A three-day, four-island monthly vigil to raise funds and awareness for a Native Hawaiian sovereignty group ends today on Kaua‘i, its representatives said. Reinstated Hawaiian Kingdom organizers set up banners, tents and grills Friday morning at a roadside location off
A three-day, four-island monthly vigil to raise funds and awareness for a Native Hawaiian sovereignty group ends today on Kaua‘i, its representatives said.
Reinstated Hawaiian Kingdom organizers set up banners, tents and grills Friday morning at a roadside location off Kuhio Highway on the north side of Kapa‘a.
Similar events took place on Maui, the Big Island and O‘ahu, said Henry Poa, the Kingdom’s elected prime minister.
On Saturday afternoon, a dozen individuals at the Kaua‘i vigil listened as Poa updated them on the Reinstated Hawaiian Kingdom’s work the past few months.
“It’s a never-ending struggle,” he said. “A thief cannot hold stolen property forever. But … only the proper owner can reclaim it.”
Poa said a Maui County district court on July 27 will hear an important case in the Kingdom’s progress.
The trespassing case, he said, stems from an incident July 31, 2006, when Kingdom representatives attempted to reclaim the uninhabited Kaho‘olawe Island off the southwest coast of Maui. That island was claimed by the U.S. military after the attack on Pearl Harbor and used for live fire training exercises.
“The case has enlightened our people and increased awareness,” he said.
The Kingdom, Poa said, is working to establish diplomatic relations with other nations.
“I have asked other heads of states for their support in recognizing us as a nation,” he said.
Poa also announced Nov. 3 as the date for the Kingdom’s next election.
Since March 13, 1999, when the Kingdom formed a provisional government, Poa and a few thousand supporters have fought to be acknowledged as the lawful government of Hawai‘i and reclaim the islands they say the United States stole in 1893.
The group, which claims 4,000 members, says it has followed international law for the last eight years to implement steps to regain sovereign status.
The Kingdom classifies itself as a constitutional monarchy to preserve tradition, Poa said, but operates as a democracy with legislative, judicial and executive branches.
There are 157 years of records, he added, that support the group’s claim to be the successor of the Kingdom.
Kekane Pa, the Kingdom’s island organizer and house speaker, said the group has been focusing on legislative action.
The Kingdom’s government passed the Kanaka Bill Act on Jan. 20 as an alternative to a bill proposed by Hawai‘i Sen. Daniel Akaka.
Some key differences, according to Kingdom representatives, include the Kanaka Bill completely cutting the cord from the United States while the Akaka Bill would have the Kingdom operate as a nation within a nation, similar to Native American reservations on the Mainland.
For more information, go online to reinstatement.org.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
