Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 6, 1 June 2001 — TRUSTEE MESSAGES Leo 'Elele [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TRUSTEE MESSAGES Leo 'Elele

Rowena Akana Trustee, At-large

The history of land and sovereignty

No two words have so eaptured the attention of this archipelago's residents as "land" and "sovereignty." Despite developments since the 100-year anniversary of the 1 893 illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, as well as the United States' apology and admission of the illegality of the overthrow, many people do not grasp what either word means or will mean for their future. The general goal of sovereignty advocates is the transfer of control of Hawaiian Home Lands and ceded lands directly to a Native Hawaiian government. Currently, the state and federal governments hold in trust 1.8 million acres of land for the benefit of Hawaiians. Yet, the first people to these lands have seen very few benefits. Hawaiian Home Lands are scattered tracts comprising 197,075 acres, whieh Congress set aside in 1920 for native Hawaiian homesteaders. Ceded lands are the remains of an estimated 1.8 million acres of public, private and crown land illegally annexed by resolution from a provisional government to the United States in 1898. Housing prices, driven up by mainland retirees and foreign speculators, are out of reach for

Hawaiians living, working and raising families in the islands. Hawaiian culture, onee a living history of genealogy, geography and spirituality, was nearly obliterated by Calvinist missionaries. 225,000 people elaim some Hawaiian blood. Yet Hawaiians remain the poorest, sickest, least educated, worst housed, and most frequently imprisoned segment of Hawai'i's population. In 1 840, Kamehameha III granted the right to property by declaring that all land belonged to the chiefs and the people, with the king as trustee. In 1848, ownership of land became reality when the king accepted a land apportionment plan called the Māhele, or division. The Māhele completed the transition from a feudal redistribution land system to a fee-simple land ownership system, by dividing the land among the king, government, chiefs and the maka'āinana, but the maka'āinana received mueh less than one percent of the total land, whieh were further diluted in 1850, with the passage of additional legislation whieh authorized ownership and conveyance of the land, regardless of citizenship. At the urging of her people to protect the sovereignty of Hawai'i, the Queen attempted to regain some

of the monarchy's power, whieh had been lost during the reign of her predecessor and brother, King Kalakaua through the "Bayonet Constitution." Despite the Queen's steadfast belief that the U.S. government would honor its treaties and reject the provisional govern-

ment, Hawai'i went from a sovereign nation to an American colony in five years. In 1898, under President William McKinley, Hawai'i was annexed to the U.S. by joint resolution.

President CIeveland, who had opposed the eoup but failed to

reverse it, wrote after leaving office: "Hawai'i is ours. But as I look back upon the first steps in this miserable business, and as I eontemplate the means to complete this outrage, I am ashamed of the whole affair."

How ironic that after 100 years, President Clinton signed into law PL 103-150, the Apology Bill. I cannot stress to you how important it is that the Akaka Bill (S. 746) passes in this 107th U. S. Congress and that Hawaiians are recognized as indigenous. Further, that we have a special relationship to the United States, and that self-determination should be restored to us under federal law. Only then ean we Hawaiians elaim true sovereignty - the right to control our own destinies and the opportunity to be economically self-sufficient by managing a portion of our own ceded lands. "Save your people and bless their inheritance, O Lord be their shepherd and carry them forever." Psalm"s 28: 9 " To support the Akaka Legislation, write to the Committee on Indian Affairs, 838 Hart Senate Building, Washington D.C. 20510. ■ i ' /

'Hawai'i is ours. But as I look back upon the first steps in this miserable business , and as I contemplate the means to eomplete this outrage, I am ashamed of the whole affair/ - President Grover Cleveland