Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 9, 1 September 1992 — Panel discusses models of Hawaiian sovereignty [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Panel discusses models of Hawaiian sovereignty

by Pearl Leialoha Page Four Hawaiian sovereignty groups explained aspects of their vision for sovereignty during community information meetings held by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Committee on Sovereignty in July and August. Eaeh spokesperson agreed that Hawaiians are a sovereign people, even if they have not won recognition by the U.S. government. Several groups have long declared themselves

a sovereign nation of Hawaiians. What follows is a brief summary of some of their comments and views of the form Hawaiian political sovereignty might take. Louis "Buzzy" Agard, a member of the Coalition of Hawaiian Organizations, suggested starting selfgovernance by reassuming the sovereign powers the kingdom enjoyed in 1893. That would mean reconvening

the 1893 legislature, governed by the 1887 constitution. Queen Lili'uokalani recessed this body on Jan. 14, 1893, he explained. Consequently, the operations of the kingdom have been suspended since Jan. 17, 1893, when the Committee of Safety reinforced by United States marines and U.S. agent John L. Stevens, usurped the Hawaiian kingdom's authority.

"That legislature has never been dismissed," explained Agard. "It is a form of government ratified by the pieople of Hawai'i. It is a legal body," Agard said, as opposed to the govemments whieh followed (including the one in power now), whieh were never ratified by a majority of the people of Hawai'i. The reconvening would eall upon Hawaiians throughout the islands to elect leaders from their districts to form a truly representative body, he

said. The decision to reconvene this legislature could be presented on the OHA ballet to voters of Hawaiian blood. Given the present focus on sovereignty among Hawaiians, this process could be done rather quickly, he said. Onee convened, one of the legislature's most important acts would be to declare itself the legal body representing the sovereign nation of Hawai'i and direct the state to yield the treasury. The present world attitude

toward restoring previously existing nahonal powers and a body representing the united interest of Hawaiians would be the impetus needed to facilitate a change in power, Agard explained in a follow up interview. This approach would start from the top down and take in all of what is now regarded as the state of Hawai'i, he said. He further foresees all state agen-

cies coming under the reconvened legislature's power, including OHA and DHHL. What has hamstrung these organizations in the past has been that they are merely managers of a trust, said Agard, a former Hawaiian Homes commissioner. "The state holds the purse strings and by it, the power."

Ka Lahui Hawai'i presented itself as a model of sovereignty. Mililani Trask, kia'aina o Ka Lahui, said that group is finished with models and has been a nation-within-a-nation since 1987. It recently held its third constitutional convention. The group is composed of 250 dele-

gates representing 12,500 citizens, according to Trask. It composes an executive branch, legislature and judiciary. All those serving in these branches are elected and subject to recall by the people of Ka Lahui. A fourth branch of government is the Ali'i Nui, whose purpose is to guide the nation in areas of eulture and protocol, she

said. "The judiciary resolves conflict among our people. However those choosing the traditional way of ho'oponopono are ruled by its outeome; there is no later appeal to a judge. That is the traditional way," she said.

Eaeh island has eight delegates, so that Hawaiians on neighboring islands have a fair say in what happens to their eommon entitlements, she said. Even Kaho'olawe is represented, although these delegates do not vote because the island is unoccupied. Only members of Ka Lahui who reside in the islands may vote in its

elections. Any action that Ka Lahui's legislature takes may be changed by its citizens through referendum. Likewise,

its members may pass laws through initiative. And every e 1 e e t e d o f f i ei al stays in power by its people's eonsent and are liable for recall.

Ka Lahui's constitution reserves these three powers to its citizens after lessons learned from the past, she said. Trask said that Ka Lahui is dedicated to peaee and disarmament and an absolute faith in equity and justice. "We will not practice violence, not in our homes, against ourselves or our children and not in our communities," she said. "And we will no longer tolerate military bases on Hawaiian trust lands, not on the ceded lands and not

on the Hawaiian Home Lands." She reported that to date, no member of Ka Lahui has broken the pledge to nonviolence, though many have been arrested for civil disobedience. So far, Ka Lahui has been engaged in education, she said. "During the next five years, Ka Lahui will be applying sovereignty to the land base. We need to go and take back our lands," she said.

' When you look at sovereignty and you think about what you want out of it, you need to be able to accept the responsibility of it as well," Trask said. "Sovereignty means that we as Hawaiians assume the obligation of our own perpetuation. So sovereignty means you can't point the finger at Hawaiian Home Lands. You can't point the finger at OHA. We have 22,000 Hawaiians on a list for hous-

ing, a sovereign nation assumes that obligation, says 'yes, we'll work on that housing need. We'll meet health needs.' Sovereignty isn't wala'au. Sovereignty is getting the job done for yourself and for your people." Agreeing with that statement was Peggy Ha'o Ross, Kuhina Nui of 'Ohana 'O Hawai'i. Founded in 1972, continued on page 14

Louis Agard says reconvene 1893 congress.

Lilikala Kame'elehiwa represented Ka Lahui.

with 3,000 some members, 'Ohana 'O Hawai'i reports 30,000 members today. Seventy-year-old Ross told about 30 people at an August meeting not to blame the state, county or United States but to start taking personal responsibility for their own sovereignty. "If this is your government, you must stand up for what's right," she said.

Panel discusses Hawaiian sovereignty (/

Her group's constitution describes a constitutional monarchy, a nation to nation model of sovereignty. It is dedicated to working with its members to identify problems and create solutions. 'Ohana 'O Hawaii believes that sovereignty is a spiritual relationship between oneself and God, one's relationship to the earth and one's relation-

ship to the family of man, according to its literature. The group further believes that what is done in Hawaii will serve as an example of peaee to the world. "Despite the vast differences spiritually, mentally and physically, we have proven not only to the U.S. but to the nations of the world how we have been able to survive and live in harmony in the spirit of aloha despite of what we, the kanaka maoli indigenous Hawaiians, have had to endure," she said.

"We are faced with positive decisions. And we need to disagree to agree. We fight among ourselves, 'auwe — but that only makes us stronger," she said. "We're a fragmented nation, so the truth has to be revealed, so all of us ean feel good about ourselves. We're going to do it better than our ancestors did." Kekuni Blaisdell, founding member

of Ka Pakaukau, a coalition of 12 native Hawaiian grassroots organizations, listed two reasons for sovereignty. The first is Hawaiians need to control their lives and resources if they are to survive. The statistics for Hawaiian health, social status and education are among the lowest of any group living in Hawai'i, he said. The second reason is because there is a strong moral, legal and historical basis for Hawaiians reassuming selfgovernance.

How that self-governance will eome about, what form it will take is up to the kanaka maoli to decide, he said, "and not for the state or federal government to decide for us," he said. And in the process, "we must never give up any of our sovereign rights, anything short is a sell out. "It is not for us to secede. It is up to the foreign power to leave our homeland."

Peggy Ha'o Ross, Kuhina Nui of 'Ohana 'O Hawai'i, says stand up for what's right.