(c) Copyright 2024
Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
All rights reserved
INDEX OF NEWS REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES FROM SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2024
September 7, 2024: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, publishes a brief "Aupuni Update" entitled "The Queen Never Abdicated" and lists 4 reasons for that assertion; Ken Conklin provides rebuttals including photographic evidence and legal argumentation.
Sept 21: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, describes techniques for making the nation more visible, thereby adding credibility to its claim of continued existence.
Sept 22: Honolulu Civil Beat online newspaper publishes propaganda "news report", paid for by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation, celebrating the fact that Native Hawaiians are now in control of numerous important state government agencies with large budgets and policy-making authority.
Sept 22: ThisDay, a business magazine in Nigeria, reports that Professor David David, renowned diplomat, researcher and the Director General of the Nigerian Books of record and research center in Lagos, has been appointed Ambassador of the Sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii to Nigeria.
Sept 23: Honolulu Civil Beat features another article by its recently hired race-activist columnist Naka Nathaniel, with headline: "The Military Wants New State Land Leases. What Should We Get In Return? Native Hawaiian groups should step forward to challenge the state and the military."
October 12, 2024: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, says the lands of Hawaii belong forever to the natives of Hawaii, and cites Lili'uokalani's warning to the people of USA, following her overthrow and annexation, that soon the tables will turn and a day of reckoning will come, the lands restored and the biblical punishment of Ahab will fall upon the wrong doers.
Oct 21: Royal Australian Air Force Air Vice Marshal Carl Newman, Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, met with Kuhio Lewis, the Chief Executive Officer from the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), for talks on developing relationships and fostering cultural understanding between the military and the Native Hawaiian community Oct. 17, 2024. The leaders and their team members connected through sincere discussions on systemic disadvantages faced by Native Hawaiians and underscored the complexity of addressing long-standing problems rooted in transgenerational trauma.
Oct 25: Hawaiian Kingdom blog [Keanu Sai] says Major General Kenneth Hara retired as Adjutant General of the Hawai‘i National Guard. At first glance, his willful failure to transform the State of Hawai‘i into a military government in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense Directive 5100.1, U.S. Army Field Manual 6-27—chapter 6, and the law of occupation, which is the war crime by omission, is now a problem for someone else. On the contrary, he exacerbated the situation. General Hara’s conduct and omission to establish a military government comes squarely under U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual, para. 18.22.1, which states, “Any person who commits an act that constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefor and liable to punishment.
Oct 26: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, says he has been tracking for years the dispute between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius over the Chagos Islands. It has a parallel to our dispute with the United States: the manipulation of the United Nations’ decolonization process by the “administrative power” (the colonial or occupying nation) to manufacture an outcome in its favor. ... What is significant to us in Hawaii, is that the Chagos case was successfully resolved, setting a clear precedence for correcting an error made in a botched UN decolonization process.
Oct 28: Ian Lind [retired newspaper investigative reporter] says: "A Maui woman who sparked several takeovers of private land based on a mistaken understanding of Native Hawaiian rights has pleaded “no contest” to criminal charges for her admitted role in the illegal occupation of the home and property of a retired state judge. ... This is believed to be the first time felony charges have been successfully brought against Hawaiians wrongly asserting native land rights under the false theory of “heirdom” promoted by Hueu, which asserts a “lineal descendant” of the original recipient of a Hawaiian Kingdom-era royal land grant retains an ownership interest “in perpetuity” that is superior to modern land titles and gives the right to control the property." Detailed online comment by Ken Conklin recalls the "Perfect Title" scam perpetrated by Keanu Sai in the 1990s.
END OF INDEX
==================
FULL TEXT OF ITEMS IN THE INDEX FROM SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2024
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2024/09/ke-aupuni-update-september-2024-queen.html
Free Hawaii blog, Ke Aupuni Update Saturday September 7, 2024
The Queen Never Abdicated
September is Hawaiian History month. The article in the April 27, 2024 Ke Aupuni Update was titled: “The Queen Never Surrendered”. This one is about the so-called “abdication” of Queen Liliuʻokalani. It is true, sort of
Here’s a brief recap of events leading up to the so-called abdication.
On January 17, 1893 with a company of armed US Marines backing them, white insurgents seize control of the government.
On December 18, 1893 President Cleveland denounces the actions of the insurgents, and calls for the reinstatement of Queen Liliuʻokalani and the lawful government of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
The insurgents respond by telling the US to mind its own business, then on July 4, 1894, proclaim the Hawaiian Kingdom was now the Republic of Hawaii.
From January 6-9, 1895, Hawaiian Patriots fail in an armed uprising to overthrow the “Republic” and restore Liliuʻokalani to the throne.
The leaders of the “rebellion” are captured, tried for treason and sentenced to death.
January 16, 1895, Queen Liliuʻokalani was arrested, confined to a room at Iolani Palace and, on February 8, 1895, tried for treason against the Republic.
On January 24, 1895, while under house arrest, representatives of the Republic presented Liliuʻokalani with a letter of abdication for her to sign. They made it clear to her that if she did not sign, the leaders of the “rebellion” would be executed.
Under those conditions, to save the lives of her dear followers and friends, she signed the document of abdication.
The Republic then announced to the world that the Queen had abdicated and used it to fortify their claim of legitimacy. Countries with treaties with the Hawaiian Kingdom, shifted to dealing with the Republic of Hawaii and business went on as usual.
But did the Queen abdicate? Actually, no: for several reasons.
** Each of Leon Siu's 4 reasons is accompanied by Ken Conklin's rebuttal, which of course was not part of Mr. Siu's blog.
** SIU: First, a document signed under coercion and duress is invalid.
** CONKLIN: Plea bargains are a normal procedure whereby accused criminals agree to plead guilty in return for a prosecutor's agreement to reduce a charge or a sentence, and the bargain is then approved by a judge. This routine procedure has been used throughout the USA and world millions of times, and has never been treated in the U.S. as "under duress", especially when defendant's attorney has given advice privately and is present publicly at the time the plea is entered. Two types of plea agreements recently in the news are "no contest" or "alfred plea" whereby the accused person does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the evidence is so overwhelming that a guilty verdict is probably inevitable. Lili'uokalani did not attempt any such evasion; she actually pled guilty unequivocally, after consulting her attorney; with her longtime personal attorney and her cabinet ministers watching and the signatures of everyone all certified by a notary public. See photographs of all the documents at
https://historymystery.kenconklin.org/2008/04/04/liliuokalanis-abdication-and-loyalty-oath/
Lili'uokalani's abdication was signed and published on January 24, 1895. A few months later, after a Constitutional Convention, the Republic of Hawaii was created through publication of its Constitution on July 4, 1895. A request was sent to the consulates of the nations which had local consuls in Honolulu asking them to notify their home governments and to request formal diplomatic recognition of the Republic. During the remainder of 1895 Emperors, Kings, Queens, and Presidents of at least 19 nations on four continents personally signed letters in 11 languages addressed to President Dole officially recognizing the Republic as the rightful successor government of the still-independent nation of Hawaii. The letters from reigning monarchs were especially significant because the Hawaiian revolution had overthrown a reigning monarch. The most politically impressive letter was signed by Queen Victoria of Britain whose golden jubilee had been personally attended in London by Hawaii's Queen Kapiolani and Princess [later Queen] Lili'uokalani, and who had sent a crib to Queen Emma, wife of King Alexander Liholiho Kamehameha IV for Hawaii's baby Prince Albert, whom Emma had named in honor of Victoria's husband. The 19 letters of diplomatic recognition obviously condone not only the revolution but also the legitimacy of Lili'uokalani's abdication. See the collection of 19 letters at
https://historymystery.kenconklin.org/recognition-of-the-republic-of-hawaii/
** SIU: Second, what she signed, was not her name. She signed, Lili’uokalani Dominis, a name she had never used before or since; nor was it her official name as the monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
** CONKLIN: She used her married name as an individual, thereby strongly acknowledging that she was no longer queen. Everyone else in the room knew who she was, and their signed certifications confirmed it was really her; no identity switcheroo! She could as well have signed with an "X" as some illiterate defendants do, and even as voters do today who have writing handicaps and have their mark certified by witnesses.
** SIU: Third, in her autobiography, and in many other instances, she completely repudiated that “letter of abdication”.
** CONKLIN: Lots of jailhouse inmates continue to absurdly claim they were innocent, and repudiate their confessions or plea bargains.
** SIU: Fourth, the Queen worked tirelessly in the years immediately following that “abdication” to have the Hawaiian Kingdom government and herself as the sovereign, restored as an independent nation.
** CONKLIN: When leaders of criminal gangs eventually get out on parole, some of them go right back to running their gangs and sending hoodlums to commit more crimes. Mrs. Dominis (formerly Lili'uokalani) actually signed a document swearing an oath of loyalty to the Republic, witnessed and notarized during the same event as her document of abdication. A photo of that loyalty oath is included with the abdication document in the webpage at
https://historymystery.kenconklin.org/2008/04/04/liliuokalanis-abdication-and-loyalty-oath/
A magnanimous Sanford Dole, President of the Republic, kindly gave her a pardon from her parole allowing her to travel first on O'ahu, then throughout Hawaii, and then anywhere. By publicly opposing the Republic and traveling to Congress to oppose the Treaty of Annexation, she showed her ingratitude and betrayal of her solemn loyalty oath, displaying bitterness, selfishness, and a lifelong character flaw. Even fifteen years later she was still demanding money from USA in a lawsuit as compensation for the Crown Lands which she claimed to be her personal property (not the property of native Hawaiians as a group): see
Liliuokalani v. United States, 45 Ct. Cl. 418 (1910)
at
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/liliucrownlands.html
Words have been used to distort, embed and promote the false narratives in the telling of our story. It is up to us to set the record straight for us and for others who need to know the truth.
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2024/09/ke-aupuni-update-september-2024-making.html
Free Hawaii blog, Ke Aupuni update
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2024
Making Our Country Visible!
You’ve heard the adage, “Out of sight, out of mind”? One of the biggest problems we face in reactivating the Hawaiian Kingdom is, because most people don’t “see” the Hawaiian Kingdom, they think it no longer exists!
When people think of the Kingdom as something of the past, not in the here and now or in the future, it’s hard for them to support (or even care about) a nation they canʻt “see” in the here and now.
But when you stop to think about it, the Kingdom did not go away. It’s all still here! — the land, the sea, the places, the people, the history, the legacy of Aloha remain. Only the name (the State of Hawaii), the people who run it (Americans) and the style they use, changed. Underneath that haole façade is still the Hawaiian soul and the deep culture of Kapu Aloha!
How do we reset our minds to raise up our still existing nation?
• By embracing the fact that we are Hawaiians, not Americans.
• By dropping words like “mainland” from our vocabulary
• By focusing our thoughts that we are living everyday, every moment in the Hawaiian Kingdom,
• By welcoming the return of the Hawaiian Kingdom as a sovereign nation,
• By inviting everyone from near and far, to join in CELEBRATING the return of the Hawaiian Kingdom!
Building Confidence!
Many say they would like Hawaii to be independent, but deep down don’t think it can really happen. And there are those who think, that even if we can become politically independent, we are not capable of governing, operating, or protecting our country. We need a celebration to build up confidence in our people and dispel those doubts!
• A celebration of the Hawaiian Kingdom as a living nation will build a sense of identity and purpose and bolster confidence among the people!
• Taking the celebration global, will allow others to “see” our nation and get excited that this is really happening!
• The celebration will bring forward a vision and roadmap for the future of Hawaii creating momentum and a snowball effect to realizing independence.
Other Benefits:
Even if people know we exist, they may not know there is a strong movement to actively pursue independence.
This celebration will give us an opportunity to bring greater awareness to the movement to free Hawaii and provide a platform to demonstrate our political will for a Free Hawaii.
Will the US agree to pull out?
YES! and this celebration will help to give the U.S. the necessary encouragement to do the right thing.
Is there a plan in place to make a peaceful, orderly transition?
YES! and this celebration provides an opportunity to work out a road map on how to restore our nation with wide participation from our friends from all over the world.
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
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https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/09/convention-highlights-new-prominence-of-hawaiian-leadership/
Honolulu Civil Beat online newspaper Sunday September 22, 2024
** Footnote from end of article brought to top by Ken Conklin to serve as warning about the strong bias at Civil Beat regarding how it reports on "Native Hawaiian" topics (the bias has always been clear, including censorship of comments, but now it is made explicit by editors who previously denied it):
"Civil Beat’s coverage of Native Hawaiian issues and initiatives is supported by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation."
Convention Highlights New Prominence Of Hawaiian Leadership
This year's Native Hawaiian Convention focused on how Hawaiians have played a much bigger role in shaping policy.
By Blaze Lovell
Native Hawaiians now hold top leadership positions in tourism, Mauna Kea management and recovery efforts in West Maui after wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina in 2023.
It’s a scenario that seemed unlikely just five years ago after decades of Hawaiian-led protests over environmental issues, tourism and development culminated in a standoff on Mauna Kea between law enforcement and activists opposed to the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
There was the sense that Native Hawaiians weren’t given a seat at the table where decisions are made. Now, it seems, they run the show.
* Photo caption
Native Hawaiians now lead the state’s largest tourism agencies. From left: Hawaii Tourism Authority President Daniel Nahoopii; Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement CEO Kuhio Lewis; and Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau President Aaron Salā. (Blave Lovell/Civil Beat/2024)
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement wrapped up its annual conference at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island last week. It was the largest gathering yet, with more than 2,000 attendees. Panel discussions explored what Native Hawaiian leadership would mean for the future of some of Hawaii’s biggest issues such as tourism and resource management.
While many of those initiatives are just getting started, conference attendees hope that the discussions will lead to a greater focus on caring for the land and its people.
Hawaiians Lead Tourism Agencies
CNHA CEO Kuhio Lewis recalled organizing protests against tourism in Waikiki as a college student.
“We still protesting guys,” he told a packed ballroom Thursday. “We’re just doing it at our computers and in boardrooms.”
Last year, the Hawaii Tourism Authority awarded CNHA a multi-year contract to manage tourism in the islands. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau won a similar contract to market tourism to the U.S. mainland, a job the bureau has held for the last 100 years.
* Photo caption
Newly installed leaders of tourism management want to see Hawaiian culture become a bigger part of the visitor experience. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Those three agencies are now led by Native Hawaiians. There’s Lewis at CNHA; Daniel Nahoopii, president of the HTA; and Aaron Salā, the HVCB president.
The three executives spoke at a panel on Hawaiian leadership in tourism on Thursday focused on weaving cultural education into the tourist experience.
Nahoopii said the HTA needs to balance cultural values with the state’s need for tax revenue from tourism. He also views this moment as a stepping stone to change the business culture of the state.
“We bring with us our Native Hawaiian values and worldview and we’re fusing it into the most predominant industry here in Hawaii,” he said. “If we succeed, we can change Bishop Street. We will change how the banks think, how the other industries here process.”
The CNHA and HCVB are in their first year of the new contracts.
Salā said that the HVCB is undergoing a new strategic planning process for the first time in 15 years. He wants to explore opportunities to utilize artificial intelligence in the tourism industry.
* Photo caption
CNHA has set up new hula shows in Waikiki, aimed at delivering a more authentic cultural experience for visitors. (Blaze Lovell/Civil Beat/2024)
CNHA has restarted the 1950s-era Kodak Hula Show, now rebranded as the Kilohana Hula Show. It’s also started its own hula show, Na Lei Aloha, at the Hyatt Regency in Waikiki.
Lewis said those initiatives and others like them are not part of the HTA contract. But they are part of a pivot in the tourism industry to provide a more genuine cultural experience to visitors.
“These are things that wouldn’t exist if we’re not at the table,” he said. “Everything is still culminating, it’s still figuring itself out.”
Mauna Kea Under New Management
The new Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority is also just getting off the ground.
It’s off to a slow start, with meetings filled mostly with status reports before the real work of transferring duties from the University of Hawaii and Department of Land and Natural Resources begins in the coming years. It’s also set to solicit proposals for its management plans for the mountain in October.
The authority is still trying to hire staff and find its own offices and a meeting space. Its current meeting location, in the DLNR forestry division’s Hilo office, is just large enough to fit three rows of tables with a little more than a dozen chairs.
*Photo caption
Hilo Bay with the majestic view of Mauna Kea with tiny dots on the summit, the observatories.
A new authority tasked with overseeing Mauna Kea is still getting set up. (Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019)
Despite the slow start, Noe Noe Wong-Wilson is surprised the authority exists at all. She was one of 38 kupuna arrested in 2019 while protesting construction of TMT.
“It’s never where I would have gone initially,” Wong-Wilson, a member of the authority, said. “I didn’t think, politically, it would succeed.”
It started differently than most state agencies.
The idea for the authority came from a commission convened by House Speaker Scott Saiki in the aftermath of the 2019 protests that included those for and against the TMT project.
Another major difference from most state boards: A majority of the authority’s members – 8 of 11 – are Native Hawaiian, Wong-Wilson said.
*Photo caption
A majority of the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority’s directors, like Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, are Native Hawaiian. (Blaze Lovell/Civil Beat/2024)
The authority’s new director, John De Fries, is also Hawaiian. During a panel discussion on the future of Mauna Kea Wednesday, Wong-Wilson said that members made a concerted effort to recruit Native Hawaiians to fill seats on the board.
The board has been hosting community meetings to solicit feedback. Ideally, the community will drive the decision-making over Mauna Kea, which Wong-Wilson said is another key difference compared to other state agencies.
“There’s a huge intent that this not only be founded on our cultural principles and understanding of what the mauna means, but that the community has a huge role to play in our formation and in how the mauna gets managed and protected,” she said. “That is not the norm of how government works.”
Recovering From Disaster
Community leaders in West Maui hope that Hawaiian culture and community input will drive the rebuilding of Lahaina.
On Wednesday, cultural practitioner Keeaumoku Kapu led a panel on Lahaina recovery efforts. He showed the audience a map of Lahaina overlain by the locations of traditional fish ponds and other cultural sites.
He hopes recovery plans will lead to the restoration of those sites, which could mean that residential lots or commercial areas may have to move to restore the wetlands that were drained and paved over when the town was developed.
“Maybe we can find spots where the community was built too tight,” Kaipo Kekona, Kapu’s son-in-law, said.
*Photo caption
Community leaders like Kaipo Kekona want the community and Hawaiian culture to guide the rebuilding of Lahaina. (Blaze Lovell/Civil Beat/2024)
Kekona, a Lahaina resident, sits on the state’s Maui Economic Recovery Commission. Although he’s testified at and participated in boards and commissions at the county level, he said he’s been reluctant in the past to engage with state-level boards because their scope is often much broader than one geographic location, such as Lahaina.
“But when I found this thing come up, and they asked if I could sit on it, and it’s all about us but on the state level — oh hell, yeah,” Kekona said.
Kekona is also the chairman for Maui’s Long-term Recovery Group through the nonprofit Ho’ōla iā Mauiakama. The nonprofit works to fill in gaps not covered by other federal and state assistance programs. The goal of that group is to put Lahaina’s people at the forefront of recovery efforts.
“It’s not about long-term recovery of economics, the long-term recovery of landscapes — it’s of the recovery for people,” Kekona said.
Civil Beat’s coverage of Native Hawaiian issues and initiatives is supported by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation.
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/09/21/prof-david-appointed-ambassador-of-the-sovereign-kingdom-of-hawaii-to-nigeria/#google_vignette
ThisDay [Nigeria business magazine] Sunday, 22nd September, 2024
Prof. David Appointed Ambassador of the Sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii to Nigeria.
A renowned Diplomat, researcher and the Director General of the Nigerian Books of record and research center Lagos, Prof David David has been Appointed Ambassador of the sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii to Nigeria.
Addressing Newsmen on arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport Abuja this morning, 21st September 2024, Prof David says he is overwhelmed with joy for such recognition and appointments.
He promised to work to bring his experience to foster peace, development and progress between Hawaii and Nigeria.
Accordi
ng to Prof David David, this prestigious appointment was officially announced by the King of the Sovereign kingdom of Hawaii through the office of its Ambassador in London Prof Oluwafemi Esan on Tuesday 17th September 2024.
In a speech read by Ambassador Prof Oluwafemi Esan at the presentation ceremony, expressed great confidence in Prof. David’s exceptional leadership, ability and diplomatic experience adding that Prof David is a man to be reckoned with.
”Professor David David’s exceptional image advocacy in the diaspora and diplomatic experience makes him an ideal candidate for this diplomatic role”
“We are confident that he will foster stronger ties between Hawaii and Nigeria, promoting cultural exchange, trade, and education” Prof Esan said;
The appointment of Prof. David David as the Honorary Consul of Hawaii in Nigeria is seen as a significant step towards strengthening the ties between Nigeria and the kingdom of Hawaii With his proven track record in bilateral mediation and diplomatic leadership.
On the issue of promotion of cultural exchange and facilitation of trade and commerce, Prof Esan says;
“Prof. David is well-equipped to promote cultural exchange, facilitate trade and commerce, and enhance the overall relationship between Hawaii and Nigeria”
As the newly appointed Honorary Consul, Prof. David David’s key responsibilities will include performing consular duties, fostering cultural cooperation, promoting trade and commerce, and creating a positive image of Hawaii in Nigeria.
Additionally, he will be instrumental in providing assistance to Hawaiian nationals during emergency situations and facilitating business opportunities between the two Nations.
Prof. David David’s appointment is a clear testament to his unwavering dedication to international cooperation and education. His expertise and experience in the education sector will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of bilateral relations between Hawaii and Nigeria.
The Sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii aims to strengthen its presence in Nigeria through this appointment. The Embassy in London, under the leadership of Ambassador Prof. Oluwafemi Esan, is committed to supporting Professor David in promoting Hawaiian interests and fostering international cooperation with Nigeria.
This appointment marks a significant milestone in the relationship between Nigeria and Hawaii, with Prof. David David poised to play a crucial role in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between the two nations.
His appointment as the Honorary Consul of the Sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii in Nigeria represents a positive step towards enhancing diplomatic ties and fostering greater collaboration between the two countries.
About Us
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/about-us/
THISDAY is published by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. It hit newsstands on January 22, 1995 and quickly carved out a niche for itself in business and political reporting and for breaking big news stories. It soon became Nigeria’s newspaper of record.
In its first years of publication, THISDAY won the Newspaper of the Year Award for three consecutive years. In 1997 THISDAY also became the first Nigerian newspaper to introduce full colour printing. It now has printing plants in Lagos, Abuja and in the Niger Delta.
THISDAY remains the preferred newspaper among the business, political and diplomatic elite, and is easily the most recognisable and influential national media brand globally. It is also the corporate and political advertiser’s first choice. THISDAY is the only high profile newspaper that appeals to both young and old because of its straightforward news reporting, strong editorial content, lifestyle features and business coverage.
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https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/09/naka-nathaniel-the-military-wants-new-state-land-leases-what-should-we-get-in-return/
Honolulu Civil Beat Monday September 23, 2024
The Military Wants New State Land Leases. What Should We Get In Return?
Native Hawaiian groups should step forward to challenge the state and the military.
By Naka Nathaniel
A big question asked often at the Native Hawaiian Convention last week is what comes next for the leases for U.S. military wants to renew on state-owned land by 2029.
What is “the ask” of the military? Could the military be simply forced to give up the lands at the end of leases? Would it just seize the land? What lessons from the Mauna Kea protests could be applied?
And, perhaps the most poignant question of the convention: Which Native Hawaiian organization is leading the military lease negotiations?
The last question was asked by Mahina Paison [** SP: Paishon] of Aina Aloha Economic Futures to a ballroom of Native Hawaiian leaders. Her question was met with silence. There was no answer.
“It’s definitely the only opportunity in our lifetime to have a say in what happens,” Camille Kalama of Koʻihonua, said during an earlier panel discussion, “ʻAina Back: Military Lease Expirations in Hawaii.”
The leases expire and that thereʻs no provision to automatically renew them.
Right now, the negotiations are between the Hawaii Board of Land And Natural Resources, led by Dawn Chang, and the Pentagon.
ʻTheyʻre Going To Bury Us In Paperʻ
The lengthy process involves environmental reviews and other assessments. Kalama, a former litigator for the Native Hawaiian Legal Council, said “they’re going to bury us in paper.”
Hereʻs whatʻs at stake: The Pentagon leased 30,000 acres in multiple parcels of state land in 1964 for 65 years for a dollar. Often, itʻs mistakenly said that the 65-year lease is for a dollar a year. Nope, it was $1 for 65 years.
The lands include the Pohakuloa Training Ground not far from the site of the action on Mauna Kea that blocked the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope more than five years ago.
Many of the leaders of the Kiaʻi Mauna movement were on hand to share their views.
“You have to remain visible,” said Pua Case, featured in “Standing Above the Clouds,” which will premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival next month. Once you are not visible, she said, “they’re going to say, ‘Oh, they’re not standing anymore. Quick we go'” and start building.
Hence, the logical question: Could the successful activism from Mauna Kea be extended to the lease negotiations?
“It’s a different animal because it’s the military,” said Kyle Kajihiro, the board chair of Hawaii Peace and Justice. Kajihiro said the protests at Mauna Kea politicized a new generation of activists.
There was a single access road to the summit that passed through Hawaiian homelands and the construction route could be blocked. Kajihiro said that it is harder to employ grassroots efforts in these negotiations.
The talks “are happening in these administrative meetings,” said Kajihiro. “It is out of sight and out of our reach in many ways, and that’s by design.”
That conduct fits with the militaryʻs track record. No one in Hawaii can feel good about the militaryʻs stewardship of Hawaiian lands and waters. The list of sins are considerable. The contamination of the water supply from the Red Hill leaks, the wildfires caused by live fire exercises and a plane landing on a reef in Kaneohe Bay are just the most recent.
The military will spend any amount to hold on to the lands, but will selling out be politically and reputationally ruinous?
Right now, Hawaiiʻs political leadership doesnʻt seem ready to upset the status quo.
Could other asks be made? Hereʻs an idea:
The Department of Defense just announced that it would give the Hawaii Department of Education $3.5 million for Spanish and Japanese language classes in Oahu schools. What if the Pentagon doubled the budget of the state Department of Education and funded our stateʻs public school system for the duration of the lease? Our schools could also be reformed by implementing the successful programs and approaches that make Department of Defense schools the envy of the educational world.
But there are others who believe that even asking is just further submission, especially since thereʻs such a strong hand to be played. Instead of asking, the state could just tell the Pentagon what will happen next.
“If we look at our Hawaiian political history, we know that all of our big Hawaiian wins have always come through activism,” said Andre Perez, a military veteran and activist.
Perez cited Kahoolawe as one of those first wins. The military stopped bombing the island and started to clean up unexploded ordnance. Perez worked on Kahoolawe removing the UXO.
No Renewal Or Extension, Then What?
And finally, what would happen if the state just said, “No more, thatʻs it. Just like we took back Kahoolawe in 2003, we are taking back the Pohakuloa and Kahuku training areas and Makua Valley.”
Due to the militaryʻs activities on those sites, those once thriving lands, like Kahoolawe, wonʻt be inhabitable even if returned.
And, by the way, the lands the military controls arenʻt just state lands. They also have taken lands from the Native Hawaiian alii trusts.
Kehau Abad, vice president of strategy and experience at Kamehameha Schools, said the military seized close to 4,000 acres from the trust established by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop to educate children in Hawaii. The land includes more than 40 acres in Waikiki where Fort DeRussy is located.
Lastly, the question that breaks everyoneʻs spirits is: What if the military just seizes the land?
Thatʻs just a continuation of the hurtful way the United States and its citizens have treated a small group of islands in the middle of the Pacific whose Indigenous population is dedicated to the spirit of aloha.
Last weekend, I moderated a panel at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival with the young plaintiffs in the Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation settlement. Speaking with them, I felt a sense of hopefulness. They, and their aloha-driven advisors, have found a less adversarial way of solving problems. The optimist in me wishes the Pentagon would see how we solved a problem in Hawaii with aloha and follow in those footsteps.
Iʻm an optimist and trying to stay that way.
While there were certainly more questions than answers, the convention itself was a rendezvous point for the groups that will likely end up pushing on the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
So while no one Native Hawaiian group has taken a lead in the negotiations, they are starting to coalesce. All the groups have a considerable stake in redefining the militaryʻs status in Hawaii for not only the next generation of Native Hawaiians, but all future residents of Hawaii.
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2024/10/ke-aupuni-update-october-2024-our-land.html
Free Hawaii blog, Aupuni Update Saturday October 12, 2024
Our Land, Our Inheritance
One of the most profound expressions of who we are as a people is found in Queen Liliʻuokalani’s open letter that begins with, “Oh, honest Americans… ” It was her direct appeal to the American people to do what’s morally right and speak out for the return of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Although her letter makes many profound points, I will concentrate on one particular passage… “…do not covet the little vineyard of Naboth's, so far from your shores, lest the punishment of Ahab fall upon you, if not in your day, in that of your children, for "be not deceived, God is not mocked."
As she often did, Queen Liliʻuokalani cited a passage from the Bible. In this instance, 1 Kings 21:1-24 that told of the deceitful way King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel framed and executed a man, Naboth, so they could take his land which he had refused to sell to them… The reason Naboth wouldn’t sell the land was, he regarded it as his inheritance and a blessing, not a piece of commercial real estate. He had inherited the land from his forefathers and his kuleana was to make it productive (which is why Ahab wanted it) and then pass it on to his (Nabobʻs) children and descendants.
By citing this story, Queen Liliʻuokalani goes to the heart of the difference in how Hawaiians, as opposed to Americans and other colonizers, regard land. Hawaiians and other native peoples see land as an inheritance that comes from Akua with the kuleana (responsibility) to mālama (care for) so that it can bless them and their future generations. To our kūpuna, just like Naboth, land is not a commodity that can be bought and sold for instant gratification or to build empires, it was to bring and sustain abundant life and future generations.
When King Kamehameha III issued the Hawaiian Bill of Rights in 1839 and promulgated the Hawaiian Kingdom Constitution in 1840, instruments that are Western in form, he was careful to infuse them with Hawaiian values of kuleana, malama ʻāina, ola i ka wai, aloha ʻāina. When he redistributed the lands from traditional rights — where he as King had absolute rule over all the lands — he put the lands of Hawaiʻi (except for a little needed for the government) into the western system of private ownership, but with a caveat: that those lands would be held in perpetuity. Whether the King, chiefs or commoners held the title, these privately owned lands could not be sold outside of the family, their heirs and descendants.
Furthermore, customary international law holds that in the event of a regime change, internal or conquest or annexation by a foreign power, only the government lands would forfeit to the new government. Privately owned lands would remain in the hands of the title owner. Thus, by placing the lands of the Hawaiian Archipelago into the western legal system of private land ownership, King Kamehameha III safeguarded Hawaii’s lands from being sold outside the family or being seized in the event of an invasion, an annexation (lawful or fake) or certainly, an illegal occupation.
So why have we been dispossessed of our lands? Because every step of taking and pillaging of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States was done with total disregard of all laws except those the US imposed for its own benefit and purposes. Even today, Hawaiians’ lands are being stolen and Hawaiian are being evicted by corrupt judges weilding corrupt State of Hawaii laws.
The hope we have is that soon the tables will turn and a day of reckoning will come, the lands restored… and the punishment of Ahab fall upon the wrong doers.
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
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https://www.5af.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3941554/pacific-air-forces-leadership-strengthens-ties-with-council-for-native-hawaiian/
Pacific Air Forces Leadership Strengthens Ties with Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
Published Oct. 21, 2024
By Staff Sgt. Wren Fiontar
Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --
Royal Australian Air Force Air Vice Marshal Carl Newman, Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, met with Kuhio Lewis, the Chief Executive Officer from the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), for talks on developing relationships and fostering cultural understanding between the military and the Native Hawaiian community Oct. 17, 2024.
The leaders and their team members connected through sincere discussions on systemic disadvantages faced by Native Hawaiians and underscored the complexity of addressing long-standing problems rooted in transgenerational trauma.
“A lack of respect is a systemic disadvantage we are working hard to overcome,” said Hinaleimoana (Hina) Wong-Kalu, a Hawaiian Cultural Ambassador, as she emphasized the legacy of past injustices they are challenged to overcome. “It’s seared into our minds from a young age that certain groups harmed the Hawaiian people.”
Both parties agreed the harm was real and difficult to address, yet they also expressed a strong desire to be stewards of each other’s culture to build a foundation of trust and collaboration.
"We aim to be partners in this journey,” said Newman, “working alongside the Native Hawaiian community to honor and protect each other’s heritage."
Respecting the traditions and cultures of all native peoples is a priority for the U.S. Department of Defense and supports the strong desire of Native Hawaiians to maintain their rich history and tradition amidst other prevalent influences in American society.
Exchanges such as this are important steps to bridging cultural divides and establishing a way forward for cooperative engagement between PACAF and Native Hawaiian communities.
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https://hawaiiankingdom.org/blog/major-general-kenneth-hara-has-thrown-the-hawaii-army-national-guard-into-disarray/
Hawaiian Kingdom blog [Keanu Sai] Friday October 25, 2024
** Ken Conklin's note: Many phrases in this essay are clickable links to other documents if you read this essay on the blog at the URL above.
Major General Kenneth Hara has thrown the Hawai‘i Army National Guard into Disarray
On October 1, 2024, Major General Kenneth Hara retired as Adjutant General of the Hawai‘i National Guard. At first glance, his willful failure to transform the State of Hawai‘i into a military government in accordance with U.S. Department of Defense Directive 5100.1, U.S. Army Field Manual 6-27—chapter 6, and the law of occupation, which is the war crime by omission, is now a problem for someone else. On the contrary, he exacerbated the situation.
MG Hara, tasked his Staff Judge Advocate, also called JAG, Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Phelps, to investigate the information on the American occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom that Dr. Keanu Sai, as Head of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, provided to MG Hara at their meeting on April 13, 2023, at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo. LTC Phelps was unable to refute the fact of the American occupation, which led MG Hara to admit, on July 27, 2023, that Hawai‘i is an occupied State. Subsequently, the State of Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez, instructed MG Hara and the Deputy Adjutant General, Brigadier General Stephen Logan, to ignore Dr. Sai. It was also revealed later to Dr. Sai, that the Attorney General also instructed MG Hara to not request of her a legal opinion to answer the question:
Considering the two legal opinions by Professor Craven and Professor Lenzerini, that conclude the Hawaiian Kingdom continues to exist as a State under international law, which are enclosed with this request, is the State of Hawai‘i within the territory of the United States or is it within the territory of the Hawaiian Kingdom?
His failure to perform his duty and abide by Army regulations, as the most senior officer in the Army National Guard, led to him being the subject of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s (RCI) War Criminal Report no. 24-0001. The report provides the evidential basis for the commission of the war crime, which is an international crime. It is commonly stated in the U.S. Army, that there are regulations for everything that regulate military life.
MG Hara’s conduct and omission to establish a military government comes squarely under U.S. Department of Defense Law of War Manual, para. 18.22.1, which states, “Any person who commits an act that constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefor and liable to punishment. International law imposes duties and liabilities on individuals as well as States, and individuals may be punished for violations of international law.” The Commission’s report is the evidence to punish MG Hara, and there is no statute of limitation for the war crime by omission. In other words, he will be punished because there is no time limit to prosecute unless he dies. Germany prosecuted a 97-year-old woman for committing Nazi war crimes in 2022.
Paragraph 18.22.1 directs MG Hara’s punishment to be done by a court martial. Although the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) does not have any “war crime” offenses, prosecutions can be made by a military court for war crimes that are also offenses under the UCMJ. In the case of prosecuting MG Hara, the willful failure to establish a military government, which is a violation of Army regulations, would be to prosecute him under UCMJ’s §892 Article 92(1), being the failure to obey a regulation, and Article 92(3), being dereliction in the performance of duties.
MG Hara’s cowardly conduct appeared to have established a leadership trait that was followed by his chain of command in the Army National Guard to their detriment. Because MG Hara committed a war crime and subject to be punished by a court martial, BG Logan was supposed to assume command under Army Regulation 600-20, paragraph 2-11. This Army regulation states that the “senior officer, WO [warrant officer], cadet, NCO [non-commissioned officer], or junior enlisted Soldier among troops at the scene of an emergency will assume temporary command and control of the Soldiers present.”
Black’s Law Dictionary defines an emergency as “A sudden unexpected happening; an unforeseen occurrence or condition; perplexing contingency or complication of circumstances; a sudden or unexpected occasion for action; exigency; pressing necessity. Emergency is an unforeseen combination of circumstances that calls for immediate action without time for full deliberation.” A scenario of this sort, in battle, would be where a platoon’s leadership was killed by the enemy that left only soldiers of the rank of Private alive. The regulation would require the most senior enlisted Private to assume command of the platoon until relieved by a more senior soldier. The criteria would be which of the Privates had the longest time in the Army. Failure to assume command in an emergency is an offense under UCMJ Article 92(1) and 92(3). The regulation to assume command is para. 2-11—Emergency command, Army Regulation 600-20.
When BG Logan was the subject of War Criminal Report no. 24-0002, it became the duty of Colonel Wesley Kawakami, Commander of the 29th Infantry Brigade, to assume command. When Colonel Kawakami was the subject of War Criminal Report no. 24-0003, it became the duty of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Werner, Commander of 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment, to assume command. When LTC Werner was the subject of War Criminal Report no. 24-0004, it became the duty of Lieutenant Colonel Bingham Tuisamataele, Jr., Commander of 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment, to assume command. When LTC Tuisamataele, Jr. was the subject of War Criminal Report no. 24-0005, it became the duty of Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Jacobs, Commander of 29th Brigade Support Battalion, to assume command. When LTC Jacobs was the subject of War Criminal Report no. 24-0006, it became the duty of Lieutenant Colonel Dale Balsis, Commander of 227th Brigade Engineer Battalion, to assume command. When LTC Balsis was the subject of War Criminal Report no. 24-0007, it became the duty of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Rosner, Executive Officer, 29th Infantry Brigade, to assume command.
LTC Rosner was spared, for now, being the subject of a war criminal report, because Senator Cross Makani Crabbe did what MG Hara did not have the courage to do. Senator Crabbe made a formal request of Attorney General Lopez, as a member of the State of Hawai‘i legislature under Hawai‘i Revised Statutes §28-2, for a legal opinion answering the question:
Considering the two legal opinions by Professor Craven and Professor Lenzerini, that conclude the Hawaiian Kingdom continues to exist as a State under international law, which are enclosed with this request, is the State of Hawai‘i within the territory of the United States or is it within the territory of the Hawaiian Kingdom?
This act by Senator Crabbe has temporarily protected LTC Rosner from incurring criminal culpability for not establishing a military government as those before him did. LTC Rosner, however, is faced with the performance of his duty of assuming command under Army Regulation 600-20, paragraph 2-11. What would prevent him from assuming command is that the Hawaiian Kingdom is not an occupied State under international law. If this were the case, surely the Attorney General Lopez could settle this matter by providing a legal opinion that the “State of Hawai‘i [is] within the territory of the United States” and not “within the territory of the Hawaiian Kingdom.”
What the Attorney General faces, however, is that under customary international law, as explained by the legal opinions of Professor Craven and Professor Lenzerini, is that the Hawaiian Kingdom continues to exist as an occupied State, which places the State of Hawai‘i “within the territory of the Hawaiian Kingdom.” The Attorney General’s silence, in fact, reinforces what customary international law already concludes, and that the RCI’s war criminal reports are authorized and valid. Dr. Sai, as Head of the RCI, explained this to LTC Rosner in his letter dated September 23, 2024.
The severity of the consequences of the conduct of MG Hara, as a war criminal, cannot be underestimated. LTC Rosner will assume command and then perform the duty of transforming the State of Hawai‘i into a military government. Time is not on the side of LTC Rosner to perform his Army duties.
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2024/10/ke-aupuni-update-october-2024-chagos.html
Free Hawaii blog, Ke Aupuni Update Saturday October 26, 2024
The Chagos-Hawaii Connection
An international case we have been tracking for years is the dispute between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius over the Chagos Islands. It has a parallel to our dispute with the United States: the manipulation of the United Nations’ decolonization process by the “administrative power” (the colonial or occupying nation) to manufacture an outcome in its favor.
The Chagos Islands is an archipelago that was part of Mauritius, a colony of the UK in the Indian Ocean. When Mauritius gained its independence in 1968 and became the Republic of Mauritius, the UK arbitrarily withheld the Chagos Islands from the new nation saying it was needed for defense purposes. The UK forcibly evacuated the inhabitants (a couple of thousand people) from all the Chagos Islands, then leased the largest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States.
The US then built a huge Air Force base on Diego Garcia to assert the United States’ military power in the region, especially in the Middle East. Thus, Diego Garcia was the key forward base for the US Air Force in the Gulf War, the Iraqi War, the Afghan War, the war against al-Qaeda, the war against Isis, and numerous other conflicts in the region. And so it remains…
After years, of complaining to the UK and international bodies such as the UN about the illegal withholding of the Chagos Islands from their nation, Mauritius filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (the ICJ) located at The Hague, Netherlands, asking for an Advisory Opinion from the ICJ regarding the matter.
In 2019 a landmark decision, the ICJ opined that the withholding of the Chagos Islands from the Republic of Mauritius, was in violation of the UN’s decolonization procedure and illegal. The ICJ said the United Kingdom had an international obligation to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
When that news broke there was much celebration in Mauritius and among the Chagos descendants living in exile, and those of us hoping for this just and favorable outcome. But the UK made it known it considered the ICJ Opinion as non-binding, and it was not going to return Chagos to Mauritius.
This brings up a primary weakness of the International Court of Justice and the World Court system. Many of their rulings are either non-binding or unenforceable. Thus, countries, especially powerful ones, simply ignore rulings they think are bothersome.
It looked like this was going to be one of those times. But, amazingly, in August 2024, five years after the ICJ opinion, to their credit, the UK announced in that it would indeed return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Apparently, an agreement was reached to allow the UK/US base at Diego Garcia to remain. And plans are being made for Chagosians to return.
What is significant to us in Hawaii, is that the Chagos case was successfully resolved, setting a clear precedence for correcting an error made in a botched UN decolonization process. Thus, because Hawaii’s case is also one of a botched UN decolonization process (the “Statehood Plebiscite”) we could leverage this international precedence to resolve our situation as well.
And so could Alaska… and perhaps, West Papua.
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
--------------------------
https://www.ilind.net/2024/10/28/false-theory-about-kingdom-land-patents-leads-to-first-felony-convictions/
Ian Lind blog Monday October 28, 2024
False theory about Kingdom land patents leads to first felony convictions
A Maui woman who sparked several takeovers of private land based on a mistaken understanding of Native Hawaiian rights has pleaded “no contest” to criminal charges for her admitted role in the illegal occupation of the home and property of a retired state judge.
Alicia Napuaonalani Hueu entered a “no contest” plea in a Maui courtroom earlier this year to 1st degree theft, a Class B felony, as well as two misdemeanor charges, obstructing a government function and criminal property damage. Two of her co-defendants also pleaded guilty to felony charges, one to 1st degree theft and another to 1st degree burglary. Charges against two others were dropped by prosecutors as part of their plea deal with Hueu.
All three defendants were granted a deferred acceptance of their pleas, and released on 4-years probation. If they stay out of trouble and comply with the terms of their probation, the convictions will be removed from their records.
This is believed to be the first time felony charges have been successfully brought against Hawaiians wrongly asserting native land rights under the false theory of “heirdom” promoted by Hueu, which asserts a “lineal descendant” of the original recipient of a Hawaiian Kingdom-era royal land grant retains an ownership interest “in perpetuity” that is superior to modern land titles and gives the right to control the property. In this view, neither time nor valid prior property sales or transfers can extinguish the ownership rights of descendants.
Whether its proponents are able to suspend their sense of reality enough to accept this theory as true, or have cynically weaponized it as a narrative to generate support for native Hawaiian land rights and sovereignty, isn’t clear from the record.
Other similar property takeovers based on claimed family ties to specific properties have generally been treated as civil disputes over land title, no matter how flimsy the claims put forward under the guise of native rights. This has left the legal owners to fend for themselves, and bear the substantial cost, in time and money, of defending their title and regaining access to their own property through protracted civil court proceedings.
Although courts have upheld some challenges to past takings of land from Hawaiian families, those victories required evidence showing title had never been validly sold or otherwise legally transferred over the intervening century and a half since the original royal patents were issued.
The theory of “heirdom,” in contrast, eschews analysis of title claims and instead relies entirely on genealogical ties to the original land grant recipient.
“Cease and Desist”
Hueu was arrested on January 4, 2020 after she and others took over 3.3 acres of land and 2-bedroom small two-bedroom home located along Hana Highway in Kipahulu, Maui. The property was owned by retired District Court Judge Douglas McNish and his wife, who had purchased it in 2006 for $1.55 million, and had listed it for sale in 2019, real estate records show.
McNish served as a family court judge on Maui from 1984 until his retirement at the end of 1999. News clippings show he was well regarded, and is credited with launching a program in 1988 requiring couples who have filed for divorce to attend a workshop concerning the impact of divorce on children. The program was later expanded into courts statewide and is now known as “Kids First.”
On November 29, 2019, five weeks before the confrontation that led to Hueu’s arrest, she sent a “cease and desist” letter by certified mail to McNish and his wife alleging they were trespassing,”illegally” occupying an “unpermitted” home on the property, and conducting an “unauthorized” land sale.
The site was identified as part of 273-acres conveyed by royal land patent No. 1902 to Kaumaia and nine others in December 1855.
The letter itself identifies Hueu as “Governor of Maui” in the “Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands.” After her arrest, Hueu also described herself as “representative and caretaker for descendants of Kaumaia.”
Elsewhere, she described herself as “a Hawaiian National and Prisoner of War residing on the Island of Maui within the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands / Sandwich Islands.” She also claimed the titles of “Captain” and “Judge Advocate General” in Occupied Forces Hawaiian Army, a Hawaiian nationalist group that purports to be the military of the Hawaiian Kingdom, now engaged in “civil affairs” while under occupation.
Later, in a federal court proceeding, Hueu said she is a “foreign national, subject and or citizen not belonging to the United States[.]”
The “cease and desist” letter includes a replica of the Hawaiian Kingdom royal crest, and uses a return address, “Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands” at a post office box in Haiku used by Hueu.
The letter meanders from citations to Hawaiian Kingdom laws of 1859 to references to 20th century international laws of war, The Hague and Geneva Convention, and boldly claims authority to order McNish to vacate.
The Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands hereby gives you notice that the descendants of Kaumaia are the sole kuleana holders of the properties described above. As the kuleana holder, the descendants of Kaumaia hold exclusive rights to exercise its authority over the subject properties as governed under Kamehameha III 1850 self-executing Ratified Treaty with the United States of America.”
Under said authority, the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands has NOT granted permission for use of the subject properties, in whole or in part, to you or any organization you are affiliated with. You and any other parties or groups you represent or are otherwise affiliated with are therefore trespassing on Kaumaia kuleana land; LCA helu 1902….
…The Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands demand that you immediately remove all structures and personal property from the subject properties. Access for removal of structures and personal property can be requested from the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands Governor of Maui office and removals must be completed by 12/13/19. Be advised that any existing or new structure(s), and equipment remaining on the property after 12/13/19 is subject to disposal pursuant to Kamehameha III Treaties, 1852 Constitution, Civil and Penal Codes of the Hawaiian Islands.
Sometime in the latter part of December, following the letter’s deadline, an associate chained and locked the gate into the McNish, according to Hueu’s later testimony before the Maui Police Commission. McNish apparently removed them, prompting Hueu’s associate call Maui police and file a complaint of criminal property damage, valuing the missing broken chain and locks at $95.
It was an audacious scheme, breaking into and taking over someone’s land and house, changing the locks, then accusing the legal owner of tresspassing when they try to reenter their own property, and asking the police to enforce your fictitious title.
It didn’t work for long. Two days later, on January 3, a police report said Hueu was trespassing on the property.
The following day, police returned, cut a new set of chains and locks that had been placed on the entry gate, and entered the property. Hueu was taken from the scene in handcuffs and later charged with extortion, theft, and burglary, all felonies, along with a long list of related misdemeanors. After languishing in court for over three years, the case was concluded when Hueu accepted a plea bargain.
It remains to be seen whether prosecutors will be inclined to consider felony charges when the victim of this kind of calculated land theft is a regular citizen without the resources and connections of a retired judge.
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** Addendum posted by Ian Lind on October 31, 2024
https://www.ilind.net/2024/10/31/peeking-down-a-rabbit-hole/
Peeking down a rabbit hole
You may wonder how Alicia Napua Hueu got the title “Governor of Maui” that she used in the “cease and desist” letter decribed in Monday’s post concerning the January 2020 takeover of a property in Kipahulu.
I puzzled over that, wondering how one comes to believe they are an island governor in the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands.
Then I recalled something I had found online a couple of years ago while reporting on the takeover of several acres of agricultural land in Kunia, above Waipahu. Hueu was a cheerleader and advisor to the group involved in that incident which involved several other members of Occupied Forces Hawaii Army. Hueu claimed the rank of Captain in OFHA as well as “Judge Advocate General.” She took her role seriously enough that she appeared in court and attempted to represent OFHA, but of course was not allowed to do so because she is not an attorney.
A little backtracking and I found this item in my files. Welcome to the fantasy lineup of one of the competing sovereignty groups out there in the wild, this one associated with the musician, Leon Siu.
Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands [Leon Siu], website
https://www.hawaiiankingdom.net/
Leon Siu page on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-siu-25976349/
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** Ken Conklin's online comment:
Thank you Ian for your longtime persistence in following the topic of land title claims by Hawaiian sovereignty activists or "clients" relying on their "research."
See my very large webpage providing news reports and commentaries about a similar case over a period of years: "The Perfect Title Scam -- Self-Proclaimed Regent of Hawaiian Kingdom Collects Huge Fees, Causes Grief to Property Owners, Messes Up Land Titles, Escapes With Probation and $200 Fine" at
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/fraudperfecttitle.html
One of the earliest fraudsters of this sort of scam was Keanu Sai, who has continued similar activities for many years even after being convicted in 1999 of a felony (attempted grand theft of a house). About a decade earlier, having declared himself Regent Pro-tem, Keanu Sai launched a series of lectures throughout Hawai'i, including on public television, saying that all land title in Hawai'i is clouded because of the history of illegal overthrow, annexation, and statehood. He further told people that "native tenants" during the Kingdom had special rights which were never extinguished [the phrase "allodial title" is often used by activists to this day]. Once he was officially Regent pro-tem, Keanu Sai then claimed the authority to officially condone and certify prior land title transfers that had been recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances during the periods of the Kingdom, (illegal) Republic, (illegal) Territory, and (illegal) State. Thus, people could pay a fee to Keanu Sai to have him research the chain of land title to their property and then to record a warranty deed signed by the "Regent pro-tem" at the Bureau of Conveyances. A real estate title search company was established under the name "Perfect Title" to manage the title searches, collect the fees, and process the paperwork. Each client ended up paying somewhere between $1500 to $2000 for the title search, warranty deed, and recording fees; and news reports indicated there were at least 400 clients.
In at least one case a client of Keanu Sai, a married couple who had lost their home through foreclosure, claimed to nevertheless be the rightful owners of that home, even after it had been subsequently purchased by someone else; and when the new owner left home one day, the previous owners broke in and resumed living there. After the police were summoned and the new owners retook possession, criminal charges were filed against the previous owners for the break-in and against both them and Keanu Sai and his real-estate business partner for a felony charge of attempted grand theft (of the home).
Mr. Sai demanded and received a jury trial. The multiracial jury on December 1, 1999 unanimously found Mr. Sai guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of attempted theft of title to a house (value approximately $300,000) for his role as an accessory to that man and woman. Not even one member of the jury had any reasonable belief that Mr. Sai's fanciful theories could possibly be correct. The maximum sentence for Keanu Sai's crime was 10 years in prison. But Judge Sandra Simms (known as a bleeding-heart liberal who gave light sentences even to hooligans who beat up tourists while robbing them) sentenced Keanu Sai to 5 years probation and a $200 fine. At sentencing on March 7, 2000 I, Ken Conklin, was present in court. Perhaps a hundred Hawaiian sovereignty activists also packed the courtroom [I sat between Bumpy Kanahele and Kekuni Blaisdell], while more people stood in the hallway unable to fit inside. When Judge Simms entered the courtroom and the bailiff loudly proclaimed the customary "All rise!" the sovereignty activists defiantly remained seated to show their contempt for a court they consider invalid. Judge Simms, playing to the crowd, said she admired Mr. Sai for his commitment to his cause, but that even the noblest protesters and seekers of social justice must be subject to the laws as they now exist. She then gave her absurdly light sentence, and apparently in response to a presentencing motion she also granted him permission to travel out of Hawai'i and out of the United States for his anticipated hearing at the "World Court."
To this day, there appears to have been no accounting for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees charged to the several hundred clients of Perfect Title, and no apparent restitution or even apology to the hundreds of people who lost their homes to foreclosure or whose lives and finances were severely disrupted by having bogus clouds placed on their property titles because of Mr. Sai's activities. Many of Perfect Title's clients knew exactly what they were doing. They were sovereignty activists, convinced that Kingdom law still prevails and the State of Hawai'i is illegal. They were happy to put their homes on the line for their hero, Keanu Sai. But other Perfect Title clients were victims of their own ignorance, or innocent homeowners victimized by having their property titles messed up by Perfect Title clients acting for a political purpose. Nevertheless the prosecutor in the Sai case asked for a sentence of only 30 days jail, when 10 years was available. The judge gave only probation and a $200 fine. A decade later Keanu Sai was back in business again with a similar scam. Nowadays he is threatening U.S. military officers with arrest and imprisonment related to demands for a takeover of Hawaii's government under his theories of "international law."
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