Give Hawaiian Crown Lands Back to the Indigenous People

“Give us back our lands!” became a popular chant that you can hear at many rallies surrounding the Hawaii State government building. On January 17, 1893, the United Statesgovernment, overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii, under the reigning monarch of QueenLiliu’okalani. The United States government, stripped the queen of the Crown Lands, andcaptured the prime lands for their own use with building military bases, and airports on some of the land. Although the State of Hawaii would argue that the Republic of Hawaii ceded them the lands; the indigenous Hawaiian people say, “They had no right to cede our lands. Our lands were stolen.” It’s imperative that Crown lands be ceded back to their rightful heirs. The NativeHawaiians. It’s time to correct the injustice, and to make it right.

Crown Lands that rightfully belong to the indigenous people of Hawaii, and not the State of Hawaii, is constantly being battled out in court. The U.S government says, “The lands were ceded to them from the Republic of Hawaii,” so they have the rights of the land. However, the “Kanaka Maoli” (Native Hawaiians) say, “How is that possible?” The U.S. government cannot prove title “because the land was stolen, there was no consent from the Native Hawaiians, and there was no compensation” (Toensing 1-2). It is also noted that although the high courts ruled in favor of the U.S. government, “The Congressional Apology,” recognized that Hawaiians never gave up their claims to their “inherent sovereignty,” or their lands. The Republic of Hawaii could not have ceded these lands in “absolute fee” to the U. S., because they were stolen (Toensing 1-2). In 1959, when Hawaii became a state, the federal government pledged to use lands and assets to the benefit of Native Hawaiians. In 1993, on the 100th anniversary of the coup, Congress approved a resolution apologizing for the illegal overthrow and acknowledging that Native Hawaiians never directly relinquished their claims to sovereignty over their lands (Deseret News pg.A.12). One can clearly see, that there should be no reason why Native Hawaiians need to prove themselves in court for their lands. It’s stated in the “Congressional Apology" they never gave up claims to their land. The native Hawaiians through the forming of a nation within a nation should be directing how Hawaiian Crown Lands should be used or cultivated for. The state of Hawaii should have no voice over Crown land that was taken illegally during the overthrow.

There are those that say, “Native Hawaiians helped to vote the islands into statehood in 1959, so the land is now the governments.” But did they really want statehood, or could that be all that they knew how to do some sixty five years after the overthrow? Here is a rundown of what happened. A treaty to annex the Hawaiian Islands was successfully blocked when a petition to the U.S. Congress proved successful by a Hawaiian Patriotic Legacy group. As the Spanish American War started up in Feb. 1898 Congress had no problem with choosing to annex the Hawaiian islands on July 12, 1898, as they viewed the islands as the perfect place to refuel and launch ships. John Stevens U.S Minister to Hawaii, along with a contingent of marines, and the Committee on Annexation overthrew Queen Liliu’okalani on Jan, 17, 1893. Minister Stevens then proclaimed Hawaii a U.S. protectorate. As a new President stepped into office he (President Cleveland) sent an investigator to the islands. “Minister Stevens was found to have acted improperly andit was ordered that the American flag be lowered from the Hawaii government building.” Furthermore Queen Liliu’okalani was to be restored to power. Sanford Dole (declared himself President of the Provisional Government of Hawaii) refused to hand over the control of the islands. Dole was able to prove to the U.S government that the “U.S. had no rights to interfere in the internal affairs of Hawaii.” “In 1894 the Provisional Government proclaimed Hawaii a republic.” The U.S. soon thereafter, officially recognized the Republic of Hawaii. The Hawaiian people staged mass protest rallies and Queen Liliu’okalani was jailed for not trying to stop the revolt. The islands remained annexed until 1959 when they were voted into statehood. Through the decades many historians write mainly of what they have learned from their studies on the Provisional Government of Hawaii and fail to tell the other side’s story. Now more people will know that there are two sides to the story (Schamel, Wynell and Charles E. Schamel 402-408). Look at what Hawaii went through during those years. With the sugar Plantations, and pineapple industry planted over the different islands, Hawaiian’s found employment (the white man’s way of controlling them) with these powerful companies that controlled their livelihoods. Was statehood really wanted by the Native Hawaiians?

People argue, “Just drop it already,” you have homes, medical care, and access to education. Why can’t you be content with that? That’s all true and respected. Yes, there are some beautiful homes here, an array of top private high schools, great knowledgeable medical care abounds and yes, thankful they are. But when what was inherently yours gets taken away illegally, wouldn’t you fight to make it right? Especially when there was an overthrow of a kingdom, and of a queen that was loved and looked upon by her people?

The Hawaiian Crown Lands need to be returned to the Native Hawaiian people.
Since January 17, 1983 with the kingdom overthrow, then the Crown lands taken from the indigenous people followed by annexation there has been a great travesty, onto a group of indigenous people. It has been over 117 years since the overthrow. President William Clinton signed the Congressional Apology in 1993, apologizing to Native Hawaiians, and yet their inherent land is still in the hands of the U.S government. The government should do what is right and give Hawaiians back the Crown Lands.



Works Cited List
Toensing, G.. "U.S. Supremes rule against Native Hawaiians' land claims. " Indian Country
Today” 8 Apr. 2009,Ethnic NewsWatch (ENW), ProQuest. Web. 12 May. 2010.

Schamel, Wynell and Charles E. Schamel. "The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii." Social Education 63, 7 (November/December 1999): 402-408.

"House backs Hawaii rights. " Deseret News 25 Oct. 2007, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest.
Web. 22 May. 2010