101st anniversary

Hawaii

101st anniversary of overthrow

observed

By Ed Rampell

HAWAIIANS have commemorated the 101st anniversary of the January 17, 1893 US-backed overthrow of the independent kingdom of Hawaii with

a march, rallies, participation by

America’s most outspoken black mili tant, a declaration of independence, and more. Meanwhile, the Hawaii state government “observed” the anni

versary by once again evicting and

arresting homeless Hawaiians. And divisions in the sovereignty movement depend as the cause for native self determination intensified.

Since the 101st anniversary coincided with Martin Luther King Day, Minister Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, came to Hawaii on a January 14-15 speaking tour. The Black Muslim leader spoke out in favour of Hawaiian land and cultural rights “The sovereignty movement will grow because it is the time” and “if America were good, there’d be no need for sovereignty and human rights movements . . .” The Nation of Islam contingent joined the January 16 march and rally at the lolani Palace. The chanting marchers were led by motorcyc lists and traditionally clad hula dancers as they marched through downtown Hono lulu. Tynetta Muhammad the widow of Elijah Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X’s spiritual teacher participated in the event to show her solidarity with Hawaiians as “part of the universal struggle of indigenous people . . . to be truly free of oppression.” The protest was called by Ghana Council. The high light of the loosely organised palace rally came when disc jockey laukea Bright read a proclamation of independence from the United States. The proclamation ended by paraphrasing the Declaration of Indepen dence “We mutually pledge our lives, our fortune, our sacred honour, in the Spirit of Aloha.”

Ghana Council bases Hawaii’s right to secede from the Union on legal opinions by international attorney Francis Boyle, who represents the Palestinian Liberation Or ganisation, Bosnia, and formerly Lithu ania. During his recent Hawaii visit, Boyle said the state of Hawaii law establishing the Sovereignty Advisory Commission and President Clinton’s signing of a Con-

gressional resolution apologising to Ha waiians for US complicity in the 1893 overthrow are admissions of guilt and criminal conduct. Boyle asserts under international law, Hawaiians are entitled to restitution, in the form of restoration of their nation state “if they so desire it.”

Ghana Council’s proclamation is an at tempt to express this desire for indepen dence.

Ghana Council leader Bumpy Kanahele asserts Boyle plans to bring Hawaii’s cause and case to the UN-affiliated International Court ofjustice. The Council advocates the selling of Hawaii passports as a way to

finance independence although passport

peddling has caused scandals in Tonga and the Marshall Islands.

The January 17 palace rally was held by rival activist group, Ka La Hui Hawaii (the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii). Firebrand Dr Lilikala Kame’eleihiwa, Director of Ha waiian Studies at the University of Hawaii, demanded land, and that “the US close Pearl Harbor, take nuclear waste and submarines away” and also voiced concern over a purported plutonium leak at the US Naval facility. Lilikala also called for a general strike in Hawaiians’ quest for liberation The activist exhorted her people to prepare for land occupations and civil disobedience.

The Ka La Hui demonstration was highlighted by the arrest that morning of Marie Beltran, a homeless Hawaiian who, for the past seven months, camped out on a North Shore Oahu beach with her family.

Apparently, the police moved in on the Beltrans that morning as they knew Ka La Hui would be preoccupied with its rally, 50

miles away. Upon learning of the eviction and arrests, Ka La Hui immediately raised bail money for Marie, who, freed from a nearby courthouse, went to tearfully ad dress the demonstrators, promising she’d continue her occupation as a stand for Hawaiian land rights.

Mililani Trask, Ka La Hui’s governor, and others spoke about the deepening split in the sovereignty movement. Ghana Council advocates independence, while Ka La Hui pushes for giving Hawaiians the same rights all other Native Americans have nation-within-a-nation status with a government-to-government relationship with Washington, like the Indian tribes.

With only 500 people at each rally, Hawaiians have a long way to go to nationhood, let alone secession.

Ka La Hui accuses Ghana Council of “collaborating” with and “selling out” to the Democratic Party and state govern ment, a charge the Council denies. Ka La Hui also asserts Ghana Council is a front for casino interests, which want to bring gaming in through the back door by using

sovereignty. During Ghana Council’s rally,

Bumpy said “Foreign gaming interests

approached us about putting gambling in

their hotels. If people want gambling in the future, it’s not for Bumpy to decide, it’s for the people to decide.”

For Ka La Hui, this is a game of Russian Roulette. Ironically, when the descendants of American missionaries acted in league with US Marines to overthrow the inde pendent Kingdom of Hawaii, one of the main reasons was because Queen Liliuokalani had approved a lottery. □

Ed Rampell Tynetta Muhammad (In turquoise): joins the march with other Black Muslims and Kupunas (elders)