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Queen of Hawaii demands independence from U.S.

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The United States is an illegal occupying force that should hand the 132 islands of Hawaii back to the monarchy overthrown more than a century ago, according to members of a Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

For almost two months, the self-proclaimed Hawaiian Kingdom Government has peacefully occupied the grounds of the Iolani Palace, residence of the islands' last two monarchs, operating a shadow government from a tent erected in its stately grounds.

Her Majesty Mahealani Kahau, a descendant of Hawaii's last king who was elected "head of state" by the group, and her ministers gather each day to debate how to achieve their goal of restoring Native Hawaiian rule.The group, which claims 1,000 followers, is demanding the dissolution of the State of Hawaii and the return of land and bank assets totalling billions of dollars.

Hawaii has about 200,000 Native Hawaiians, or kânaka maoli, out of a population of 1.3 million. The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is just one of a number of sovereignty groups, many with similar names, waging independence campaigns.

All aim to "right the wrong" inflicted on Native Hawaiians in 1893 when a small, mostly American group of sugar plantation owners and other businessmen overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy with the support of US troops sent ashore from a Navy warship.
stone246

91 responses // Queen of Hawaii demands independence from U.S.

  • interesting concept but no dice .sorry Mahealani Kahau. wonder how you say that.
    stone246
    1 response to this
  • Maybe they'll adopt a new currency and it will be cheap as hell to travel to Hawaii. The dollar ain't lookin so hot right now. Hawaii always looks good though.
    JudahEvan
  • Um....i'd give this "direct descendant" more credence if she labled her self the "direct descendant" of the last queen. The last queen ruled after the last king.....soooo any descendant of his really has no claim to the throne....plus i don't think the majority of people living there will go for it. Sure Hawaii makes alot of money, but it is really expensive to make new government and currencey and such, and how many old tourists and other touristy people are going to want to go there when they need a passport and have to get all their money exchanged (more of ours for less of theirs)? And finally, does this mean all the white americans living there would need to leave? that shrinks their population, and their whole country would be one giant resort much like the cities such as cancun and puerto vallarta in mexico where all the white vacationers there look down on them and patronize them. Yea...this is a bad idea
    SilenceNoMore
    4 responses to this
  • Good for her.

    The story of how American corporations stole Hawaii from the indigenous people should be more known to Americans.

    Two of my favorite people are Hawaian Indigenous Activists Meilaini Trask, a dedicated attorney, and Luanna Busby, an indigenous activist who learned the ancient art of sacred hula dance from Hawaiian elders.
    recommended by  Vierotchka
    TouchArt
    2 responses to this
  • wow. 1,000 followers.
    i have more followers on myspace
    Dut
    • Dut
    • 3 months ago
    2 responses to this
  • http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/19/news/economy/Lawrrence_...
    The State of Hawaii would be wise to revert governing of the Hawaiian Islands to the indigenous people who know how to live in balance in the ecosystem.

    Could be the best solution to sky-high food prices that threaten the Hawaiian economy.

    _______
    Photo "Hula to Pele" - uploaded by lenezbn.
    recommended by  Vierotchka
    TouchArt
    2 responses to this
  • Another great Indigenous Hawaiian is Po Louis who we met when my husband and Po and her husband were legal aid attorneys for the Dine at DNA People's Legal Services in Navajo Nation together in the mid-1980s.
    TouchArt
  • 1,000 Indigenous and Indigenous-minded people united in their right and determination to reclaim governance of their ancestral homeland is very different from 1,000 "followers" on myspace.
    recommended by  Vierotchka
    TouchArt
  • Native Hawaiians make up 1% of the total population. Is she really going on majority rule or her rule? Because if she does get what she wants she could have civil war on her hands by the people that want Hawaii to stay a state that are not part of her 1%.
    J_Jammer
    3 responses to this
  • This article comes across kindof biased... I would reconcider rewriting it for tone.
    parisinla
    1 response to this
  • First Oklahoma, then Hawaii, next California.
    Dmitri_Molotov
    4 responses to this
  • It was wrong of us to forcefully take their land away from them because of greed. Hope they get this.
    PoisonTheMonkey
  • i hoe they try to uprise and fight they wont even make it to the big island, and army airforce navy and marine corps base all on one island and they all hate being there, ya see what happens if you try to fight them
    big_bad_wolf
  • interesting this comes about with the government standing on Lakotah land they gave up in a previous treaty.

    http://current.com/items/89061792_lakotah_nation_black_...
    clarity_kat
  • If Hawaii can pull that off, the rest of America will be in one ugly power struggle for lands that they've 'taken over.' Hell, Puerto Ricans may even be able to vote!
    Nuevarine
  • The Republic of Lakotah and Hawaiians should get together for strength in numbers. Some Japanese people still think it belongs to them though. I hope I can still visit. What upset me in hawaii were the signs that said "government property". No respect to even say what leg of the "government" State, city, who knows. Wealth is not in dollars, its in fresh air & clean water. They should stick around so the U.S government can pay for all the Californian trash thats about to hit them.
    nmsamanda
  • Seeing as the island chain was taken due to corporate interest, I think it's only fair. And we never truly "annexed" them, as some would like you to think.
    Adumbration
  • I think this movement is important for the message it brings about America's history of manifest destiny. Fifteen years ago, the Native Hawaiians were promised more benefits under a Senate joint resolution, also known as the Apology Bill. But to this day, they have seen little compensation for the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

    When will the U.S. government stop trying to solve problems and injustices with only words? Where are the ACTIONS to support these admitted wrongs?
    renbyrd
    1 response to this
  • The islands should belong to the indigenous people, but there is no way in the world that will happen anytime in the near future. The only way they will get there land back is if they take physical action, and I doubt many people will take part in that. Land has always been taken by force and the hands of power are way stronger than a few thousand people who say they want there land back. Most of the people who live in Hawaii and think that the land should be in control of the indigenous probably aren't actually willing to do anything about it. I just hope that whatever the outcome of this situation is works out for the best.
    shun21
  • watch this comment being used here and here
    I believe that though it is the native peoples right to the land, it would not be in the their better interest to separate and alienate themselves from a lot of the income generated by tourism and to disconnect themselves from other benefits offered by the greater USA.
    NinthVoice
  • i hope they get what they want. next it should be the native americans. its about time the government pay for all the robbing and stealing they did 2 get what they have
    blue7272
  • If they leave it would only be 49 states..
    :( which is not as cool as 50 states...
    ctrl_alt_del
    2 responses to this
  • A monarchy ruling Hawaii would be way worse than US sovereignty. At least people can somewhat participate in US government. A monarchy is a dictatorship.


    It'll never happen anyway; why would the US policy makers hand over a $billion economy when they won't even give citizens affordable health care.
    flyingkick
  • flyingkick, not all monarchies are dictatorships, by any measure. Many monarchs were excellent leaders who cared about their people and worked hard to improve their living conditions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with constitutional monarchies.
    Vierotchka
  • Whether or not I believe that is right or not doesn't make think this is ever going to happen. The US is not going to support this. The most they may do is set up a "Hawaiian Reserve" on part of an island. Look at our track history with the Native Americans. And Hawaii is one of our biggest money makers when it comes to tourism. Sorry. Your stuck in the US...
    KaT_Trina
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here, here, here, and here
    uh yeah you can't just do that, you don't demand anything of the American government. i don't think they appreciate how much being a part of the US has done for them.
    wowser334
  • Maybe they're just trying to let them have casinos like the other Natives have?
    Argon18
  • I was born and raised in Hawaii. It is my "home" and always will be. But, I am not native Hawaiian by blood. Being born in Hawaii does not make you Hawaiian - I am considered "local", but that's not the same as native Hawaiian.

    So if sovereignty movements like this one succeed...I would not be allowed back to my home. The house my parents built themselves and have lived in for 35+ years would, I suppose, be taken from them.

    I agree that it was crappy for the US to overthrow the monarchy. I am also fairly certain that if not the US, some other country would have done the same later on down the road, and better to be part of the US than any other likely candidate. I also know that there are many more Hawaiians who are very very proud to be part of the United States than who hope for the state to secede, and I wish they received as much press as the vocal minority.
    Tori
  • power to the people i suppose
    resin_lungs420
    1 response to this
  • What if we dropped Hawaii and took up Puerto Rico. Then Puerto Ricans could take part in the occasional, purely symbolic, participatory act of voting. I wonder if they would vote Republican, Democrat, or, ehh, well those are our only choices.

    Furthermore, we wouldn't have to change the flag - still 50 states.
    CicatrizJCP
  • I was born, raised and currently live in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am not native Hawaiian.

    Hawaii has no Queen. The last ruling monarch Queen Liliuokalani passed in 1917.

    Mahealani Kahau and her group claim to have lineage to last ruling monarch Queen Liliuokalani, however, there are many pro-sovereignty groups in the State who all make the same claims.

    It certainly is a travesty what happened to the Hawaiian people and their culture. However, this situation is not unique to Western civilization. It's an age old story of colonization.

    What this group is out for is money, land and power. The focus should really be on addressing the social and economic problems that are consuming the native Hawaiian people.

    This is where the attention should be. Not on this group and their false claims.
    lat_lat
  • I would be happy with this, as we stole Hawai, but then the south might get ideas, and only bad ones.
    ocanada
  • Hawaii has 132 islands! I didn't know that.
    Future_America
  • Oklahoma wants out, and now Hawaii. The US ain't what it used to be. Thanks W, u f n a hole.
    grease_weasel
  • I think that this is a wonderful idea. I am not from Hawaii but do know many natives that feel their way of life has been stripped from them for a tourist destination. Maybe we should leave the islands located almost 2000 miles away from the mainland.
    TEC_Photos18
  • They should be a soveriegn nation, America stole their land and lives from them. They should however, allow all residents of Hawaii to stay there and be citizens of Hawaii.
    PoisonTheMonkey
  • To anyone who says "They deserve to, we took their land for commercial gain!" and isn't a Native American is a hypocrite.

    There would be no USA if England didn't want there whacky tabbacy... While manifest destiny doesn't apply to Hawaii, simply seceding for "national identity" is selfish and illogical.
    handshakeheartbreak