MAUNA KEA – On Sunday, supporters of the Mauna Kea Hui and the Ku Kia’i Mauna movement drew a visual connection between the current fight against the Thirty Meter Telescope and their long sovereignty struggle.
At Pu’u Huluhulu – at the base of the Mauna Kea Access Road – many gathered to pay homage to the kupuna who first took a stand as far back as 1897. Hundreds of names written on small signs were dispersed around the grounds. The names are the ancestors who first stood against annexation by signing the Ku’e Petitions. Over 21,000 adult native Hawaiians joined the effort. Their names were gathered from across Hawaii, by foot, boat, and by horseback. The petitions were hand-carried to Washington and delivered to the United States Senate. The petition convinced congress not to sign a treaty of annexation between the U.S. and the Republic of Hawaii, which took over after the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani on January 17, 1893.
In July 1898 – during the Spanish-American War – The Republic of Hawaii was annexed under the Newlands Resolution, a joint resolution of congress. To this day, many Hawaiians insist that the Newlands Resolution is no substitute for a legal treaty of annexation, and therefor Hawaii is under a prolonged occupation by the United States. The question over who has the legal right to lease lands – especially the crown lands of Mauna Kea – is one of the driving factors in today’s opposition to the TMT project.
We interviewed political scientists Dr. Keanu Sai a few weeks ago on the subject.
The Ku’e Petition was nearly lost to history; the population has only recently become educated about this chapter in Hawaii’s history.
On Sunday, gathering in tents by the ahu along Saddle Road, families of the Ku’e petitioners consulted with the records and looked for the names of their kupuna within documents. Later, in the cold mist and rain, the hundreds of names were placed in the lava field. Some – by coincidence – stumbled upon the names of their ancestors as they worked… an emotional moment for many, young and old.
The Ku’e petitions have been proven to be nothing more than names on paper. Anyone can see the pages on line. First names with no last. Women and children as young as 11. No addresses. And, most damaging, is the obvious forgery as one doesn’t have to be a handwriting expert to see the same handwriting on whole blocks of names. These were compiled by a woman’s club, and they apparently just listed whoever they wanted to. Kind of like the current petition that is being compiled now called the kana’iolowalu petition made up of names stolen from previous lists, and lists of previous students at the illegal raced based Kamehameha Schools, without first asking them if they could. View them at: http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition.html
What is wrong with you? Who gives you the right to make all of your racists comments on this media site? This is not the first time I’ve seen the comments you’ve posted. Do you live here? Are you feeling anxious that the Natives are restless? Get a hobby!
I said nothing “racist”. Although you apparently have race on the brain.
The subject is the Ku’e petition, not me. Did you have a comment that has to do with the story?
Dave the difference is that the kue petitions were complied by hawaiian nationals who had every right to protest the unlawful acts against their homeland. I have Ohana who signed their names to the palapala,I don’t know where you are from,but my homeland is here,everything since the overthrow is Hewa,you could help the cause by recognizing the real history of hawaii nei,aloha
It was hawaiian nationals that unanimously voted to ask to become part of the United States. The majority of the legislators, as well as the Speaker of the House in the Republic of Hawaii were Polynesian-Hawaiians.
But alas the “petition” was not a petition when it was phonyed up. How even the most propagandized mind take a look at that petition and say it’s legit? Don’t forget that women and children were not allowed to vote, also.
Well Dave, you are ignoring two things. 1. Is Mauna Kea a sacred territory? And 2. The history of how did Hawaii become a state. I think it is controversial. Do I hope that Hawaii will remain a state? Absolutely. Do I hope that the indigenous people maintain authority over their sacred lands? Absolutely. How could you dispute this?:
No Tony Mauna Kea is not “sacred” to the Polynesian-Hawaiian people since 1819. Are you aware that they, the Polynesians, had a basalt quarry there? You should know how Hawaii became a State. If not then I’ll tell you as I told Lono above. The Polynesian-Hawaiian Republic of Hawaii voted unanimously to ask the U.S. to allow them to join. The U.S. voted by 2/3rds vote in The House, and two-thirds vote in the Senate, to accept their offer, and the bill was signed by the President McKinley. The Polynesian people had the majority voting block over all “others” up until the 1940’s. The first two Representatives to Congress from the new Territory after annexation were Polynesian-Hawaiians. Robert Wilcox, then Prince Kuhio who was our Rep. for over 20 years. Polynesians loved Democracy. It is only these activists that lost their majority rule after Statehood, when the Asians were finally allowed to vote, that claim this ridiculous sovereignty nonsense.
…interesting…this was almost 1900…and from the look of the last names on the signs, the “Hawaiians” were already of a very mixed Heritage….
Yes Likeitless???, according to the demographic stats compiled by Robert Schmitt in “Demographic Statistics of Hawaii: 1778-1965”, that is very true. Then their population of all was about 50,000 total. The last census showed over 550 thousand across the U.S. claiming to be Polynesian-Hawaiian. The Polynesian people languished under a “Kingdom” and have flourished under Democracy!
You folks out there that hear a lot of stuff, but don’t really know much about the History of this State should start by reading, “By Royal Command” by Curtis Piehu Iaukea. He was “drafted” by David Kalakaua into service for the Crown. He worked for him, Liliuokalani, the Republic of Hawaii, and ultimately became the head of the Territory for a short time.
This is a good start. Here is a guy, a Polynesian-Hawaiian that was there at the time.. His insight is important.
Oh I think it’s racist, I too have seen many of your comments. Go back and look at how you’re saying it, not what you’re saying. Can you not even see it? I’m not from Hawaii so I view from the outside and have seen many alternative views to Mauna Kea Protectors and most of them manage to keep racism out of it.
Can you cite any “racist” comments I have made please?
You, Mr. Taylor are the one that hears a lot of *stuff* but don’t really know much. This is a good start:
(1). Is it true the ahupua’a of Ka’ohe where the proposed T.M.T. would be constructed is on Crown Land? If not, is it on Hawaiian Kingdom Government land? to differentiate gleans an understanding of the history of land Titles and effectively establishes whom has Clear & Proper Title.
(2). On the ahupu’a of Ka’ohe to whom did Keoni Ana lease land to in 1857? nearby, on the ahupua’a of Kalopa, Hamakua, an area of 2,750 acres of prime Crown Land grazing lands were auctioned by the said Curtis Piehu Laukea in 1899 at how much per annum? What was this particular lease generally known locally as at the time?
You have an appropriate name handle Mr. Taylor, “diverdave” each & every time you are put on the spot for insight you “dive” for cover.
Statistician Robert Schmitt is not the ultimate arbitrator of percentages his were estimates albeit relatively accurate. Look at the statistics for 1778 to how the resident population was halved by 1805:
Hawaii lost almost 90% of its populace due to Western imported diseases, imagine if the American population had been decimated over in the U.S. & lost almost 90% of its populace, not that you actually care Mr. Taylor given your recent insensitive callousness in discussing the death of Hawaiian Kingdom patriot Joseph Nawahi on another thread.
What percentage of Polynesian-Hawaiians in your quoted census actually live in Hawai’i? Would the high cost of local living have anything to do with them relocating to a foreign country overseas i.e. the U.S.A.? Importantly, what % of these Polynesian-Hawaiians you cite comprise the houseless population in Hawai’i nei, the land of their birthright?
You’ve skipped a few things. 1. Hawaii was annexed after the Queen was overthrown. President Clinton actually signed an Apology Resolution which passed through congress in 1993 regarding the removal. 2. After the overthrow an American provisional government was put in place. 3. The annexation actually took a while to pass because President Cleveland did not agree with the occupation of Hawaii and congress waited until he was out of office to do so. The Spanish American war also put pressure on congress to pass the annexation of Hawaii because of it’s strategic value. 4. It was also nice for the sugar industry because of tariffs etc…
Finally- In Hawaiian religion,it is the peaks of the island of Hawaii that are sacred, and Mauna Kea is the most sacred. So using “quarries” to debase the sincerity of their religious claims is useless unless those quarries were at the top of the mountain.
You post a link to which you were palpably oblivious to, and did not patently read interpretively. Connect the dots Mr. Taylor:
http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/pet-intro.html
What is troubling is that some of the pages were damaged when uncovered by Professor Noenoe Silva having *languished* in a musty archive over in the U.S……how convenient out of sight & thus out of mind.
You history is faulty Tony. After the revolution of 1893 for a short time there was a provisional government made up of local folks that were involved on the winning side of the revolution. Soon a Constitutional committee (that had many Polynesians on it) drew up the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii(which gave Polynesians 2/3rds of the possible votes in the new government), and the new Republic was formed that existed for 5 years before its legislature voted unanimously to ask to become part of the U.S.. And yes two Presidents passed on any annexation of Hawaii, Harrison and Cleveland, then years later the topic was taken up again by the U.S.Congress during the McKinley administration. Remember that King Kalakaua had leased Pearl Harbor to the American Navy during his dynasty, so Americans were always around, but certainly not occupying the islands.
Two important points are that an attempted counter revolution in 1895 could only muster less than 200 participants out of 45,000 or so Polynesians here at the time. Why so few? Because the revolution and the Democracy that came with it was not a revolution against the Polynesian citizens but a revolution against a form of government that had become corrupt and illegitimate. They had a taste of Democracy and didn’t want to go back to the old “Kingdom” model.
Secondly, the actual result of the Revolution was an empowerment of the Polynesians through the vote. As Robert Wilcox, himself a Polynesian, said in a speech “the question of the restoration of the Monarchy is gone forever. We are now a people , however, that an vote. You all know we have 2/3rds of the votes in this country. If you want to rule it is for you to decide”.
Another good book to read, and there are so many, is “The Unconquerable Rebel, Robert Wilcox and Hawaiian Politics, 1880-1903”. Folks need to stop getting their information from the guy down the block and do so reading for themselves.
My grandmother was 14 yrs. old when she signed the petition, and both of her parents signed the Ku’e petition also. She signed when she was going to the Chief’s school here in Honolulu. She hailed from Lahaina, Maui. I can only convey to you what was told to me one day when she was in her ninety’s. She spoke of the Queen with dignity and grace. The events that were perpetrated by the American government , and those later to be known as the Provisional Government. She lived to tell of those times. Further I can attest to this petition’s existence as her father was one of the 4 men who traveled to Washington to deliver these documented signatures stating they did not want to be annexed to the United States. When Dr. Noenoe Silva brought the Ku’e book home my brother and I stayed all night on the grounds of Iolani Palace. We acknowledge those Kupuna who came before us, and what they sacrificed. They want to tell their stories of our history that has been covered up till now. We are not against science, but about the greed just like then in our history.
I applaud these Mauna Kea Protectors, because if I could I would be there shoulder to shoulder with them.
Casina I am sure that there were some signatures that were legit. However, children? And have you looked at the petition. Look at the “signatures” for the Kauai women. Can you tell me with a straight face that those are not the same hand writing? http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/annexation/petition.html
Another good book for you to read Mr. Taylor is “Who owns the Crown Lands of Hawaii?” by the late Professor Jon Van Dyke (2008). You need to do some reading for yourself when you are conspicuously unable to distinguish wether the proposed T.M.T. would be on Hawaiian Kingdom Crown or Government lands, colour map plates and listing of ahupua’a divisions.
Mr. Taylor it was the conspirator Lorrin Thurston who attempted to slander the Ku’e anti-annexation petitions regarding falsehood. Hand writing experts with pro-annexation tendencies, go through the petitions in their entirety they are on the whole legitimate:
http://www.alaulili.com/hamakua-k363699275-petitions.html
Amazing how you never cast doubt on the ballot X’s of the fraudulent 1959 “Statehood” plebiscite.
..Well…one reason People relocate to the Mainland , of course, are Jobs.
…One reason there are few higher paying Jobs in Hawaii is that the People claiming to be “Hawaiians” speaking for all Hawaiians do not wish any kind of “Modernization” which would bring with it Higher Paying Positions.
…Hilo University ( who has shown support of the “Hawaiian” movement by removing the American Flag on it’s Campus flagpole) offers students Agriculture degrees….
Yes. It was Lorrin Thurston who cited the slander! The wonderful Thurston family! SLANDER should be there name.
If the University removed the American flag, maybe there is a reason. Perhaps they too have realized that this place has been illegally occupied for over 120 years.
You’ve got the diver taking cover.