Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 1, 1 January 1993 — The further back we look, the further ahead we see [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The further back we look, the further ahead we see

Looking back 100 years and forward to native Hawaiian sovereignty

by Ka Wai Ola O OHA staff Not too long ago, redress, entitlements and sovereignty for native Hawaiians were topics of interest only to Hawaiian activists. Today they are being discussed by the broader community. The centennial observance of the overthrow is casting theseissues into even sharper focus. Ka Wai Ola O OHA asked leaders in politics and business, trustees of Hawaiian charitable trusts and elders in tbe Hawaiian community what their views are on Hawaiian sovereignty and the significance of the observance. To Hawai'i Govemor John Waihe'e, "the significance of the Centennial lies in its open-endedness - the implieaūon that issues relating to past actions remain unresolved. The overthrow was an illegal and immoral act aeainst a sovereien DeoDle

and nation. Today, I believe there is general agreement on that basic issue by all of our citizens, Hawaiians and nonHawaiians. That was was not always the case as recently as a few years ago - either out of ignorance of history or an unwillingness to look at the facts. Education and open discussion have had a lot to do with ehaneine tha

perception. We need to expand that process to include our leaders in Washington, D.C. "Moreover, reparations need to be made and the process of restoring self-determination needs to begin. There is probably a lot more ambiguity (ambivalence on the part of some) on the particulars of these two issues than the first. The reasons are obvious. The first requires only one clear-cut action: acknowledgement that a wrong

was done to Hawaiians. The other two require 1) the force of conviction to move beyond "lip service," and 2) actions that ean include a wide variety of scenarios. "A hundred years is enough ūme for two, maybe three, generations to confront the ramifications and consequences of ūie overthrow. It should have been more than enough ūme to correct the wrongs. Unfortunately, Ūiat hasn't happeneū. It remains for us today to advance fair and just settlements on all three Hawaiian issues: acknowledgement of past wrongs, reparaūons and selfdeterminaūon. Without ūiose resoluūons, Ūie future of Hawaiians will be seriously undermined. In addiūon, ūie moral foundaūon upon whieh we have built our contemporary mulū-cultural society will also be suspect." Waihe'e played a pivotal role in ūie creaūon of OHA as majority leader of Ūie 1978 Con-Con that was OHA's genesis. As Governor, he has opened Uie way for OHA to begin receiving its full share of ceded land trust revenues, and has taken steps to correct long-standing abuses of the Hawaiian Home Lands trust. He notes, "Upon statehood, Ūie state accepted a trust responsibility for native Hawaiians - a trust that had been in the hands of ūie federal government since 1921. Abuses to that trust occurred under boŪi watches. Since taking office, my administraūon has been involved in 1) making amends for past breaches to Ūie U"ust and 2) encouraging ūie federal government to do ūie same. "When OHA was created, reparaūons was one of Ūie primary goals of Ūie self-determinaūon movement. In 1978, federal recogniūon seemed to be just around ūie corner and what was necessary was an organized Hawaiian poliūeal enūty ūiat could receive reparaūons for Hawaiians. In a very concrete way, OHA is ūie first modern-day experiment of sovereignty. It has many detractors, but the fact remains that OHA is governed by Hawaiians, for the sole benefit of Hawaiians, and chosen by Hawaiians and no one else.

"Wiūi renewed discussions focusing on sovereignty, I see Ūie state's actions and mist role as transitional: to put the trust in order and maintain Ūie trust unūl an orderly return to self-determination ean be accomplished. "The state needs to complete its task to make ūie trust whole again, and ūie federal government needs to begin to do the same. I might add that the first step toward the latter end

would be in reversing ūie posiūon held by the past federal Administration that did not regard Hawaiians as a naūve people and consequenŪy took Ūie posiūon that any special assistance to Hawaiians was racially based and unconstitutional. Wiūi ūie inauguraūon of Ūie Clinton administration, I believe we will have a recepūve parūcipant in Washington, D.C. for ūie first ūme in 12 years." State Sen. Mālama Solomon feels contemporary wisdom places too mueh emphasis on the role Lorrin Thurston and the Committee of Safety played and too little on the role of the United States government that coerced and manipulated ūie overthrow. She writes: "In 1873, ūie Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, Gen. John Schofield, and Gen. B.S. Alexander of the U.S. Corps of Engineers conducted a secret spy mission and filed their report concerning ūie military significance of various areas of Hawai'i,

viewing it as 'an ouūying district of the State of California.' "When Secretary of State James Blaine assigned John Stevens as U.S. Minister to Hawai'i, it was with the knowledge ūiat Stevens was zealously committed to the eoneepl of Manifest Destiny and had been involved in attempts to overthrow other

governments. According to Thurston, Stevens shared ±e ccutents of diplomaūc correspondence. State Department documents establish that continiied page 9

t Gov. John Waihe'e

3en. Mālama Solomon

Views on sovereignty from page 8 J

in meeting with and encouraging the annexationists, Stevens was acting under general orders from Blaine and Navy Secretary Benjamin Tracy. He was not on an adventure of his own. "But for the actions of Minister Stevens in landing and stationing belligerent troops, there would have been no overthrow. Had there been no overthrow, there would have been no annexation in 1898. Thurston and the others were merely instruments in the hands of the committed U.S. officials. "Upon annexation in 1898, 1.8 million acres was acquired by the U.S. government 'for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands for educational and other public purposes.' "The Bush Administration stated that no trust obligation existed or in fact ever existed concerning those lands. Soon after the administration's announcement, Gov. Waihe'e established an Ad Hoe Committee on Hawaiian Public Lands composed of members of both houses of the legislature on a non-partisan basis. I was honored to serve as chairman of that committee, whieh worked with one of the largest law firms in Washington D.C. to analyze the legal and polilieal implications of the Bush Adminisu-ation's position and to recommend a course of action. The committee was successful in getting a plank adopted in the 1992 Democratic Platform specifically stating that 'the U.S. government respects its trustee obligations to the inhabitants of Hawai'i generally and to Native Hawaiians in particular.' "The success of the Democratic presidential candidate presents a real opportunity to pursue the claims of Hawai'i concerning those lands taken almost 100 years ago. Because Hawai'i has been unsuccessful in seeking judicial remedy of its claims, we must pursue a federal legislative solution whieh

would provide a simple administrative meehanism for fair settlement of land claims and create the basis for legislation in the federal courts of r e m a i n i n g claims, primarily i n v o 1 v i n g

improper alienation to private parties. "With a Democratic administration committed to a federal trust obligation, the members of the Legislature and the administration, acting together, have a unique opportunity to affect a final resolution of the longstanding claims of the Hawaiian people, at least with regard to the public lands of Hawai'i. Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka is

the first native Hawaiian in Congress since Prince Kūhiō was a non-voting delegate. During the last session of Congress, he and Sen. Daniel Inouye introduced a resolution through whieh Congress would acknowledge the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and apologize to native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States. The resolution passed the Senate unanimously on Oct. 7, but the House of Representatives adjourned for the year before it

could act on the legislation. "Not until our country understands the significance of the events surrounding the overthrow of the Hawaiian nation, as well as its high level of poliūeal development prior to 1893, will

the Amenean people appreciate the meaning of the native Hawaiian rights movement, whieh grows stronger every day," Akaka said. Senate Joint Resolution 335 includes the statement made by Queen Lili'uokalani yielding her authority not to the Provisional Government but to the United States "until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority whieh I elaim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands." The resolution is a way of again presenting the facts to the federal government as they were presented in the Blount Report whieh led President Cleveland to eall the overthrow an "act of war." Akaka believes the apology resolution will have a two-fold effect. "Though the goal of this specific resolution is to secure that formal apology, I am also committed to seeking redress for wrones committed

against Hawaiians by the federal government. This resolution acts as a powerful and necessary tool in that regard, because it serves to educate many of the members of Congress. "Sen. Inouye and I have been strongly urging our colleagues

to use the 100th anniversary as a foundation for further actions to achieve reconciliation between the United States and the native Hawaiian people," Akaka said. "No official apology has ever been made to native Hawaiians nor has there ever been an attempt to develop a federal policy addressing their rights." "I am convinced that we will be able to achieve final passage," Akaka said.

State Rep. Peter Apo shared the following thoughts: "In the anniversary year of the illegal overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani, Hawaiians are provided with an historic window of opportunity to boldly reaffirm their proud heritage and to renew their commitment for justice. "While it would be inappropriate to 'celebrate' the fall of the Hawaiian nation, 1 think we ean promote 1993 as a Year of Reaffirmation, a year to press full court on the question of sovereignty, to forge a consensus on a specific model of sovereignty. ... The climate is

I right for the sovereignty question to ( surface in earnest, and we are ready to take significant action, provided the Legislature is I not caught in a tug- , of-war between e o m p e t i n g Hawaiian factions. The year 1993 rep-

resents a year when new songs will be sung, new dances danccd, new poems recited, and all Hawaiians will step forward to proclaim their pride in our heritage." Business community views Observance Business people see

the upcoming centennial as an opportunity to edueaie the community at large on the events surrounding that historic time. It also offers a basis for wider discussions on sovereignty in general, they said. The business executives Ka Wa

Ola O OHA interviewed did not see Hawaiian sovereignty as a threat to business, but as a change that some in the business community would like to facilitate. William Paul has been thinking about and planning for the eenlennial observance since he became chairman of Hawaii Visitors Bureau in June 1991. "It's going to be a very traumatie date for many — a time when people will be reflecting on their heritage," he said. Paul arranged for the board of directors and officers of HVB to be briefed on the historical events leading up to the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, native rights, wrongs done and the meaning of sovereignty. "You know you ask 10 people what sovereignty is and you get 12 answers," Paul said. Paul believes sovereignty would be a good thing both for Hawaiians and the visitor industry. "To me, sovereignty is acknowledging the facts," he said. However, he feels that seceding from the union is neither desirable nor beneficial. "I don't think that should happen

or ever would happen. It's not realistic," he said. "As time goes by (away from 1893) you get further and further away from it being a reality. However, I really feel there is an apology due from the United States, and reparations." He also strongly supports native Hawaiians being recognized as an indigenous people. "As indigenous people they are entitled to some lands returned to them and they should get money now, not held up forever as has been done in the past." That money should be used to help them help themselves through social and eeonomie programs, he said. "Return the Kingdom? No. Make reparations? Yes! Those that say they (Hawaiians) don't deserve anything are plain ignorant. If Hawaiians aren't given what's right, it would be adverse to all of us living in Hawai'i." Murray Towill, president of the Hawai'i Hotel Association, recognizes the symbolic nature of the observance for the sovereignty movement. "The need now is to educate people as to what sovereignty is and what it means. I suspect that we in the visitor industry are no more and no less informed than the larger community, but if there is to be redress more education must take plaee. "Most people

| feel there should 1 he some redress f Something needs to be done." The issue of I Hawaiian sovereignty has a particular relevance to the visitor industry because many people are drawn here by the Hawaiian culture.

he said. "It's something the visitor industry needs to be more supportive of. ... recognizing the strengths the Hawaiian culture brings to the industry as a whole." Emest Nishizaki, Hawai'i Hotel Association chairman and general manager Sheraton Kaua'i, agrees. "The only thing that makes Hawai'i different from other sun-filled destinations is the people, the type of service that comes from the snirit

of kōkua, whieh all of the different races and cultures residing here have adopted to one extent or another." George Mason, former publisher of Pacific Business News, says a wider awareness of Hawaiian history and the sense of self-

esteem that that awareness ean create for the Hawaiian community is something that have been needed for a long Ume. "I think that's the biggest laek. I think the Hawaiians have traditionally felt sort of left out,

and I think this (the centennial observance) will help them feel better about themselves." However, Mason is skeptical about Hawaiian sovereignty. "How would you support your separate naūon?" he asks. "I'm thinking about very pragmatic things." When eolonial powers left Africa, the countries ended up with cruel dictatorships, he pointed out. The African nations were taken over not by leaders but by opportunists. He added that there are opportunists in the Hawaiian community who do not appear to respect their people. "If the Hawaiians had their own nation, ... it wou!d be absolute chaos," Mason predicted, adding that it has often been the case all over the world that in the beginning stages of freedom, people end up worse off than they had been. Mason does not believe that sovereignty will make things pono. "It won'l correct the wrong, it will create a great many more wrongs, because I don't think it's a supportable situation. You can't finance it. ... you can't overnight create an independent nation," he said. Jack Hoag, board ehainnan of the Chamber of Commerce and president of First Hawaiian Bank, says issues raised by the 100th anniversary of the overthrow are important to all of Hawai'i, not just native Hawaiians. Hawaiian culture is the root of success of the entire community, especially because the aloha spirit has made tourism a major industry, he said. "Wrongs were committed and we should address these." Hoag suggests business participate in a ho'oponopono process together with the Hawaiian community. It could be led by the governor or perhaps OHA, he said. "If we had a dialogue, we could begin to see what the community ean do," he said. He reports that the Chamber of Commerce recently formed a task force to educate its membership on these issues and to formulate positions for adoption by its board of directors. Scott May of the Hawaiian Business and Professional Association feels the main thrust of the commemoration is to recognize the

| wrongs commit- | ted by the U.S. government and hopefully gain "the long-over-due apology. Onee that happens a lot ean fall into plaee," he said. HBPA's goal is to seek eeonomie sover-

eignty for Hawaiians in general and HBPA members in particular. "Since eeonomie issues were the root cause of the overthrow, eoniinueā page 10

Sen. Daniel K. Akaka

Rep. Peter Apo

William Paul i

George Mason

Business community

from page 9 eeonomie issues have the potential of righting the wrong," May said.

Walter Kupau, Carpenters Union Loeal 745 financial secretary, has questions about the rightness of sovereignty. "The only thing with the Hawaiian people is, who's going to be in charge?" he asks. "Somewhere along the line someone's got to pull all this together." He compares divisiveness wilhin the

Hawanan community to a bucket of crabs - when one crab tries to crawl out of the bucket, another pulls it back down. He supports what Mililani and Haunani-Kay Trask are doing. "I think with the sovereignty idea, Mililani Trask is on the right track. ... If she got arrested I'd go down and bail her out." Kupau thinks the road to Hawaiian sovereignty will be smoother if everyone in Hawai'i has pride in their own culture - not racism, but ethnic pride, he emphasized. The eeniennial observance may be seen as "just another holiday," Kupau said. However, he hopes it will help magnify the issues important to the Hawaiian people, and hopes activists will get involved and make use of the opportunity. Some in the business community, especially those who have only recently eome to Hawai'i, have more questions than answers. Roderick Wilson, CEO of AmFac, eame to Hawai'i just three years ago. "I don't see the observance as just a January event but a whole year's focus," Wilson said. "As Mike Crozier says, 'Half the people who live here weren't born here and don't know mueh about it.' Though I've been doing a lot of reading on the history and what different Hawaiian groups see as a remedy, I still don't have an opinion on what the solutions should be," he said. "I think having more questions than answers is healthy. It's not apf>ropriate for me to have preconceived notions of how things ought to be. It's not a time for people to polarize in trying to discuss and answer the issue. I think it's important for the Hawaiian community to realize that there are a lot of people who just don't understand. " Robert J. Pfeiffer, chairman of the Board of Alexander & Baldwin, views Hawaiian sovereignty as an issue of betterment of the native Hawaiian people, and of proper recognition of their history and stature. "I'm a great believer in dialogue — that through better lines of eommunication, business and the native Hawaiian eommunity ean joindy develop means of educating and supporting eaeh other to the betterment of the Hawaiian people," he said in a written statement. "This process will take time, and will not be without its failures, but the process must be started as soon as possible." As a member of the 'Onipa'a Centennial Planning Committee, Pfeiffer believes it's important that the anniversary be publicly observed, and with dignity. "The native people of Hawai'i have not recovered from the loss of their sovereign nation and there is a need to initiate a healing process to foster understanding among the people of Hawai'i." Hawaiian trusts discuss sovereignty Though the Hawaiian monarchy is lost, a measure of the ali'i's love and eoneem for Hawaiians survives today in the way of charitable trusts: Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, Lunalilo Home, The Queen Emma Foundation and Bishop Estate/Kamehameha Schools. In addition, there are two public tmsts set up for Hawaiians, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Uie Office of Hawaiian Affairs. What do these long-time proponents of Hawaiian welfare Uiink about the centennial observance of the illegal overUirow of the Hawaiian Kingdom? Where do they stand on Hawaiian sovereignty? OHA Chairman Clayton Hee "The observance is significant because it reminds us of a day in whieh the Hawaiian people were changed forever by the iUegal overthrow of Uie kingdom by the eonūnueā page 15

Walter Kupau

Hawaiian trusts from page 10

United States of Amenea. It also serves as a benchmark from whieh we should recall the occasion as a means to reassert ourselves as a Hawaiian people. "Sovereignty is a part of the way Hawaiians should reassert themselves. Other ways include taking the necessary means to recover those assets whieh were lost in way of land base and to eompel the state to pay us what we are legally owed. To date that is $112 million. Those resources should be used to initiate and expand services to benefit the Hawaiian people through social, educational and cultural programs, through historic preservation programs and eeonomie development, all of whieh are inter-related with self-determination. "If the sovereign nation of Hawai'i were re-estab-lished as proposed by OHA, Congress would provide the means to convene a constitutional convention of delegates chosen by the Hawaiian people. It would be up to these delegates to decide the shape and form the nation should take. The delegates would decide what role OHA would play. Wbetber or not sovereignty works for the Hawaiian people is entirely up to them. And from that point of view, if s a good thing. Let us make the decisions we are accountable to, as it was in the old days before the overthrow. We should have the right to succeed or fail. And I have every confidence that the Hawaiian people will succeed." Lunalilo Trust Trustee R. M. Keahi AUen "I think the observance ean serve as a catharsis and a healing process and that it could be the foundation for new directions and new beginnings for Hawaiians,"says Allen. She also sees the trust playing a very minor role if any in the sovereignty movement, "because our focus is more on the care and well-being of our Hawaiian senior citizens," she said. Allen said that the three trustees have not discussed what sovereignty might mean to the trust but Allen feels it is an inevitability. "We just need to hone it down to see what kind of sovereignty would be best for Hawaiian people. We should have the say in creating our destiny and I anticipate a lot of problems and challenges but the same could be said of any new venture." Queen Emma Foundation - Health System President & CEO Richard L. Grifīith The greatest significance of the eenlennial observance is education, Griffith said. "Many people do not understand the true events surrounding the overthrow. The public dialogue, special events and news coverage surrounding the centennial are instructive for the entire community. "Secondly, it should honor the greamess that was the monarchy and the Hawaiian Kingdom. Small though they may be on the world stage, these Hawaiian islands, their people and culture have had a remarkable impact throughout history. Seafaring discoverers, gifted monarchs, a culture recognized world-wide ... a truly remarkable heritage that should be honored and cherished. "Thirdly, it could well become a new beginning for Hawai'i and Hawaiians. It has the potential for more than just redress of past wrongs. It could well become a moment in time when a people's pride in themselves takes on new meaning that results in revitalized leadership for Hawaiians and these islands for generations to eome. "When one looks at the foresight and generosity with whieh the Hawaiian monarchs planned for future generations one wonders what would have happened had the monarchy not been overthrown. What other great deeds would they have accomplished? "As a non-profit institution dedicated to the health care of the people of Hawai'i, it is inappropriate for The Queen's Health Systems to say how sovereignty or redress for the lands seized in the overthrow of the monarchy should be achieved. ... If anything, we hope that, if and when redress is achieved, the greamess of the Hawaiian monarchy — its foresight and caring attitude — ean heeome Lhe hallmark of modern Hawaiian leadership as it exercises stewardship for whatever is gained in me quest for sovereignty." (The Queen Emma Foundation is a charitable organization that is the real estate subsidiary of the Queen's Health Systems.) The Kamehameha Schools/Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate trustees are cautious on speaking on the trust's behalf, but they see sovereignty as an issue of education. continued on page 19

The further back we look...fr„ «

"The institution encourages all people to learn as mueh as possible about sovereignty," a prepared statement reads. "We will participate in and support efforts to educate on all aspects of the issue as appropriate " Two other trusts asked to participate in this discussion, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Lili'uokalani Trust, declined to comment. Kūpuna share their mana'o Our kūpuna (elders) are our link to the generation that experienced the shock of the overthrow first-hand, for whom the players of yesteryear were real people. Our kūpuna carry the memory of their kūpuna, the sadness and anger, yet all prefer to look forward with dignity and pride. Ka Wai Ola O Oha asked several kūpuna to speak about their reflections on the overthrow and to share their mana'o for the benefit of Hawaiians today and in the

future. "When I grew up I heard a lot about it (the overthrow)," university professor Abraham Pi'ianāi'a said. His grandfather, who knew King David Kalākaua and was sent by His Majesty to be

educated at Oxford University in England, could see it coming, Pi'ianāi'a was told. History is useful because we ean learn from past mistakes, Pi'ianāi'a said, adding, "It's great to be gung-ho, but it's just as dangerous to be unaware of what happened before." But Pi'ianāi'a would rather look forward than backward. "We should be putting our eggs into a program that will develop future leaders instead of arguing about the past. You ean argue about the past and not get anything done. Leadership is useless to the past. Leadership is for the future. ... I just hope these kids ean face the future with a lot of

confidence." It's necessary to have "plain eommon sense" as we blaze our trail forward and make our own history, and we should be wary of the pitfalls that are presented when neonle. "insr

jump at a eonelusion because someone else says it's so," Pi'ianāi'a said. Lydia Namahana Maioho, curator of Mauna 'Ala, the Royal Mausoleum, said she hopes the observance activities will be carried out with dienity

"You want it to be done in a most respectful way for our Queen, even though she was overthrown and we are sad," she said. Maioho is working with Ka Lāhui officials in planning events at Mauna 'Ala. She views the cooperation between her and Ka Lāhui as evidence of the wav thinos ean

I be accomplished [ when people put [ aside their differ- [ ences. "I'm quite | pleased that, if you < have a lot of love * and aloha and | respect for eaeh [ other, everything [ will work out," I Namahana said. Aliee Kuloloio,

78, remembers her kūpuna talking about the overthrow, but she said she didn't realize the whole story until relatively recently. "When I was young, I used to hear the old folks, my unele the Rev. Moses Kahiapo, and heard these names eome out. I was quite young that time, and all in Hawaiian - all hush-hush. I didn't think about what they were talking about until five or six years ago." She remembers hearing names like President Cleveland, and she remembers her kūpuna had kind mana'o for the Queen. "I know they were soft talking. I ean just see that expression on their faces: sad, sad, oh, sad. I

didn't know all these things that I heard going on. I used to just listen. But all these things being published, and I'm doing a little research myself, I'm becoming more aware." The nnhlicitv

coming out in anticipation of the observance is apparently opening a lot of eyes. "No wonder our Hawaiian people, especially our younger generation, they mad," Kuloloio said. "But the older generation we don't show it too mueh

because we were brought up to not talk about it too mueh." Kuloloio's voice becomes soft when expressing her mana'o on that black event in history, saying, "Deep in my heart I know it was a very sad thing that was done. "We kūpuna go to the palaee to go māka'ika'i, to go visit. The guides, they always take us to that room where the Queen was locked up. You ean feel it, that presence, and when we eome out some of the kūpuna their skin is 'ōkala - ehieken skin. It is a sad feeling when I go in that room." Referring to the eeniennial observance, Kuloloio said, "I like them not to get too rowdy but to hold a service in the church, the Hawaiian churches especially, and not to make it rowdy. To pule." Turning her attention to what is to eome, Kuloloio said, "Hopefully I think that something will be done. Not only the apology, but something else. ... The apology is not enough." When he went to 'Iolani Palaee in 1990 to assist in the return of the royal crowns from the Bishop Museum, Kahu David Kawika Kaalakea, 73, said he felt they had to "elean house, put the house in order" through ho'oponopono and prayer before the crowns could be replaced. When he and his companions visited the room where the deposed Lili'uokalani was kept, he found himself

silently crying. "It's not uwē ciy, it was without sound. The tears rolling down our face, everybody ha'u (crying without sound). ... That was a sad thing, real sad what happened to our mō'i wahine." The crowns are home, the symbols of sovereignty have been replaced, now what about the sovereignty they symbolize? By the grace of Ke Akua sovereignty will return to the Hawaiian people, Kaalakea believes. "Maybe you say 'too late,' but to me it's not too late," he says. Achieving sovereignty will take hard work and cooperation from everyone, however. "If s between you and I — it's up to us. ... The only thing that I ean do is pule and hālāwai (meet together). The only thing that I believe is to eome together, our 'ohana. Put ourselves together and then the outside (eommunity) ean hear, and then Ke Akua will bring us all together." Mary Beck Avant, age 93, attended St. Andrew's Priory when Queen Lili'uokalani lived next door at Washington Plaee. "When I was at the

Priory, in the afternoons when we were done with school and we were playing, there was a fence between her yard and the Priory. There were little knots in the fence, and we would peep through the holes

and watch. If it was a sunny day she would be sitting outside. She played the ukulele, and you could tell by the expression on her face that she loved music so mueh." Sometimes when the Queen entertained guests, the Priory girls were called upon to serve tea. "The Queen would have her afternoon tea, so we'd go over and help. It was very colorful, and we would serve whatever they had there, eake, cookies, tea or puneh. She was always smiling and looked so beautiful, so we enjoyed that."

Avant's mother also recalled Lili'uokalani. "My mother did remember her, because she also went to the Priory. With the Queen, whenever my mom talked about her, she would always cry. The last days of the Queen were very sad. "I remember one thing my mother always said ... the way she felt ... that the land ... when they eame here they (foreign usurpers) didn't take it away from us, they stole it. They didn't treat us right, they just eame in and they didn't have to do that to her." When asked if there was some anger mixed in with the sadness, Avant replied, "Very mueh so, with the elderly people." Avant is quick to share her mana'o on the current quest for sovereignty: "I think this land was taken away from us, and I think they should pay us for that, that's the way I feel." Her advice to the mākua and 'ōpio generations is that they should "help sovereignty to go through. I love the Queen very mueh and I think we should honor the Queen." Rprancp r\ f hpr

work at Washington Plaee as a docent and from reading up on Lili'uokalani, Lillian Kruse says she has been affected by the great heartache the queen must have felt. When perusing the queen's writings, if you read between

the lines you ean detect great emoūonal stress, Kruse says. Kruse said Lili'uokalani's idea was to end the stress for her and her people, "letting (Annexation Club founder Lorrin) Thurston have his way." Kruse noted that Lili'uokalani had no children, but established the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center. Lili'uokalani gave of herself "freely without remorse or wanting to get anything back; it was a matter of just giving."

Abe Pi'ianāi'a

Aliee Kuloloio

Mary Beck Avant