which resolves to the party’s Vote Aloha website.
Kaulia denied that this site raised money for the party. He said it was “illegitimate,” and did not provide any money to the party itself.
Lewis Leroy Black, the current Aloha Aina Party treasurer, did not respond to a voicemail message this morning.
However, Kaulia later sent a text message indicating he knew of my call to Black and asserting it was some kind of trick to call him after trying unsuccessfully to reach Black.
His text also included photos of Pierre Omidyar. “You think we don’t know who you work for?”
“Why [sic] are you Democrats afraid of?” he wrote.
Clearly none this was responsive to the legitimate questions I had asked about the Aloha Aina Party LLC and its activities.
Disclosure: I previously was a regular contributor to Civil Beat, a news site founded by Omidyar, and still contribute occasionally.
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** Ken Conklin's online comment
"The Aloha Aina Party has described itself as the first Hawaii political party in 107 years."
Well, either that's a typographical error or else it simply does not make sense.
107 years ago was 1913; and I cannot think of anything uniquely ethnic Hawaiian that happened that year. Perhaps they mean to say 127 years, which would refer to the 1893 revolution that overthrew the monarchy; or 123 years, referring to the anti-annexation petition of 1897 sponsored by Hui Aloha Aina.
But for historical fact, the greatest success of a race-based ethnic Hawaiian political party happened when Robert Wilcox created the Home Rule Party which was successful in electing Wilcox in 1900 to be Hawaii's first Territorial Delegate to Congress. Wilcox served a single 2-year term and then lost to ex-prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole, running as a Republican, who served as Delegate for 20 years after swearing an oath of loyalty to the U.S. to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States."
It's a shame that there's so much confusion and apparent corruption in this latest race-focused political party; because it would be nice to have a genuine, seemingly respectable race-based party that could be devastatingly ground into the dust by Hawaii's anti-racist rainbow of friends and neighbors.
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** Online response to Conklin
Juicy J
October 19, 2020 at 8:59 pm
Mr. Conklin,
Just to be clear: Do you reserve your disdain and clear contempt only for Hawaiians? Or does this extend to all indigenous groups nationally/globally?
Thanks!
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** Conklin's online rebuttal to Juicy J.
Hi there Juicy J. I reserve my disdain and contempt for the leaders of any group in my home State who are race-supremacist; who demand either total secession of Hawaii from the U.S. or else demand to divide the lands and people of Hawaii along racial lines; who already have hundreds of government and philanthropic racial entitlement programs exclusively for themselves and persist in demanding lots more. There's only one group in Hawaii that fits that description. If you can think of another one I'm sure you'll let me know.
We hear lots of complaints about White supremacists on the mainland. But in Hawaii it's a different race whose most aggressive, most visible leaders push a religious creation legend saying their group are children of the gods and siblings to the land in a way nobody else can be who lacks a drop of the magic blood. It's the same Aryan blood-and-soil nonsense that caused so much trouble in the 1930s and 1940s; only this time its color is not white. And instead of the contempt such views deserve, here in Hawaii we have not only tolerance but celebration of those views by government officials, cultural leaders, and even PBS-Hawaii as we see mobs blocking roads to enforce their demands, and convoys of vehicles proudly flying their emblems intimidating anyone who might dare to disagree.
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https://www.ilind.net/2020/10/20/go-ask-your-cia-operatives-said-the-aloha-aina-party-chair/
Ian Lind blog October 20, 2020
“Go ask your CIA operatives,” said the Aloha Aina Party chair
I have to admit that trying to report that story about the Aloha Aina Party yesterday was very, very strange.
A couple of months ago, I had noticed something odd about the new Hawaiian party. It is registered as a limited liability company. Major parties are set up as nonprofits, and some small 3rd parties appear to be unincorporated associations. To my knowledge, Aloha Aina Party LLC is unique in being set up as if it were a business.
It isn’t clear just how you fit a square peg LLC into the round hole meant for a political party. Can the LLC have business that is outside of the party? Could it have two sets of books, one of politics and one for, well, business? I made a quick check with the Campaign Spending Commission, and it turns out they had not been aware the party was an LLC and had not considered what issues, if any, this would present.
Then early yesterday morning I checked the status of Aloha Aina Party LLC in the online business registration database of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. I was shocked to see that the party’s former officers had been removed, and it is now listed as controlled by something called Forerunner Consulting Inc. That sent me scrambling back to review earlier filings and trace the change of control.
What does this mean? My closest analogy is that the former leaders of the political party are going to get back home and discover someone has changed the locks and they can no longer get in the door.
I started making calls, and finally reached the chairman of the Aloha Aina Party. Or, atleast, the chairman listed in the organizational report on file with the Campaign Spending Commission.
And this is where it got really weird. He said the former treasurer, the one who has essentially “changed the locks” and taken control of the underlying LLC, may be a CIA plant assigned to infiltrate the party. It felt right out of a QAnon conspiracy. I asked why the party reported neither receiving any campaign contributions or making any expenditures, although what appears to be the party’s official website explains the party’s background, touts its candidates, offers logo merchandise for sale, and solicits funds. If I understood it correctly, he said the party got no money and therefore any website must have been unauthorized. This despite the fact that most of the Aloha Aina Party candidates referred to the party website in their candidate filings with the office of elections. And when I pointed out another site soliciting contributions on behalf of the party, he again said it was not authorized.
It was now clear that I wasn’t going to get any more useful information, so I ended the call, intending to call the party’s attorney.
First, I tried to call the person listed as the party’s social media coordinator at a Southern California phone number. Again, no answer. Again, I left a voicemail. My message was not returned.
Not long afterwards, I received a text message from the chairman, prefaced by a photo of Pierre Omidyar, the entrepreneur billionaire known here for founding and supporting Civil Beat.
It is certainly going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
In the meantime, if this were my political party as a voter or a candidate, I would be mighty worried about what the heck is going on.
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** Note from website editor Ken Conklin:
This short news report has two items whose importance for Hawaii needs explaining:
(a) Apparently there is more than one level of federal recognition for a tribe. Really? The Lumbees got partial recognition in the 1950s, and have been trying unsuccessfully to get full recognition since then and might finally succeed this year. We in Hawaii have not been told about different levels of fed rec.
(b) A tribe which already has fed rec might oppose and intervene to stop another tribe from getting fed rec in order to block competition for casinos or perhaps other benefits if the pot of money is limited. Considering that a Hawaiian tribe would potentially have more than 600,000 members and be the largest tribe in America, the genuine tribes might oppose creating it.
https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/lumbee-tribe-recognition-bill-gains-support-RfXsc1fwtU6pXyJn-dw8zw
Indian Country Today, October 23, 2020
Lumbee Tribe recognition bill gains support
Donald Trump and Joe Biden have both voiced backing of federal legislation
Associated Press
PEMBROKE, N.C. (AP) — Full federal recognition of North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe got a boost with President Donald Trump expressing support for a U.S. Senate bill that could bring millions of dollars in additional funding to the Native American community.
The tribe, based in Robeson County and with 55,000 members primarily in southeastern North Carolina, received limited recognition from the federal government in the 1950s, The Fayetteville Observer reported.
"For more than a century, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has sought federal recognition, but has been met with indifference and red tape," Trump said in a White House statement released Wednesday announcing his support for the bill. "Lumbee Nation is forgotten no more!"
Harvey Godwin Jr., the tribe's elected chairman, said support for full recognition from Trump and North Carolina Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis is very positive but doesn't mean it's a done deal. Burr is the lead sponsor of the Senate measure.
"It's not 100 percent it's going to happen — a lot of things can happen between now and the end of the year — but it's just another big step," Godwin said. The Senate measure also would allow the tribe to open a casino in Robeson County. Godwin said a casino wouldn't happen unless tribe members back one in a referendum.
Trump's announcement comes less that two weeks before Election Day, when he and Tillis will be on the ballot. Voters in Robeson County, which used to be reliably Democrat, have backed Republican candidates more in recent years. To emphasize their importance, Trump's campaign announced Thursday that Trump would hold a rally in Lumberton on Saturday.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign expressed earlier this month support for a Lumbee bill in the U.S. House. That measure doesn't specify whether the Lumbees could build a casino.
Eastern Band Principal Chief Richard Sneed said Thursday that for generations the Lumbees have failed to meet the cultural and linguistic standards to obtain recognition.
"Tis the season when politicians of all stripes make desperate promises to get votes, but the pandering has reached new levels with the embrace of legislation to extend federal recognition to the Lumbee in North Carolina," Sneed said in a news release.
Trump's statement came the same day roughly 40 people protested outside a Lumbee tribal housing complex in Pembroke demanding more accountability of tribal spending, The Robesonian reported.
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/10/ke-aupuni-update-october-2020-keeping_24.html
Free Hawaii blog Saturday October 24, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - OCTOBER 2020
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 Last American Election In The Hawaiian Kingdom
I live in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands. I don’t live in the State of Hawaii or in the USA. Everyone who lives in the Hawaiian Islands lives in the Hawaiian Kingdom, only most of them don’t know it yet … and those who kinda heard about it, have a hard time wrapping their heads around it.
Even those who fully agree that the Hawaiian Kingdom is a sovereign, independent state in continuity, and that we are under — as UN expert Dr. Alfred deZayas put it — “a strange form of occupation,” most of us still don’t realize what that means. We may understand the concept, but we’re stuck in ‘how we were trained’ and as we well know, old habits are hard to break.
American elections have been conducted on Hawaiian Kingdom soil for 120 years. Yes, voting is an important part of living in a democratic society, but in order to vote in these American elections, you have to be, and affirm you are, a U.S. citizen. In fact, to simply be able to survive every day in our homeland, we are constantly required to reaffirm U.S. citizenship. Is it any wonder that Hawaiians still have a tough time separating from the U.S. identity? This is especially true around election time when we get sucked into the three-ring-circus of American politics.
These American elections have been a key weapon used in the hijacking of our identity as Hawaiian subjects. Elections are used repeatedly to further enslave us to the U.S. One of the most egregious examples is the 1959 Statehood Vote that purportedly gave “our consent” for the U.S. to claim Hawaii is the 50th State of the USA.
We are on a trajectory to getting the UN to invalidate that vote. Doing so would invalidate the U.S. claim to the Hawaiian Islands and allow The Huli (transition) to begin to reinstate the Hawaiian Kingdom as a sovereign, independent country.
So, here’s how we can make this 2020 American election work to our advantage.
Those who are registered and intend to vote… make it count. Elect officials who are honest, trustworthy and truly committed to do what is right by the people, to fill the seats at the County, State and Federal levels. We will need good reasonable people in those places for when The Huli comes. We need those leaders to already be putting the house in order and getting things ready for a smooth transition back to the Hawaiian Kingdom.
We need to start putting them into place now, in what could very well be… the last American election in the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Ke Aupuni O Hawaii, the Hawaiian Kingdom is not involved in American elections… BUT, The Koani Foundation and Free Hawaii TV are, and they are supporting for OHA: Keli’i Akina for the At-Large seat; Lanakila Mangauil for the Big Island seat; and Luana Alapa for the Molokai seat.
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes, the sooner there will be a Free Hawaii.
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
http://tinyurl.com/alohaoemckinley
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to: https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
---------------------
October 24 was the publication of the first article in a Honolulu Star-Advertiser propaganda blitzkrieg pushing a proposal for a gambling casino on the Hawaiian Homelands in a State where any form of gambling is illegal and where there is no federally recognized Hawaiian tribe. The proposal is designed to create revenue for housing in racially exclusive ghettos but also to promote race-based political sovereignty. A webpage provides a compilation of articles in that newspaper in collaboration with the far-left propaganda "newsroom" Pro-Publica. The webpage describes how the blitzkrieg unfolded, the twisted history provided in the newspaper articles, excerpts and full text of the October 24 article and of numerous subsequent articles in the series starting December 16. See
https://tinyurl.com/y8qha8pq
-------------------
https://www.nhonews.com/news/2020/oct/27/biden-harris-roll-out-plan-indian-country/
Navajo-Hopi Observer, Flagstaff AZ, October 27, 2020
Biden-Harris roll out plan for Indian Country
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris released detailed plans Oct. 8 to uphold federal trust responsibilities by addressing health disparities, restoring tribal lands and providing economic opportunity for tribal nations.
The 15-page plan says if elected, a Biden administration will build on efforts made by the Obama administration, “which were instrumental in rebuilding trust, good faith and respect for the tribal-federal relationship.”
The plan was released prior to a meeting Oct. 8 with tribal leaders in Arizona.
Tribal leaders that met with Biden-Harris included Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis, Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr., San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler and Hopi Tribe Chairman Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma.
At the forefront of the plan are goals to strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship between tribal nations and the federal government by reinstating the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference, a space for tribal leaders to meet directly with the president and his staff to address issues in their communities.
The campaign promises to appoint Native people to high-level government positions, and nominate judges with a keen understanding of federal Indian law. Three Native Americans currently serve in the federal courts. President Barack Obama appointed U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa, Hopi, in Arizona, and U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, Native Hawaiian, in Hawaii; and President Donald Trump appointed U.S. District Judge Ada Elene Brown, Choctaw, in the Northern District of Texas.
The Biden-Harris campaign also promises to launch a budget task force under the White House Council on Native American Affairs to understand funding shortfalls to ultimately decide whether to make Indian Country’s funding “advanced” or “mandatory,” instead of discretionary.
In addressing the coronavirus, the plan says Native people have among the country’s highest per capita infection rates, citing they are 3.3 times more likely to die from the virus than Anglos.
The Biden-Harris ticket says it will lead a decisive public health response to COVID-19 through free testing, development of a safe and effective vaccine, and through ensuring tribal governments are respected in reopening decisions.
“I am pleased to provide my personal support and endorsement to Vice President Biden and Senator Harris to be our next President and Vice President of the United States,” said Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Lewis. “Their Plan for Tribal Nations, and their record over decades of service make it clear that they understand Tribal sovereignty and their trust responsibilities to Tribes and that they will tackle our challenges head-on if elected.”
Earlier this year, Lewis and Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer met with Trump in Arizona, where they discussed the coronavirus and $8 billion in federal relief funding set aside for tribes.
In restoring tribal lands, the plan promises to make it easier to place lands into trust, a controversial topic after the Trump administration threatened to take the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation’s land out of trust in recent months.
“Taking land out of trust, de-establishing reservations, and proposing to cut Indian Child Welfare by 35 percent are just a few examples of Trump’s failed policies for Indian Country,” Chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Aaron A. Payment said. “So I am excited about the recently released Biden-Harris Plan for Tribal Nations, which will honor the treaty and trust responsibility. I am voting pro-tribal sovereignty and supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
For climate change, the plan says it will aim to achieve net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. It says it will ensure investments in clean energy reach Native people by setting a goal that disadvantaged communities, including Native communities, will receive 40 percent of overall benefits.
The issue of violence against Native women is also addressed in the plan.
It says the administration will partner with tribes and women’s advocates by providing support for tribal justice systems, increasing data collection methods, and directing the Department of Justice to investigate cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Rep. Deb Haaland, Laguna and Jemez Pueblo, of New Mexico added her support for the Biden-Harris campaign’s plan, saying it “lays out a strong path forward for Indian Country.”
“I am also especially appreciative of Joe Biden’s commitment to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women which has plagued our communities for far too long,” she said.
The Trump administration also has taken steps to address missing and murdered Indigenous peoples.
Last November, Trump signed an executive order establishing the Operation Lady Justice Task Force, which aims to create protocols for law enforcement to respond to missing and murdered Native American persons cases and to improve data and information collection. It established seven offices across the U.S. tasked with helping coordinate efforts with local, federal and tribal law enforcement to solve cold cases.
At his meeting with tribal leaders in Arizona, Trump also announced a presidential proclamation declaring May 5 National Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day.
Trump has been a strong supporter of the Native American community, his deputy national press secretary Courtney Parella said Oct. 8.
“The resident provided $8 billion to address coronavirus preparedness, response and recovery for American Indians and Alaska Natives, and he remains committed to finding solutions to prominent issues faced by Native Americans, from access to better education to rural development and more,” Parella said in an email to Indian Country Today. “President Trump will leave no American behind as he delivers the Great American Comeback, and that includes our tribal communities.”
Regarding infrastructure, the Biden-Harris plan affirms goals to build and repair roads, highways and bridges in tribal communities, saying in 2019, almost one in six bridges in Indian Country were deficient or functionally obsolete.
The Biden administration plan also will invest $20 billion in rural broadband infrastructure and work with the Federal Communications Commission to reform its Lifeline program to offer low-income Americans subsidies to access high-speed internet.
The plan states it will create a “Small Business Opportunity Fund” that will leverage more than $150 million in new capital for Native businesses and others. It says this fund will spur $50 billion in public-private venture capital funds to entrepreneurs to create jobs and growth.
On the education side, the Biden-Harris campaign added that it will invest in public and Bureau of Indian Education schools by tripling funding for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This will ultimately provide resources for schools to support low income students. It also says part of Biden’s $100 billion plan to invest in public schools will include a set-aside portion for tribal schools.
Biden-Harris also plan to recruit and retain Native teachers by working with tribal colleges and universities to recruit and prepare teaching programs in education. Their plan will include tribal colleges and universities in increased funding for other minority-serving institutions including historically Black colleges and universities.
The plan also says it will protect funding for the Johnson-O’Malley Program, aiding in promoting Native history and culture in schools.
On student debt, Biden promises to cancel $10,000 of federal student loan debt and forgive all undergraduate tuition-related debt from two and four year public colleges, including tribal colleges and universities.
The plan addresses Native people serving in the military at higher rates than other demographic groups. To protect them, the duo says they will expand services to address homelessness and aid in applying for home loan grants.
On voting, Biden promises to restore the Voting Rights Act and to establish a first-of-its-kind Native American Voting Rights Task Force to ensure equal access to voter registration and polling sites.
----------------------
https://grist.org/justice/climate-justice-is-at-the-center-of-the-joe-biden-kamala-harris-plan-for-tribal-nations/
Grist, October 27, 2020
[Founded in 1999, Grist is a beacon in the smog — an independent, irreverent news outlet and network of innovators working toward a planet that doesn’t burn and a future that doesn’t suck.]
Climate justice is at the center of the Biden-Harris plan for tribal nations
By Angely Mercado
The abuse and neglect experienced by tribal nations throughout U.S. history has had far-reaching consequences. A wide range of health metrics for Indigenous people fall far short of those of other Americans, as does their access to preventative health care (and even, in some cases, their access to running water). Now, unsurprisingly, COVID-19 is having an outsized impact on Indigenous communities.
In hopes of combating these disparities, earlier this month the Biden presidential campaign released the “Biden-Harris Plan for Tribal Nations,” which outlines how the Democratic nominee’s administration would support better health outcomes for Indigenous communities.
The plan calls for investing in more doctors and medical professionals in tribal nations, increasing access to telemedicine for tribal citizens in remote areas, investing in education, and better targeting health care resources to Indigenous veterans. The plan also includes a substantial environmental justice component: It indicates that a large portion of Biden’s $2 trillion clean energy plan will go to infrastructure investment in tribal nations, and it promises to improve access to clean running water in Indigenous communities. Most significantly, perhaps, the plan promises to “immediately and ambitiously” tackle the unique effects that climate change will have on Indigenous communities.
“[Climate change] poses particular threats to indigenous tribes, from those that have to relocate because of erosion and rising sea levels on the coasts to those across the entire country experiencing varied impacts including droughts, flooding, wildfires, and changes in biodiversity that threaten their economic dependence on their land and water, as well as traditional subsistence activities critical to the survival of many tribal communities,” according to the plan.
The proposal promises to protect tribes from the after-effects of resource extraction by plugging abandoned oil and gas wells and reclaiming abandoned mines that may be polluting the air or nearby water sources for tribal communities. The Biden-Harris plan also calls for directing the Department of Agriculture to ensure that its “climate smart production” programs are geared toward Indigenous farmers and other farmers of color.
The plan was released earlier this month after a meeting with Indigenous veterans and tribal leaders in Arizona, where Biden and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris also promised to increase the representation of Indigenous Americans in government.
A week after the plan was released, over 200 Indigenous leaders formally endorsed Biden for president, stating that they trust that the Biden administration would support social justice for Indigenous peoples.
“As Indian Country continues to face enormous challenges to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their nations, we need a leader who is willing to take bold action and make the investments that are needed,” the endorsement read.
Elizabeth Kronk Warner, a dean and professor at the University of Utah’s law school who is also a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan, praised the plan’s attention to detail and the way that it dovetails with the Biden-Harris clean energy plan to address systemic environmental justice issues for Indigenous groups.
The latter plan was released this summer and promises to invest about $2 trillion in clean energy infrastructure, including upgrading the nation’s electricity grid with substantially more wind and solar energy generation. The proposal also promises to fund emission-free public transportation and upgrade and weatherize buildings for better insulation and lower energy costs.
Warner also said that the campaign’s focus on collecting information on health outcomes and environmental factors that affect tribal health could lead to better environmental justice policies and preventative health care initiatives.
“That’s something that has been a challenge broadly in Indian Country, is that we don’t perhaps have the data that we need to make those data-informed choices to help our communities,” Warner said.
Teresa Seamster, a health committee member with the Navajo Nation’s Counselor chapter, reviewed parts of the plan and called it a realistic approach to addressing disparities in Indigenous communities.
“These are all measurable things — services, if you will — that could be deployed and that are very needed,” she told Grist.
Seamster said that additional medical facilities in tribal nations could improve how both tribal authorities and the federal government track pollution and its effects on tribal health. More doctors and clinics could lead to earlier detection of different pollutants that cause long-term health issues.
“[Tribal nations] may not have the facilities to do the kind of testing that needs to be done in a timely way, especially if you’re measuring things like exposure to toxic pollutants of any kind,” Seamster said. “Tests have to be done within a few hours to be accurate at any level.”
The Biden campaign has also promised to appoint more Indigenous people to higher government positions and to work with tribal leaders on health care and safety issues.
There are currently only only three Indigenous people serving on federal courts. U.S. District Judge Ada Elene Brown of the Choctaw nation was appointed to the Northern District of Texas by President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa, from the Hopi nation, was appointed by former President Barack Obama. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, a Native Hawaiian, was also appointed by Obama.
According to Seamster and Warner, pushing for more Indigenous representation in the federal government could mean more care for the environment and better health outcomes for tribal nations in the long run.
“it’s going to take having more native people in higher positions to communicate and to protect the Indigenous way of life,” Seamster said.
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https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/matt-frei/donald-trump-reelection-break-up-of-united-states/
LBC [Leading Britain's Conversation, radio station in London], 31 October 2020
PRESENTERS: MATT FREI
** 6-minute clickable inline audio tape can be played; Waihe'e's own voice. Summary follows.
Trump reelection could spur break up of United States, former Governor fears
By Seán Hickey
The former Governor of Hawaii told LBC that there could be a Soviet-style break up of the USA following the Presidential election.
John Waihe'e was Democrat Governor of Hawaii between 1986 and 1994 and spoke to Matt Frei as the race for the White House hots up.
Mr Waihe'e told Matt that the US has the potential "of going through the same process the Soviet Union did," following the result of the US election next week, such is the level of tension surrounding the battle between Trump and Biden.
He told listeners that the thought of independence has been flirted with in Hawaii, noting that "there are people who seriously believe that maybe Hawaii would have to charter a different path," if Donald Trump is reelected.
Matt told the former Governor that unity in the UK has come "under real strain" during the pandemic, and wondered if the same can be seen in US in the lead up to the election.
Mr Waihe'e told Matt that "underlying all of this in Hawaii...is the native Hawaiian aspirations and there are people in the state who would love to have a different arrangement with the United States than we currently do." This is a sentiment that has risen during the lockdown.
He went on: "What they're talking about now is not to justify it, but to present a vision of what it would look like if it happened."
"The point is that to have these conversations in polite company right now underscores how badly fractured the American political scene has become."
Matt cornered Mr Waihe'e, asking whether he thought the reelection of Donald Trump would be directly responsible for a push for independence in Hawaii.
He warned that "not only in Hawaii" would there be a push, adding that regardless of the result there will be many furious Americans that will scrutinise the outcome.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/kai-kahele-wins-hawaii-house-seat-vacated-tulsi-gabbard-n1246619
NBC NEWS, ASIAN AMERICA, November 5, 2020
Kai Kahele wins Hawaii House seat vacated by Tulsi Gabbard
Kahele is the second Native Hawaiian in Congress since its statehood and made Native Hawaiian and indigenous rights a key issue in his campaign.
By The Associated Press
[** Excerpts by Ken Conklin focusing on Hawaiian racial entitlements and federal recognition of a phony Hawaiian tribe]
HONOLULU (AP) — Only one Native Hawaiian has represented the state in Congress since it first became a state in 1959. That's changing with Sen. Kaiali'i Kahele.
Kahele won the Hawaii House seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday, as Joe Biden easily won the deep blue state’s four presidential electoral college votes.
Now the second ever Native Hawaiian to be elected to Congress, Kahele defeated Republican businessman and former U.S. Air Force intelligence analyst Joe Akana, who is also Native Hawaiian.
His win comes at a time when the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 46-year-old said at the top of his agenda would be making sure Hawaii’s four-member congressional delegation is unified so it can navigate the islands through the coronavirus pandemic and getting the state out of the economic recession.
Hawaii and its counties don’t have the financial resources they need to “weather the storm,” he said in a phone interview after winning.
“It is going to need federal support, sustained federal financial resources. And that is where our delegation is going to have to work extremely hard to make sure that we get the federal funding that we need,” Kahele said.
A 2017 report by the American Community Survey showed the poverty rate for all Hawaii residents was 9.5 percent, while the rate for Native Hawaiians was 13.5 percent.
In addition to the pandemic, Kahele made Native Hawaiian and indigenous rights a key issue in his campaign, saying that he will advocate for the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in Congress. The act, passed in 1921, allows Native Hawaiians to return to their lands, but the department in charge of administering transfers has been criticized for its slow progress.
Valerie Scanlan, a registered nurse who lives in Puna on the Big Island, said she voted for Kahele in part because he has a good understanding what Hawaii calls the “Neighbor Islands.” These are the mostly rural islands that are often overshadowed by Oahu Island, where Honolulu is located.
“I mean, we’re really unique. So we kind of need somebody who’s pretty equipped to do that at the congressional level, especially now,” she said.
Kahele is from Hilo on the Big Island’s east side. The second congressional district has long been represented by politicians from Oahu.
Kahele is pilot for Hawaiian Airlines and the Hawaii Air National Guard. He has served in the state Senate since 2016. Once sworn in, Kahele will be the second Native Hawaiian to serve in Congress since statehood.
Kahele is an advocate of Medicare for All and supports the idea of a Green New Deal to address climate change and help Hawaii meet its clean energy goals. He has served in the state Senate since 2016, when he was first appointed to fill the remainder of his father’s term after he died. He was elected for the first time later that year.
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https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/11/in-a-divided-america-kai-kahele-wants-to-find-a-place-to-fit-in/
Honolulu Civil Beat, November 5, 2020
In A Divided America Kai Kahele Wants To Find A Place To ‘Fit In’
The Democratic state senator is only the second Native Hawaiian elected to Congress since statehood.
By Nick Grube
WASHINTON — The morning after Kai Kahele won a decisive victory in the race for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District he ordered a stack of flapjacks and a double loco moco at Ken’s Pancake House in Hilo. Kahele had reason to celebrate. He entered politics in 2016 after he was appointed to the Hawaii State Senate by Gov. David Ige to finish out the term of his father, Gil Kahele, who died unexpectedly after a heart attack.
Kahele said he has yet to craft his legislative agenda. The fact that he faced little opposition in both the primary and general elections, however, has allowed him to get a jump on making inroads in Washington.
Kahele will be only the second Native Hawaiian to serve in Congress since Hawaii became a state in 1959. The first was U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, who retired in 2013 and died in 2018.
KAHELE SAID HE ANTICIPATES BEING A VOICE FOR HAWAIIANS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CONGRESS, AND THAT HE EXPECTS TO TAKE ON ISSUES RELATED TO HAWAIIAN HOMELANDS AND FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOUCHES ON MANY ASPECTS OF HAWAIIANS’ LIVES, WHETHER IT’S PROVIDING MONEY FOR HOUSING, HEALTH CARE OR EDUCATION. BUT KAHELE SAID THAT RELATIONSHIP IS ALSO FRAUGHT WITH TRAUMA DATING BACK TO THE OVERTHROW OF THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM IN 1893.
“I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COUNTING ON ME,” KAHELE SAID. “WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME TOUGH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT A FUTURE FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF THEIR ROLE WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.”
HE SAID HE’S NOT SURE YET WHAT THE PATH FORWARD LOOKS LIKE FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS. ALL HE KNOWS IS THAT HE WANTS THEM TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, WHETHER IT’S AS PART OF A TASK FORCE, TOWN HALL OR SIMPLY TALKING STORY ON THE HAWAIIAN HOMESTEADS.
He’s looking forward to the transition from state legislator to member of Congress, and he’s already begun forging relationships with the other three members of Hawaii’s federal delegation, all of whom endorsed him.
During his campaign, Kahele often talked about how he would stay focused on Hawaii and its priorities, a way for him to draw a distinction between himself and Gabbard.
On Wednesday, he again emphasized the need for teamwork within the federal delegation, something Case has said was lacking, at least in the House, while Gabbard was running for president.
“I’m a piece of the puzzle now that has to fit in,” Kahele said. “I want to make sure that I can do that.”
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/11/ke-aupuni-update-november-2020-keeping.html
Free Hawaii blog, November 13, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2020
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.
A Fraudulent Election
No, I'm not talking about the utter mess going on with the U.S. elections right now. I'm talking about the fake plebiscite of 1959 by which the U.S. alleged the people of Hawaii voted for "statehood." Talk about election fraud!
First, not a single person who voted in that statehood plebiscite was a lawful voter! Only U.S. citizens living in the “U.S. Territory of Hawaii” were allowed to vote. But the only ones who had the legal right to vote (and were supposed to vote) on the fate of their nation were not allowed to vote. Excluded from voting on the future governance of their own country were Hawaiian nationals… more accurately, subjects of the Hawaiian Kingdom. So the decision for “statehood” was made by the wrong voters — U.S. citizens residing in the “US Territory of Hawaii.” Or putting it another way, foreign nationals living in the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Second, there were no options other than “Statehood” on the ballot. It was "Statehood: Yes or No”? A “Yes” vote meant you were for the “US Territory of Hawaii” becoming the “US State of Hawaii.” A “No” vote meant you were for remaining the “US Territory of Hawaii.” Heads I win, tails you lose. That's like having the American presidential election with only one candidate on the ballot and declaring the “winner” the “choice” of the people.
Thus, in the infamous Statehood Plebiscite of 1959, 1) the wrong people voted and 2) no choice was offered. If it is ever scrutinized under common standards of election practices, international law and even screwed-up American law... the "statehood plebiscite” would be ruled as totally invalid.
This is why United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1469 of December 12, 1959 is so critical. It is the one official action by the UN that accepted the statehood plebiscite as valid. They passed UNGA Resolution 1469 without verifying the election, like, who voted and what was the question? They passed UNGA Resolution 1469 based on a false report by the U.S.
The United States’ claim that Hawaii is the 50th State of the U.S. hinges entirely on UNGA Resolution 1469. Thus, it is their Achilles heel. Knock out UNGA Resolution 1469 and the United States’ claim to the Hawaiian Islands collapses; and the Hawaiian Kingdom emerges as a nation in continuity.
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes and the sooner we will be a Free Hawaii.
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Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
http://tinyurl.com/alohaoemckinley
----
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
---
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to:
https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
----------------------
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/11/whats-happening-with-mckinley-high.html
Free Hawaii blog, Saturday November 21, 2020
WHATʻS HAPPENING WITH THE MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL NAME CHANGE?
by Leon Siu
The McKinley Legacy:
Dismantled Five Civilized Tribes
Spanish American War
Philippine=American War
Fake Annexation of Hawaii
White Supremacy
Doctrine of Manifest Destiny
Apparently certain administrators at McKinley High School are stalling and avoiding asking the wider McKinley community (students, parents, alumnae, etc.) for their input.
Not even to ask, "Does anyone object to the name change?"
While all across the USA the names of schools, streets, parks, landmarks, towns, etc. are coming under scrutiny, McKinley administrators are trying to pretend like it doesnʻt exist.
The San Francisco School Board alone has placed 44 school-names on the chopping block because of offensive inferences, yet McKinley High School administrators by their inaction are saying... "sure heʻs a crook, but heʻs our crook and weʻre sticking with him!"
It looks like they may be willing to perpetuate a lie because they are too fearful (or too lazy) to change the name.
And what does that say about the inaction of the Board of Education?
** Ken Conklin's note: Conklin has created a large open letter to the McKinley High School students, alumni, faculty, and community urging them to keep the school's name and statue; explaining that the campaign to remove the name and statue is being waged by Hawaiian race-nationalist secessionists who want to make it look like there's community support for secession; and providing proof that there is a Treaty of Annexation which was legitimately offered by Hawaii and accepted by the U.S., and that President McKinley was not a racist. This important webpage is at
https://www.angelfire.com/big11a/McKinleyHSNameStatue.html
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/11/ke-aupuni-update-november-2020-keeping_27.html
Free Hawaii blog, November 27, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2020
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.
Hau`oli Lā Kū`oko`a iā kakou
177 Years of Independence
This year, 2020 is the 177th anniversary of an historic moment… when the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands was recognized as a sovereign state — an equal among the major powers of the world.
In 1842, the young ruler of the Hawaiian Islands, King Kamehameha III sent a delegation of three men to the other side of the world on a vital mission: to secure assurances from the three major world powers at the time — the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of France and the United States of America — that they would respect, uphold and protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands as an independent state.
The strategy worked… On November 28, 1843, at the Court of London, representatives of the British and French Governments signed an agreement, now called the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, that formally recognized the Sandwich Islands (the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands) as a sovereign, independent nation-state, making the Hawaiian Kingdom the first country to be accepted as an equal into the euro-centric Family of Nations… It also made the Hawaiian Islands immune to falling victim to colonialism.
King Kamehameha III declared that henceforth in the Kingdom, November 28 would be a National Holiday to be celebrated as Lā Kūʻokoʻa, Independence Day. And Lā Kūʻokoʻa was fervently celebrated up to the end of the 19th Century. About 30 years ago it was revived by Hawaiian patriots.
The Anglo-Franco Proclamation was followed by treaties with 40 or so other countries (including several with the USA). These treaties fortified the Hawaiian Kingdom’s standing as a sovereign country. But sadly, agreements such as treaties are only as good as the parties’ willingness to keep them.
Fifty years later... betrayed by the U.S.. On January 16, 1893, the U.S. completely violated its treaties with the Hawaiian Kingdom (along with various international laws) by landing fully-armed Marines in Honolulu to provide military backup for a small group of white-supremacist insurgents to seize the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Having joined in supporting treason, the U.S. continued its treachery by staging: the 1898 fake “Annexation”; the 1900 fake “Territory of Hawai`i”; and the current fake “State of Hawai`i”. Sadly, all the other countries abandoned their treaties of friendship, commerce and navigation with the Hawaiian Kingdom.
But, despite all those fake governments installed by the U.S. in Hawai`i, they could not extinguish or diminish or overcome the Sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom as affirmed by the Anglo-Franco Proclamation and the dozens of international treaties and agreements that followed. Thus, even though it may not look like it yet, the Hawaiian Kingdom still exists!
By celebrating Lā Kūʻokoʻa we remind ourselves that the Hawaiian Kingdom is still a sovereign country! It is through embracing and asserting this fact that we will ultimately prevail in restoring our beloved nation.
----
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes and the sooner we will be a Free Hawaii.
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to: https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
** Note by Ken Conklin: On November 28, 1843 one diplomat from each of the British and French governments signed an agreement with each other to recognize Hawaii as an independent nation. Two identical copies of the agreement were written in side-by-side English and French; and each diplomat was given one of them. The document was not addressed to Hawaii; not given to Hawaii; no Hawaii diplomat signed it
The agreement says, in its entirety: "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."
By contrast, after the monarchy was overthrown, the successor Republic of Hawaii received full-fledged diplomatic recognition as the legitimate government in letters personally signed by Emperors, Kings, Queens, and Presidents of at least 19 nations on 4 continents (including France and Britain by the way). See photos of those letters and ancillary materials at
https://historymystery.kenconklin.org/recognition-of-the-republic-of-hawaii/
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** At the end of this lengthy article, Ken Conklin describes some major similarities and differences between Lumbees and Hawaiians regarding their efforts to get federal recognition through Congress.
https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/lumbee-goes-before-congress-for-federal-recognition-again-51qZhqJI-kaZMStSWnZxYQ
Indian Country Today, December 11, 2020
Lumbee goes before Congress for federal recognition. Again.
by Mary Annette Pember
[Mary Annette Pember, citizen of the Red Cliff Ojibwe tribe, is national correspondent for Indian Country Today. On Twitter: @mapember. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pember loves film, books and jingle dress dancing.]
Recognition touches on the existential question of Native identity
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been here several times before over the past 130 years.
Recognized by the state of North Carolina in 1885, the Lumbee have been seeking federal recognition since 1889.
Over the years, the tribe has sought recognition through Congress several times. Although versions of the Lumbee Recognition Act have been passed by the House of Representatives, the legislation inevitably dies in the Senate.
In 2020, the House has once again passed the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Recognition Act. The bill now awaits consideration by the Senate.
Unlike past efforts by the Lumbee, however, this go round has attracted the support of a phalanx of powerful politicians on both sides of the aisle.
For instance, it appears that the Lumbee were the only tribe visited by President Donald J. Trump during his campaign. Both Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have stated publicly that they would support the tribe’s recognition.
Lumbee tribal headquarters is located in Robeson County in the southeastern part of the state. With its approximately 60,000 members, the tribe represents a powerful voting bloc in North Carolina, a much sought after swing state.
The current recognition bill was introduced by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-North Carolina, and has the support of both Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr from North Carolina. Other prominent supporters include Arizona Democratic Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva. Gallego is chair of the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States and Grijalva is a member.
Lumbee leaders and supporters are hoping that the recognition act will be added to the omnibus Senate appropriations bill that will need to be passed in the coming days in order to avoid a government shutdown.
Although the tribe has more political support than ever among federal leadership, many existing federally recognized tribes oppose their recognition.
The reasons, like the Lumbee’s history, are complicated.
The legal and historical elements of the Lumbee crusade for recognition have been covered extensively in the media and are often framed in economic terms. If the Lumbee are granted recognition, they will be eligible to receive federal funding for health, education, housing and government. They may also be able to build a casino.
Federally recognized tribes that oppose Lumbee recognition are cast as fearful that the tribe will siphon away already inadequate federal funding and draw customers away from other tribal gaming interests.
Although this narrative is partially accurate, it fails to capture the deeply-held emotional sentiments for both Lumbee and opposing tribes regarding recognition.
“This is about dignity and respect for our people,” said Harvey Godwin, Jr. Lumbee tribal chair. “Our elders have been praying for this for generations.”
According to Godwin, recognition would remedy generations of federal indifference and neglect resulting in the loss of their birthright and identity as Indigenous people. Recognition would serve as reparations for years of social and racial injustices suffered by the Lumbee.
Opponents among federally recognized tribes, however, maintain that although the Lumbee have undoubtedly been ill-treated by the federal government and undergone years of racial and social injustice, bestowing them with federal recognition is not an appropriate remedy.
“Federal recognition for the Lumbee tribe would undermine the power of tribal sovereignty,” said David Cornsilk, citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
Cornsilk and others opposed to Lumbee recognition, say the Lumbee are unable to trace their heritage to authentic Native Americans.
“They have no language or culture of their own; they have borrowed the cultural identity of tribes around them and from Hollywood depictions of Indians. They are cultural chameleons,” said Cornsilk, a former genealogical researcher for the Department of Interior’s Office of Federal Acknowledgment, the agency that determines eligibility for federal tribal recognition.
Indeed, according to the Lumbee Tribe’s website their ancestors are “survivors of tribal nations from the Algonquian, Iroquoian and Siouan language families, including the Hatteras, the Tuscarora and the Cheraw.”
The Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina, which is neither state nor federally recognized, oppose Lumbee recognition. They maintain that the Lumbee use Tuscarora genealogies to develop a core ancestral group that they erroneously represent as Cheraw.
Cornsilk speculates that ancestors of people now identifying as Lumbee claimed Native heritage as a means to circumvent racist Jim Crow laws enacted in North Carolina to persecute Black people.
“Certainly, the Lumbee are a community but they are not a tribe,” Cornsilk said.
History and legal struggle for recognition
The Lumbee’s history and legal struggle for recognition is a long, convoluted journey through the federal government’s bureaucracy and Congress.
Congress denied the tribe’s bid for recognition in 1889 declaring them too great in numbers and therefore too costly for the government to provide services.
If the tribe is granted recognition today, they would be the largest tribe east of the Mississippi and the ninth largest in the nation.
Oddly in 1956, Congress declared that Native Americans living in North Carolina’s Robeson and adjoining counties “claim joint descent from remnants of early American colonists and certain tribes of Indians shall be known as the Lumbee Indians of North Carolina.” Further the legislation declared “nothing in this Act shall make such Indians eligible for any services performed by the United States for Indians because of their status as Indians, none of the statues of the United States, which affect Indians because of their status as Indian shall be applicable to the Lumbee Indians.”
Arguing for the Lumbee recognition bill in the House, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, described the legislation as an example of Termination era policies in which the federal government sought to forcefully assimilate tribes into mainstream society by stripping away benefits and services.
“This gave the Lumbee tribe the dubious distinction of being federally recognized and then terminated,” Huffman said.
In the 1980’s the Lumbee sought to gain federal recognition through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Federal Acknowledgement lengthy process. The agency determined, however, that since the Lumbee had already been recognized by Congress in 1956, they were ineligible to participate in the process. They would need to return to Congress for full recognition.
Thus began the years of submitting bills to Congress for recognition.
In 2016, however, the Solicitor of the Interior determined that the Lumbee are eligible to petition the Office of Federal Acknowledgement for recognition.
So far, the Lumbee have chosen instead to pursue recognition through Congress.
“The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians would welcome the Lumbees into the family of federally recognized tribes if they can successfully make it through the administrative process at the Department of the Interior,” wrote Richard Sneed, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in testimony to Congress.
The Lumbee would likely be unable to meet the stringent historical, anthropological and cultural requirements of the federal recognition process, according to Cornsilk.
“Their Native ancestry is tenuous at best,” said Cornsilk who noted that the Lumbee Tribe have variously claimed to be the Cherokee of Robeson County, the Cheraw Tribe, the Croatan, Tuscarora and others.
Tribes that fail to gain recognition forfeit any future efforts, according to the Office of Federal Acknowledgement.
Several tribes including the more than 30-member United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc., an intertribal council, the Mississippi Choctaw, Cheyenne River Sioux of South Dakota, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota as well as the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association, Inc., have written letters to members of Congress opposing the Lumbee tribe’s recognition.
In a letter to the Subcommittee on the Indigenous Peoples of the United States, Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. wrote that the Lumbee should go through the Interior’s Office of Federal Acknowledgement for recognition.
“The Office of Federal Acknowledgement’s process applies uniform methodology to every petitioning group seeking federal recognition. The process ensures that all federally recognized Indian tribes are, in fact, Indian tribes as defined by federal law. As the elected leader of the largest sovereign Indian nation in the U.S., I take our sovereignty, our way of life and our unique identity as Cherokee people seriously.
“I reject any and all attempts to threaten our government-to-government relationship with the U.S. and the sovereignty we have maintained since time immemorial,” he wrote.
Paul Moorehead, attorney for the Lumbee Tribe, said the following tribes and organizations have written letters of support for the Lumbee: the Catawba Indian Nation of South Carolina, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, the Baltimore American Indian Center, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Commission on Indian Affairs, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce, the Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gayhead in Massachusetts, Winyan Rivers of North Carolina and the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island.
It’s about money
In support of Lumbee recognition, Rep. Dan Bishop, R-North Carolina, said, “For the opponents of Lumbee recognition, including other tribes, it has always been about the money.”
Interest in funding, however, applies to both sides of the Lumbee recognition issue.
With recognition, the Lumbee stand to gain millions of federal dollars for health care, education, housing and other services. Robeson County with 42 percent of its population listed as Native American, ranked last in North Carolina for health outcomes, according to a survey from the University of Wisconsin.
Lawrence Locklear, Lumbee tribal member and associate professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina in Pembroke told CalvinAyre.com, “The federal government doesn’t provide a lot of funding for Indian communities and there are strings attached to it.”
“But with unrestricted casino monies, you can spend that ever how you want to,” Locklear said. “If you want to start a business you can. If you want to give per capita checks to tribal members, you can.”
Locklear and other Lumbee believe that the Eastern Band of Cherokee oppose their recognition due to fear of losing gaming dollars at their lucrative casino operations. The Eastern Band of Cherokee are currently the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina.
The tribe is opposing a plan by the Catawba Nation to build a casino in North Carolina in King’s Mountain, according to previous stories reported by Joseph for Indian Country Today.
“The Cherokee Nation (of Oklahoma) has no concerns regarding losing gaming dollars to the Lumbee,” Cornsilk said.
“This is a matter of broad importance to tribes; if politics start to decide who is a tribe and who isn’t, our nation-to-nation relationship with the U.S. government gets watered down,” he said.
The fight for federal recognition has become a main part of Lumbee identity, according to Concetta Bullard of the Lumbee Tribe.
“We’ve been fighting for federal recognition since the 19th century,” said Bullard, a program director at University of North Carolina in Pembroke.
“Gaining recognition will reflect our resilience and perseverance. It will provide respect and homage for those who paved the way for us,” she said.
In testimony before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., Sneed said, “The Lumbees have cloaked themselves in these tribal identities in a century-long quest for federal recognition as an Indian tribe.”
“Even since the last Congress, the Lumbees have changed again from identifying themselves as the Lumbee Tribe of Cheraw Indians to the more general Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina,” he said. “Congress should not reward this identity shopping with federal recognition and should not sanction the appropriation of Cherokee history, culture and sovereignty.”
Rep. Grijalva disagreed.
“We also heard that Lumbee cannot be a real tribe because they’re descended from multiple tribal groups, and that has nothing to do with the ability to be federally recognized,” Grijalva said.
“The Indian Reorganization Act allows any group of Native Americans who are living together, regardless of historical tribal affiliation, to adopt a Constitution, organize a tribal government, and thereby become federally recognized. Again, that is not a reason not to.”
According to Cornsilk, however, granting recognition to the Lumbee would pave the way for hundreds of unaffiliated groups claiming Native heritage whose claims are far more spurious than those of the Lumbee.
Godwin says he prefers not to criticize another tribe. “If we do get recognized though, the other tribes won’t have a better friend than the Lumbee,” he said.
** Ken Conklin's note: From July 2000 through December 2012 there was always at least one version of a Hawaiian recognition bill pending in both the House and Senate (in one Congress there were 3 different versions of the bill simultaneously under consideration in the Senate, perhaps with the intention of confusing the opponents, together with their 3 clones also in the House). The bill passed the House 3 times but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate. In Dec. 2012 Sen Inouye died and Sen. Akaka retired. Obama Dept. of Interior produced a unique "regulation" proclaimed in Federal Register on October 14, 2016 setting a pathway to create a Hawaiian tribe and get fed rec for it thru DOI; but that process has not been purued, presumably because President Trump would have blocked it. Major similarities and differences between Lumbee and Hawaiian tribes through Congressional action:
Lumbees have pursued recognition by Congress intermittently for 130 years and have hopes for this year; Hawaiians tried only for 13 years (2000-2012). Lumbees have official state recognition; Hawaiians have partial state recognition through legislation naming them as Hawaii's only "indigenous" people, and there are two state government agencies (OHA and DHHL) using government money to provide racially exclusive benefits through those agencies; Both Lumbees and Hawaiians succeeded on several occasions to get their bill passed by the House but failed in Senate; both Lumbees and Hawaiians have state and federal politicians from both Republican and Democrat parties supporting fed rec; Lumbees have longstanding opposition from other federally recognized tribes claiming Lumbees are not really Indians and worried that Lumbee casino and government benefits would divert money from other tribes' casinos and benefits, but Hawaiians have had only support (often strong) from other recognized tribes; Democrat Presidents Clinton and Obama strongly supported Hawaiian recognition while Republican Pres. Bush (the younger) eventually threatened to veto Hawaiian bill if it passed, but Lumbees were actually visited by Republican Trump as show of support and both Trump and Biden have stated publicly they support Lumbee recognition; Lumbee tribe has 60,000 members, nearly all in one state, and would be 9th largest tribe in America, while the Hawaiian tribe could potentially have about 600,000 members (by far the largest tribe in America) including perhaps 200,000 in California, Washington, Texas and Nevada and many thousands in numerous states.
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/12/ke-aupuni-update-december-2020-keeping.html
Free Hawaii blog, December 14, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - DECEMBER 2020
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 proposal to change the name of President McKinley High School has caused us to realize just how deep and pervasive the denationalization effort was. With the fake annexation, Hawaii’s school system was hijacked to denigrate and erase any reference to the Hawaiian Kingdom as a thriving sovereign nation. That also meant denigrating the people, their culture and dignity.
The denationalizing started in 1896 with the fake “Republic of Hawaii” making Hawaii schools English-speaking only. The next year, the Republic mounted an all out campaign to get the McKinley-backed “treaty of annexation” ratified by the U.S. Senate. But the people of Hawaii objected and resoundingly defeated it in Washington, DC with the massive Kūʻe Petition and with skillful lobbying by the Queen. But, less than a year after that huge victory, McKinley and his cronies cheated. In 1898, under cover of the Spanish-American War they concocted a joint resolution of Congress and passed it off as a “treaty of annexation.”
After the fake annexation, an America-centric curriculum was used to brainwash the children whose parents and grandparents just a few years before had signed the Kūʻe Petition. Then in 1907, while the Queen and nearly all of the Aloha ‘Āina who loved her and their country — were still living, the hijackers renamed Hawaii’s premier public school, Honolulu High School, calling it President William McKinley High School to honor their man in Washington who delivered the illegal annexation. From then on, all Hawaii students were taught to be submissive, patriotic, English-speaking Americans.
The naming of McKinley High School was part of the strategy to solidify, celebrate and gloat over making Hawaii into a US Territory; to discourage Hawaiian resistance and efforts to fight from within the system with the Home Rule Party.
President McKinley not only unlawfully took and subjugated our country, he created the template for the nasty American habit of bullying and regime changes in countries all around the world.
The point is: Were you taught the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom? I know I wasnʻt.
Back in high school, if you asked me the following questions, I would have totally flunked.
Do students today know the answers?
Who founded the Hawaiian Kingdom? When?
What is Hawaiian Kingdom Declaration of Rights? Who Issued it? When?
Who issued the first Constitution? When?
What kind of monarchy was it?
What is Lā Kūʻokoʻa?
What is Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea?
How many monarchs were there? What are their names?
What was the official language of Hawaii?
What was the rate of literacy in Hawaii?
When did the public school system start in Hawaii?
How about from the overthrow to the present?
The Overthrow… What happened? Who/what caused it? Who were the players?
What was the Provisional Government?
What percentages of the population supported or opposed the annexation to the U.S.?
What percentage of the population supported the Queen?
Did you know that...?
In 1893, just five days after he was inaugurated, President Cleveland withdrew the proposed treaty of annexation from Senate ratification?
Princess Ka’iulani had a high-level meeting with President Cleveland just nine days after he took office?
President Cleveland sent an investigator to Hawaii to gather the facts of the overthrow?
President Cleveland addressed Congress and officially repudiated the overthrow?
President Cleveland and Queen Lili’uokalani negotiated an Executive Agreement to affect the restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom? (But the US never executed their part of the agreement.)
The traitors formed a rogue country called the Republic of Hawaii?
McKinley was a White-Supremacist who used the doctrine of Manifest Destiny to take Hawaii?
The Spanish American War was cover for the fake annexation of Hawaii?
The largest military command in the world is based in Hawaii?
There was a Philippine-American War? Its outcome profoundly impacted Hawaii and the world…?
The “Statehood vote” was bogus?
Hawaii is not really a State of the United States?
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The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes and the sooner we will be a Free Hawaii.
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
http://tinyurl.com/alohaoemckinley
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to: https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
** Ken Conklin's note: Conklin has created a large open letter to the McKinley High School students, alumni, faculty, and community urging them to keep the school's name and statue; explaining that the campaign to remove the name and statue is being waged by Hawaiian race-nationalist secessionists who want to make it look like there's community support for secession; and providing proof that there is a Treaty of Annexation which was legitimately offered by Hawaii and accepted by the U.S., and that President McKinley was not a racist. This important webpage is at
https://www.angelfire.com/big11a/McKinleyHSNameStatue.html
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On December 16 the Honolulu Star-Advertiser began a series of lengthy and strident daily articles constituting a propaganda blitzkrieg pushing a proposal for a gambling casino on the Hawaiian Homelands in a State where any form of gambling is illegal and where there is no federally recognized Hawaiian tribe. The proposal is designed to create revenue for housing in racially exclusive ghettos but also to promote race-based political sovereignty. A webpage provides a compilation of articles in that newspaper in collaboration with the far-left propaganda "newsroom" Pro-Publica. The webpage describes how the blitzkrieg unfolded, the twisted history provided in the newspaper articles, excerpts and full text of the October 24 article intended to "soften up" the readership and of numerous subsequent articles in the series starting December 16. See
https://tinyurl.com/y8qha8pq
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2020/12/ke-aupuni-update-december-2020-keeping_26.html
Free Hawaii Blog, Saturday December 26, 2020
KE AUPUNI UPDATE - DECEMBER 2020
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.
Sense of place
Whether in Waikīkī or Waimānalo or Waiʻanae or Waimea (Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi)... from Miloliʻi to Niʻihau and all the way through Papahānaumokuākea... You are in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands! The more we realize this sense of place ... where we live... the deeper and stronger our bonds of lāhui (nation) becomes. Knowing where we are defines who we are and deepens our kuleana to aloha ʻāina, our responsibility and devotion to our nation.
As Liko Martin wrote, “We shall stand as a nation, to guide the destiny of our generation...” Knowing our identity as keiki o ka ʻāina and aloha ʻāina is the underlying power that informs our attitudes and actions... and our well-being.
The challenges to come...
The year 2021 is going to be a challenging year for our people. The fake State of Hawaii suddenly announced plans to fast-track building a casino on “Hawaiian Home lands,” another scam to rip-off Hawaiian assets, while pretending it will “benefit” Hawaiians.
Also coming soon from the US Congress (assuming Biden is inaugurated as the US President) a more virulent version of Federal Recognition. Unlike the Akaka Bill that was specifically aimed at fabricating a Hawaiian tribal nation, this time it will be bundled with American Indian tribes that have been petitioning Congress for years to grant them federal recognition.
Also in the works is a trade-off by certain well-placed Hawaiian-American operatives in Hawaiʻi to allow a significant buildup of the US military facilities, equipment and activities in our islands.
Not to mention the devastation of the Corona virus and the State of Hawaiiʻs corruption, malfeasance and propensity to screw things up...
The good news...
The best way to avoid these endless scams and traps is to extricate ourselves from that game and demand the US leave our islands. The good news is that we can.
This is the opportune time to initiate The Huli... to flip the tables and restore our Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands. The foundations laid by our kupuna are already there, solid and true; and international laws strongly support self-governance. The Hawaiian Kingdomʻs infrastructure has been steadily upgraded over the years by the occupier. As such, the restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom will be like a ʻchange of managementʻ, not starting from scratch... Most of all, the values and priorities would be in the best interest of the lāhui... rooted in aloha ʻāina, mālama pono, kapu aloha...
What is needed to carry this forward are the people who love our country to step forward to... “... stand as a nation to guide the destiny of our generation.”
The more we stand as a nation and assert the Hawaiian Kingdom is alive and kicking, the more obvious the U.S. false claim becomes and the sooner we will be a Free Hawaii.
Please join the ku’e action to rename McKinley High School and to remove the offensive statue by signing this online petition.
http://tinyurl.com/alohaoemckinley
Ua Ola ke Ea – Sovereignty Lives
A Year to Celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom – Past, Present and Future
Still in the process of ramping up…
If you are (or if you know of someone who is) interested in helping facilitate any aspect of “Ua Ola ke Ea,” please contact:
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
The campaign to Free Hawaii continues to gain momentum ...
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort...
To contribute, go to:
https://GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii
To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, clerical help, etc...) email us at
info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Also... Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase HERE
http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/Support_Human_Rights.html
All proceeds go to help the cause. Mahalo Nui Loa!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/31/congressman-elect-kai-kahele-native-hawaiians
The Guardian / U.S., December 31, 2020
Congressman-elect Kai Kahele represents an 'awakened generation' of Native Hawaiians
by Nina Lakhani, environmental justice reporter, New York
Before joining Guardian US full time, Nina was a freelance stringer reporting from Mexico and Central America for over 6 years, and before that she was a staff reporter covering health and social justice for the Independent newspapers in London.
Kahele was happy as a working pilot, he tells the Guardian, when a family loss turned his life towards politics
Kai Kahele had one ambition growing up in Hawaii, and that was to fly airplanes. He achieved that goal by the age of 19, and was happy working as a military and commercial pilot when a family tragedy propelled him into the world of politics.
Kahele, an indigenous Hawaiian, was appointed to the state senate in 2016 after the sudden death of his father senator Gil Kahele, 73, a progressive stalwart in the Democrat party for over 40 years. Two day before he died, Kahele’s father had asked him to consider following in his footsteps.
“Five years ago I was a working dad, living my dream as a pilot and raising my young family when things changed overnight. I grew up immersed in the progressive values of the Democrat party, but this is not something I planned to do,” Kahele told the Guardian. “I think my dad knew that if there was someone who was going to continue his legacy, and be a leader in the Native Hawaiian community and for the indigenous peoples in our country, that his son was ready. And here I am.”
On Sunday, Kahele, 46, will be sworn into Congress as part of the most diverse Democrat freshman classes in US history, with newly elected women outnumbering men two to one. He’ll also be among a record-breaking five Native Americans – three Democrats and two Republicans – in Congress. It was going to be six, until New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, was appointed as secretary to the interior by Joe Biden.
“I’m elated because congresswoman Haaland brings to a very important cabinet level position a cultural and historical perspective that’s been missing. Indigenous peoples in this country share a similar history, a history of colonization, oppression and marginalization, and whose economic benefit and social fabric is unfortunately directly dependent on the federal government. I feel like we’re going to be able to do great things for our indigenous communities.”
They will have their work cut out, but for the first time many in Indian country are hopeful of meaningful change or at the very least, the end to decades of treaty violations by the US government which has had devastating consequences for life expectancy, political participation and economic opportunities for Native Americans.
Currently there are 574 federally recognised sovereign tribal nations located across 35 states, and according to the 2010 census, 5.2 million people or about 2% of the US population identifies as American Indian or Alaskan Native – descendants of those who survived US government policies to kill, remove or assimilate indigenous peoples.
In Hawaii, historical land grabs, cultural violations and economic abuses perpetrated by the US government in cahoots with western businessmen are at the root of some of the most difficult and polarizing issues today, according to Kahele. This includes the contested decision to construct a huge telescope on Mauna Kea, the most sacred mountain to Native Hawaiians, as well as water rights amid growing shortages linked to overdevelopment. Native Hawaiians are not currently recognised by the US government as sovereign indigenous people.
“We have an awakened generation of Native Hawaiians that know their past, they understand and speak their language and they’re not turning back… People are split about how to right the wrongs, whether it’s through sovereignty or federal recognition, and part of my role is trying to figure out what the future path looks like. Having a voice in Congress and representation at the table is important.”
Representation is also important symbolically, argues Kahele. “It sends a message to indigenous peoples around the world that their voices matter, that their history, language and culture matter, and that you’ll have people fighting for that in the United States of America’s Congress. We can be an example for other countries dealing with these same issues.”
Village
Kahele was born in 1974 in Miloli’i, an off-the-grid fishing community on the southern tip of the island of Hawaii where households generate electricity through solar panels and collect rain for water. It’s one of the last surviving villages where pre-western migrants from China and Taiwan are believed to have settled.
Before politics Kahele’s father Gil was a marine who met his future wife, a flight attendant, on a Hawaiian beach. Kahele and his two siblings grew up with three cousins who were orphaned by a drunk driver.
“My dad conveyed to me the experiences he had in the military as a Native Hawaiian travelling through the south in the 1960s seeing segregation and racism through his own eyes. My mum took us on random trips all over the world, made sure we knew there was a bigger world than Hawaii, and would often take me into the cockpit which piqued my interest at a very early age.”
He’ll join Congress as a lieutenant colonel with the Hawaii air national guard and will continue to fly part time with Hawaiian Airlines. (His wife Maria is a flight attendant, and they have three daughters, aged four, six and 16.)
Kahele served as the state senate majority leader and chaired the committee on land and water amid growing demands from Native communities for environmental justice. The climate crisis is also omnipresent in Hawaii, and islands across the world, as rising sea levels and temperatures are devastating coral reefs and fish stocks, as well as threatening the existence of coastal communities.
“A few metres of sea could wipe out Waikiki, the economic engine of Hawaii. On islands across the Pacific, most of the population lives near the ocean, around the shoreline you have the roads and homes on the verge of collapsing. We need to reimagine and rethink how our communities will look like in the future… when you need to use natural resources to feed your families, you need to understand the changes in climate and environment to survive. That’s where I come from.”
He’s hopeful that America will start to take concrete steps forwards after four years of backtracking. “Joe Biden’s climate plan is definitely 100% better than the Trump plan. Just the fact that we’ll re-enter Paris is huge, so is having climate change champion Deb Haaland at the cabinet level and leading an agency that will make critical decisions.”
The geographical isolation of Hawaii, which is situated 2,500 miles from the mainland, has somewhat protected islanders from the worst of the Covid health crisis. But, the economic fallout has been devastating, and has renewed questions about the over-reliance on tourism – especially as natural resources like beaches and clean water are under threat from the climate crisis, over development and environmental degradation.
Amid mass layoffs, the pandemic has increased food insecurity by 50% in Hawaii, with a quarter of people currently struggling with hunger; Native Hawaiians are disproportionately affected.
“Covid has been devastating to our economy which lives and breathes almost exclusively from tourism, and it’s been detrimental to the social fabric of our community, exposing many of the deep known issues in Hawaii. We need to diversify, we need to be more sustainable.
“A lot of people are hurting and face great uncertainty and fear about the future. I see a migration of people leaving Hawaii for the mainland [for work], the brain drain of teachers, doctors, firefighters doesn’t help our economy or social structure.”
Kahele is firmly on the party’s left, an advocate for the Green New Deal, Medicare for all and universal preschool education – policies dismissed as radical by many on the right. He’s been assigned to the congressional transportation and infrastructure committee and hopes that they will pass a transformational green package advocated by lawmakers like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Why do we have to label these changes as radical, this is where we need to go as a country, in order to invest in every young child, and to rebuild and strengthen our country … I can’t wait to say a hui hou – which in Hawaii means see you later – to President Trump on January 20th. It’s time to move on.”
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