Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 7, 1 July 1992 — 'Iolani Palace -- Kamehameha Day, 1992 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'Iolani Palace -- Kamehameha Day, 1992

by Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

On King Kamehameha's observed birthday, June 11, a gathering for religious ceremonies and sovereignty was held at Kamehameha's statue and at the 'Iolani Palaee. A 24-hour permit had been granted to the group by a DLNR assistant. (And why

must we, as Hawaiians, need a permit to gather at our own palaee?) Bill Paty, head of DLNR, met with some of us around noon and stated that "they" (the State) had made a mistake on the permit, and he felt we should be able to "wrap up everything by 5 p.m. that afternoon." Throughout the day, verbally and in leaflets announcing the gathering, it was stressed that this would be a peaceful, non-violent gathering of aloha. This group of Hawaiians maintained that stance until the end! We have videos to prove it! Lyle Galdeira, ex-television news anchor speaking for the Department of Public Safety, under DLNR, stated in the June 12 Honolulu Advertiser that "... We had told them if you give us a peaceful demonstration, we'll give you a peaceful arrest; unfortunately, they didn't remain peaceful." That statement is simply not true; the videotapes prove this. However, it was interesting how the State, DLNR, and the Sheriff's Department had all set up for overkill. State Sen. Mike McCartney, who witnessed the arrests, stated in the Honolulu Advertiser that he felt "... the eonfrontation was unnecessary...and the situation did not have to take plaee . . .," and he plans to find out why the confrontation took plaee. This is one good elected official who cares about Hawaiians. These Hawaiians, many family with keiki, gathered to pay respect to our king and ali'i on these sacred grounds and to 'oki (sever) and heal all kaumaha (hurt) and transgressions against our people for more than a century, and to discuss sovereignty. These palaee grounds are one of the few places left that "belong" to the Hawaiian people; yet, even with the State's palapala (permit), they were treated with disrespect and as criminals when the State saw that throughout the day there was absolutely no threat from the Hawaiians. Furthermore, the Hawaiians, prior to that day, were constantly respectful in their communications with the State. The Sheriff's deputies told me personally that Governor John Waihe'e (a "Hawaiian") could have resolved this situation so that they could go home and spend the rest of the holiday with their 'ohana. Sadly, this did not occur. KGMB-TV did a survey that night that showed more than 90 percent of the people who called into the station felt that the 24-hour permit, granted by the State, should have been respected and honored. Do they, the State, only want Hawaiians

around to dance and sing for the tourists? Yet when we peacefully exercise our rights to gather and free speech on sacred grounds, the State and Governor eall out the SWAT squad and arrest 32 of us for exercising our constitutional rights that they granted us a permit to do in the first plaee! Sen. McCartney stated, "... I think this symbolizes the deep scars and the hurt that has

been around for a century, and that will be eoming up this next year (the centennial of the overthrow of our Hawaiian nation). This is something we in government are going to have to deal with ..." Shame on the State and on the Governor for allowing this abuse of power to occur! Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.