(c) Copyright 2025
Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
All rights reserved
INDEX OF NEWS REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES FROM MAY 1, 2025 through AUGUST 31, 2025
May 1, 2025: 2 articles say Hawaiian lobbying behind the scenes has been successful in persuading President Trump to NOT attack Native Hawaiian race-based programs when he attacks other such programs as implementing critical race theory or diversity-equity-inclusiveness racial bias.
May 7: Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports "The U.S. Department of Education said Native Hawaiian, American Indian and Alaska Native history will not be categorized as “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “critical race theory” under the federal government’s new directive for the nation’s schools."
May 10: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, repeats an analogy asserted many times for decades: "They told us we were adopted, but then we found out we were kidnapped. This analogy plainly describes the crime that was committed against multiple generations of Hawaiian people. It also reveals to the nature and severity of the abuse and injury of the crime. The taking of Hawaii by the United States is not a trivial misunderstanding in semantics; it is a monstrous crime. In essence, we Hawaiians were stolen as children and raised in the house of our captors, believing for decades that the U.S., like a parent, had our best interest at heart."
Sunday May 11: Honolulu Star-Advertiser publishes article on page 1 of the Local News section authored by a senior at University of Hawaii also working as an intern at the newspaper (but not acknowledged by editors as either a student or intern). Headline: "Legislature honors Hawaiian history, culture despite anti-DEI efforts" describes two bills passed by state legislature which "designated September as Hawaiian History Month and separately made the first Friday of May Laulau Day."
May 12: Lumbees have been seeking federal recognition from the U.S. since the late 1800s. Trump is seeking to reduce funding for Native programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by a whopping $479 million, including total elimination of housing grants for Native Hawaiians.
May 24: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, says "During the last two weeks of June, I will be at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland to participate in Session 59 of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to continue protesting the egregious human rights violations being perpetrated on the Hawaiian people by the United States in its prolonged illegal occupation of the Hawaiian Islands. There are five items that we are urging the Members of the Human Rights Council and other members of the United Nations and the international community to act upon" and then Leon Siu describes them.
June 7, 2025: Weekly Saturday Hawaiian language column: Writer Laiana Wong's synopsis of his own essay: The ringworm of colonization is firmly established within us. We need to support the endeavors of our people to transcend that predicament. The colonizer must be overcome from within. We cannot wait for some outside force to do the job.
June 9: Attorney representing Maui Police Detective Kamuela Lanakila Mawae sent Hawaii Atorney General Anne Lopez a letter addressing legal concerns regarding the status of Hawaiʻi as an occupied State and potential war crimes being committed by law enforcement officers. “It is deeply troubling that the State of Hawaiʻi has not been transitioned into a military government as mandated by international law. This failure of transition places current police officers on duty that they may be held accountable for unlawfully enforcing American laws."
June 14: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, says the Hawaii nation is rising. The “Overthrow”, the “Annexation” and “Statehood” are seen as illegal acts.
June 28: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living Kingdom of Hawaii, explains the distinction between the United Nations' adversarial proceedings conducted at The Hague (Netherlands) which is the home to three of the most prominent international courts: the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and the International Criminal Court (ICC); vs. the United Nations' diplomatic proceedings (seeking consensus through negotiation) conducted in Geneva (Switzerland) and New York.
July 1, 2025: Editorial by Chief Executive Officer of OHA published in OHA monthly newspaper says that Native Hawaiian self-governance (i.e., sovereignty) is not merely a distant memory, but should be the work of today, following the examples of how the natives of Palau and the Maori of New Zealand have successfully harnessed western frameworks to exercise political power. "The Māori story of colonization, resistance, survival and revival resonates profoundly with our own."
END OF INDEX
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FULL TEXT OF ITEMS LISTED IN THE INDEX, FROM MAY 1, 2025 THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2025
http://politicshawaii.com/in-the-shadows-of-power-the-letters-that-protected-native-rights/
Politics Hawaii blog by Stan Fichtman, Thursday May 1, 2025
In the shadows of power: The letters that protected native rights
While much attention is paid to the federal judiciary as a check on executive overreach, another, quieter form of resistance plays out in letters—formal appeals from legislators that can shift federal interpretation and policy.
That’s exactly what happened in the case of recent executive orders targeting DEI initiatives and their potential impact on Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives.
Skipping to the punchline, after all of this quiet correspondence, it appears that Native Hawaiians will not be subject to new federal restrictions targeting DEI programs in schools.
So, how can this blogger say that with confidence? Well, there’s a story.
On January 20, 2025, the President, in issuing one of his first Executive Orders (EO) entitled “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing”, states clearly in the text that the federal government, “shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.”
This language in this executive order sent shockwaves across the United States, specifically to nonprofits, academic programs, and social safety net providers serving specific communities. In short, language like this was seen as the end to any ability to obtain federal resources and permission to serve any one community, but to be one that only served everyone, regardless of race or creed.
The fear that this executive order placed on the nation got the attention U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Soon after this EO was issued, she fired off a letter, on Senate committee letterhead, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
In the letter, Murkowski asked that OMB issue a memorandum stating that Indian tribes and their programs would not be adversely affected by recent executive orders on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and environmental justice. The letter further asked the OMB to issue a statement that, “includes a limitation that acknowledges that nothing in the order should be construed to affect activities that implement legal requirements independent of the EOs, including “the statutory authorities, treaty, and/or trust obligations of the Department and its Bureaus/Offices to Tribal nations AND THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY.” (Emphasis added by blogger).
Murkowski wasn’t alone in this advocacy. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, which she chairs, is also co-led by Hawai‘i’s senior senator, Democrat Brian Schatz, and publicly stated its concerns and its request for information.
When this blogger got word of this letter during a conference of Native Hawaiian educators on March 28, research started on the nature of this letter and what impact it would have. At the time, which happened around the beginning of April, there was no letter of response back from OMB on the matter.
Between the release of Senator Murkowski’s letter, dated February 6, and April 25, 2025 (we’ll get back to the significance of this date in a moment), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) did not respond to her request for a statement. Notably, by the time the letter was sent, three executive orders related to DEI had already been issued: the first on January 20, targeting federal DEI programs; the second on January 21, aimed at eliminating “unlawful” bias and promoting merit-based hiring; and the third on January 29, which sought to ban the teaching of gender ideology and critical race theory in K–12 education.
So with no word by March on the matter, and these EO’s being implemented by federal departments through “Dear Colleague” letters and policy memo’s, naturally, the Native Hawaiian communities were getting nervous. News reports would highlight Hawaiian nonprofit entities worried about the future, and what they would be able to support should federal funding end.
A signal of direction, though, did appear.
On April 25, the Department of Education issued a letter in response to a similar inquiry from the National Indian Education Association. It clarified that Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native, and American Indian communities are not considered part of DEI or CRT categories. Crucially, Native history would not be treated as DEI content, shielding it from the administration’s punitive measures.
Considering that at the beginning of this administration’s service, now only 101 days ago, the narratives coming out said that Native Hawaiian issues would be seen as DEI-focused and therefore subject to the sanctions and penalties the administration was imposing on it, this clarification should come as good news to the Native Hawaiian community.
While the clarification ultimately came from a different source than Murkowski’s original inquiry, it validates the power of persistent, quiet advocacy. Even amidst the high-volume churn of the current administration, voices are still being heard—and sometimes, even heeded.
And while some could argue that this is a reversal by this administration, making the argument that anything outside of teaching or promoting an “American exceptionalism” that is wholly dependent on a homogenous, non-racial viewpoint of the United States is DEI and therefore now “illegal”, let’s chalk this development up, instead to “clearer heads prevailing” on the issue”.
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https://www.honolulumagazine.com/advocating-native-hawaiian-programs-federal-cuts/
Honolulu Magazine May 1, 2025
Advocating for Native Hawaiian Programs Amid Federal Cuts
Federal cuts and policy shifts are threatening various programs that support Native Hawaiian health care, housing, education and more.
by Christine Hitt
From housing to health to education to disaster recovery, Native Hawaiian programs are at risk of losing millions due to federal funding cuts and policy shifts.
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement’s Kāko‘o Maui Recovery Program has already faced workforce losses due to federal cuts that affect Maui’s wildfire survivor assistance. In March, Office of Hawaiian Affairs chair Kaiali‘i Kahele, CNHA CEO Kūhiō Lewis and CNHA chief of staff Nick Carroll traveled to the U.S. Capitol to advocate for Native Hawaiian interests. They met with U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, among others.
A primary focus was advocating for Native Hawaiian programs that risk being misclassified under DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) or as environmental justice initiatives,” Kahele says.
In his first month in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order rolling back DEIA policies and programs. “We’ve tried to distinguish ourselves as not part of DEI,” Lewis says. “We’re getting lumped in … largely due to people not understanding Native Hawaiians, or the difference between Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, Native Americans. But we’re an Indigenous people of America.”
The leaders fear executive orders could prevent Native Hawaiian businesses that benefit from the Small Business Administration’s Native 8(a) business development program from receiving federal contracts. Funding from the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, which supports the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, could also be delayed or reduced. Also, the Native Hawaiian Education Act could potentially lose $30 million in funding, which would affect Hawaiian immersion schools and other educational programs.
“We are extremely concerned about the renewal of some of our Hawaiian education program funds and its impact on our pūnana leo (campuses) and our immersion programs,” Lewis says. “The housing programs that help fund Department of Hawaiian Home Lands [are also] at stake. Who knows what’s going to happen next time that goes up for renewal.”
And potential cuts to the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act “could limit access to critical health services, increasing health disparities in the Native Hawaiian community,” Kahele says.
Sheri Daniels, CEO of the nonprofit Papa Ola Lōkahi, established under the act to improve the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians, says the organization “stands ready” to preserve the act for the health and well-being of kānaka maoli. “We already see that there will be changes in funding and other areas of the federal government, but are working to better understand those pivot points to leverage our established partnerships and collaborations … to support and uplift our lāhui.”
Kahele emphasizes that the public can get involved by advocating for these programs. He suggests spreading awareness through social media or community events. He also says to contact congressional representatives to urge support for Native Hawaiian education, health care and housing.
Lewis says he sees opportunities to work with the new administration and is looking for ways to overcome challenges arising for the various programs. “I think it starts with educating them on how these programs affect people, affect our culture, but it also holds America accountable for past deeds,” Lewis says. “We’ve lost all of our land, we’ve lost significant parts of our way of life. And this is helping us to perpetuate our culture, so that Native Hawaiians continue to exist, our culture continues to exist.”
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https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/05/07/hawaii-news/native-history-exempt-from-dei-crt-restrictions/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser Wednesday May 7, 2025
Native history exempt from DEI, CRT restrictions
By Victoria Budiono
The U.S. Department of Education said Native Hawaiian, American Indian and Alaska Native history will not be categorized as “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “critical race theory” under the federal government’s new directive for the nation’s schools.
“The Department is committed to all education decision-making being local by returning education to States and Tribes,” Hayley B. Sanon, acting assistant secretary of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, wrote in the letter dated April 25. “It is the position of the Department that American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian history is not classified as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or critical race theory (CRT), and the Department will not treat Native history as DEI or CRT.”
The letter was addressed to the National Indian Education Association, which was told that Native history holds a distinct political and legal status, and will be treated separately from the administration’s broader restrictions on “discriminatory equity ideology.”
The letter was a response to a Jan. 29 NIEA appeal urging the Trump administration to ensure that new federal efforts — triggered by a Jan. 28 executive order titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” — do not interfere with local and tribal authority over curriculum. The executive order prohibits the use of federal education funds to support content President Donald Trump deems “discriminatory equity ideology,” sparking concern among educators about its potential impact on culturally grounded instruction.
In the letter, NIEA emphasized the need for tribal consultation in developing the administration’s “Ending Indoctrination Strategy,” and highlighted bipartisan support for teaching Native history across the country.
“Including tribal representatives in task forces authorized to craft recommendations for the President ensures a well-rounded approach which uplifts local autonomy while honoring the federal trust responsibility to Indian Education,” NIEA Executive Director Jason Dropik wrote.
Dropik said it’s vital for tribal nations to have a seat at the table, noting that nearly 650,000 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students are enrolled in public schools nationwide.
Thirteen states currently require the teaching of tribal nations’ histories in public schools, including laws passed with broad bipartisan support. Advocates say these efforts reflect the belief that Native history is not a partisan issue, but a constitutional and cultural one.
While the federal response reassures tribal education leaders that Native-focused curriculum won’t be caught in political crossfire, some Native Hawaiian educators remain cautious. The DOE letter affirms continued support for grant programs and a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles, but it also emphasizes parental rights and local control — language often used in recent efforts to scale back DEI and culturally responsive education.
“We continue to deliver on all statutory grant programs that support American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students and are identifying ways to deliver support while reducing bureaucratic red tape and ensuring parental rights remain a national priority,” Sanon wrote.
NIEA expressed optimism about future collaboration and stressed the importance of allowing tribal nations to lead their own educational approaches.
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the U.S. DOE’s stance is the outcome of continued advocacy from Native-serving organizations and lawmakers representing Indigenous communities.
He explained that the department’s April 25 letter to the National Indian Education Association outlines its position, clarifying that Native Hawaiian, American Indian and Alaska Native history, along with federally funded education programs for these communities, are not categorized under DEI- or CRT-related initiatives. He also emphasized that the department remains committed to fulfilling its legal obligations to Native communities.
Case noted that other federal departments are taking similar actions. He pointed to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Secretary’s Order No. 3416, which affirms that the department’s obligations to Native communities remain intact despite changes in DEI-related directives.
The order, signed Jan. 30, officially ended the department’s DEIA programs, implementing two Trump administration executive orders that terminated equity-related initiatives, calling them “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
It specifies that all offices and positions related to DEI, Diversity, Equity, Justice and Accessibility and Environmental Justice, including governing bodies like the “Equity Action Team,” as well as equity action plans, policies, initiatives, grants, contracts and performance requirements related to equity for employees, contractors or grantees, will be eliminated “to the fullest extent permitted by law.”
Despite this the Department of the Interior acknowledged its ongoing legal responsibilities to Native peoples, stating, “Nothing in this Order shall be construed to eliminate … the statutory authorities, treaty, and/or trust obligations of the Department … to Tribal Nations and the Native Hawaiian Community.”
Case said the order underscores the importance of protecting Native-serving programs from the political debates surrounding DEI and CRT. The ongoing effort, led by Native-serving organizations and lawmakers, is focused on ensuring that Native history and programs are kept separate from these controversial categories, thereby ensuring continued support and the upholding of federal obligations to Native communities.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, has also actively been involved in advocating for Native Hawaiian communities amid policy shifts by the Trump administration.
As vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, he has co-led efforts to ensure that Native Hawaiian history and federally funded education programs are not classified under DEI or CRT initiatives, and criticized the proposed closure of the U.S. DOE, warning that such actions would severely affect Native students and schools across the country by slashing funding for essential resources.
In a statement to the Star-Advertiser, Schatz said programs like DEI and CRT “have broad bipartisan support and are helping meet the unique educational needs of Native students in Hawaii and across the country.”
“We are pleased that the administration is acknowledging that the federal law is binding and cannot be waived away by an executive order.”
Still, Case warned, these safeguards are not guaranteed.
“There are several cautions,” he said. “First, each federal agency usually has some flexibility to interpret and implement executive orders for its own purposes, and so the result in another federal agency on whether Native Hawaiian programs are subject to DEI/CRT could be different. Second, the USDOE position could change. Third, aside from DEI/CRT, all of these programs are under the budget microscope.
“All of which is to say that we must continue to work very hard to protect critical Native Hawaiian efforts on multiple fronts in both the administration and Congress.”
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** Ken Conklin's online comment:
Hawaiian race-activists have been successful in getting media to repeat this phrase so often that people falsely believe it identifies a single category: "Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians". First of all, there are hundreds of federally recognized Indian tribes (i.e., Native Americans) and many dozens more wannabe tribes who have been rejected for federal recognition or are still seeking it. Likewise for Alaska native groups, who are actually recognized as corporations rather than tribes. But so-called "Native Hawaiians" have never been federally recognized --just remember the 13-year struggle over the "Akaka bill" (2000-2012) pushed hard by Democrats, passed the U.S. House 3 times but successfully rejected in the Senate each time thanks to Republican filibusters. Obama's Dept. of Interior successfully proclaimed a new federal regulation 43CFR50 taking effect on November 14, 2016, at the end of Obama's presidency, establishing a procedure for ethnic Hawaiians to create an Indian tribe and to offer the tribe's documents to DOI to get fed rec; but there has been no effort to implement it, probably because OHA/KSBE/CNHA realize most ethnic Hawaiians don't want to become an Indian tribe.
"Native Hawaiians" are nothing like an Indian tribe. The claim that there is a "federal trust relationship" with NH is a political football which has been kicked forward and backward for several decades with each change of which political party controls the Presidency. Dem DOI Solicitor Generals have published official memorandums saying "yes" at the beginning or end of their terms, while Republican DOI Solicitor Generals have published memorandums officially retracting and repudiating the previous Dem memos, often providing many pages of historical information and legal arguments in refutation. I have written detailed summaries of both sides of this political football game in my hundred-page testimonies in 2015 and 2016 opposing what became 43CFR50 (see my website). Key names to look for are Ferguson, Sansonetti, Leshy.
The fact that generous benefits have been given repeatedly over time does not create a trust relationship nor any sort of ongoing obligation between donor and recipient. The assertion that there is a federal trust relationship with ethnic Hawaiians is a political football affirmed by Democrat administrations but denied by Republican administrations, demonstrating that the assertion is a matter of politics but not established in law. Even if the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (1921) and its incorporation into the Hawaii statehood Admissions Act (1959) are viewed as establishing a federal trust relationship, the largest group with whom that relationship would exist would be native Hawaiians with at least 50% (or perhaps now 25%) blood quantum; but it could well be argued that only the smaller group of people officially registered on the DHHL waiting list would have that trust relationship; or perhaps only the much smaller list of people who actually have been granted a lease from DHHL would have that trust relationship. The alleged trust relationship based on HHCA certainly cannot be used to open the door to federal recognition of a governing entity for the now-more-than 700,000 people who have as little as one drop of Hawaiian blood, which would suddenly become America's largest Indian tribe. The fact that the U.S. has never taken action to enforce the alleged trust relationship, even in the face of well-documented and highly publicized corruption and mismanagement by DHHL, tends to show that even in a Democrat administration the government does not feel sufficiently confident that the alleged trust relationship actually exists.
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2025/05/ke-aupuni-update-may-2025-adopted-or.html
Free Hawaii blog, Ke Aupuni update Saturday May 10, 2025
Adopted or Kidnapped?
They told us we were adopted, but then we found out we were kidnapped.
This analogy plainly describes the crime that was committed against multiple generations of Hawaiian people. It also reveals to the nature and severity of the abuse and injury of the crime. The taking of Hawaii by the United States is not a trivial misunderstanding in semantics; it is a monstrous crime.
In essence, we Hawaiians were stolen as children and raised in the house of our captors, believing for decades that the U.S., like a parent, had our best interest at heart.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that questions arose and the “adoption” narrative began to unravel. Why were Hawaiian families being evicted from lands that they had lived on and worked for generations? Why was the US Navy still bombing Kahoʻolawe? Why were Hawaiians still not receiving lands designated form them since 1920? Why was our language and culture disappearing, except for use as window dressing for the tourist industry? Why did we revere George Washinton and Abraham Lincoln and pledge our allegiance to America as our mother country? Why did we speak, think and act like Americans?
So, what happens to those who were told they were adopted, then found out they had been kidnapped? It is hard to believe at first. Then comes the sense of horror and revulsion; that what you thought was true was not real, and those you trusted had been deceitful and used you. Then come the questions of why? Then what to do about fixing it.
Many older Hawaiians struggled over the sense of allegiance. They had lived their lives believing in America and teaching their children to be Americans. Then, suddenly, they were confronted with a group of young Hawaiian activists questioning and challenging the very core of their identity as loyal Americans. For them it was a struggle…
Then there were those suffering with a condition that in the early 1970s phycologists identified as the Stockholm Syndrome, wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their captor’s agenda and demands.
As the truth became known, is it any wonder that Hawaiians became upset? Is it any wonder that Hawaiians were revulsed by the notion of going back to live under the same roof as their captor/abuser? Is it any wonder Hawaiians called out for justice?
Is it any wonder that many have a strong aversion to return to captivity, and saw those who are negotiating with the captors for tribal status under “(US) federal recognition” as betrayers and collaborators?
And as for those who were born in the 1970s and later, they grew up in a time when the truth of Hawaiʻi’s situation was not only exposed and openly debated, but the remedy hashed out and identified — Independence.
That is why Hawaiians have been insisting that the only acceptable solution to the unlawful, prolonged U.S. occupation of Hawaiʻi, and the path to true expression of Hawaiian identity — Aloha ʻĀina — is through the restoration of Hawaii as an independent country. Recent events are indicating this concept is starting to become mainstream.
Aloha ʻĀina
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – log in to PayPal and pay to the account, info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Malama Pono, Leon Siu, Hawaiian National
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https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/05/11/hawaii-news/legislature-honors-hawaiian-history-culture-despite-anti-dei-efforts/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser Sunday May 11, 2025
Legislature honors Hawaiian history, culture despite anti-DEI efforts
By Talia Sibilla
** Photo captions
Kaneohe resident Roy Watanabe enjoyed a laulau lunch Saturday with great-grandson Ezio Reyna and granddaughter Alexis Reyna at Waiahole Poi Factory in Kahaluu.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Participants honor Queen Lili‘uokalani with a birthday celebration at Iolani Palace.
COURTESY MALIA NOBREGA-OLIVERA / 2023
The state Legislature designated September as Hawaiian History Month and separately made the first Friday of May Laulau Day, despite concerns about the Trump administration’s anti-DEI policies.
The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI policies and programs didn’t stop the state Legislature from designating September as Hawaiian History Month and naming the first Friday in May as Laulau Day.
Lawmakers in January began considering declaring the two observances then sent the proposals to Gov. Josh Green for consideration a week before it was revealed last week that the U.S. Department of Education had decided that Native Hawaiian history would not be categorized as “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “critical race theory” under the federal government’s new directive for the nation’s schools.
The Legislature’s decision to send the separate bills to Green followed in the footsteps of generations of Hawaiian defiance of the U.S. government, according to Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwo‘ole Osorio, dean of the University of Hawaii’s Hawai‘inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge.
He is hoping Green signs the latest versions of Senate Bill 1051 and House Bill 957 into law.
“This is exactly the time where, in Hawaii, we basically have to say, ‘Well, we don’t really care what the federal government does,’” Osorio said. “This is about us. This is about our people.
“This is not a time for people to be cautious or ashamed of what we embrace. This is a time to be defiant.”
SB 1051 was introduced at the start of the recently concluded legislative session to designate the month of September as Hawaiian History Month to promote public awareness of state history, honor Queen Lili‘uokalani and recognize the contributions of the Native Hawaiian community.
Separately, the latest version of HB 957 officially recognizes the first Friday in May as Laulau Day, celebrating a traditional Hawaiian dish made of fatty protein wrapped in luau leaves and ti leaves, then steamed for hours.
The state already marks other celebratory days to highlight the diversity of culture in Hawaii, including Buddha Day on April 8, Kimchi Day on Nov. 18 and Sakada Day on Dec. 20, but the two bills awaiting Green’s approval would specifically support Native Hawaiian culture.
SB 1051 follows efforts to highlight Hawaiian voices and stories by the Hawai‘i Pono‘i Coalition, formed in 2007 to educate residents and visitors to the islands on local history and culture.
Celebrating Queen Lili‘uokalani by honoring Hawaii history goes back even further, according to Malia Nobrega-Olivera, director of strategic partnerships and community engagement at the Hawai‘inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, who works with the Hawai‘i Pono‘i Coalition to hold celebrations every September in honor of the beloved monarch’s birthday Sept. 2.
“At least 25 years or more we have been organizing in honor of Lili‘u on her birthday,” she said.
Officially designating every September as Hawaiian History Month would affect everyone who lives in or visits the islands, Nobrega-Olivera said.
“I see it as a really big opportunity for anyone that is a part of Hawaii, that touches Hawaii, that travels to Hawaii, that lives here, eats here, breathes here, to really learn about the true history of Hawaii,” she said.
“When you think about everything that’s happening with Trump, now, even more so, everyone that lives here in Hawaii should look at ‘what is the history of this place.’”
The coalition holds public events throughout September, including film screenings, living history plays, concerts, walks and church events, to get the community involved.
“September shouldn’t only be the month where we talk about and discuss Hawaiian history,” Nobrega-Olivera said. “It’s really a way for us to kick it off and get us excited again.”
Growing up in Hanapepe and descended from a family of Kauai salt makers, Nobrega-Olivera was surrounded by Hawaiian culture in a place where “we’re the last community to make salt in this way.”
But it was only later, through her education at UH-Manoa, that she learned to speak Hawaiian and got a deeper appreciation of Hawaii’s history and Hawaiian culture.
She said that when she took her first Hawaiian language class, “I usually like to say my life got changed. It made me look at who we are as a people, and it helped me look deeper into who am I.”
So she knows how important cultural education can be for younger generations if Hawaiian History Month becomes enshrined in state law.
“Because of learning my language, my history and my culture just became so much more alive,” Nobrega-Olivera said.
Similarly, HB 957 would make Laulau Day an opportunity to further celebrate and connect with Hawaiians and the broader local culture through food, said Rep. Darius Kila (D, Nanakuli-Maili), who introduced the measure.
Just before the full House approved Laulau Day, in the final days of the legislative session that ended May 2, Kila stood before his House colleagues to make an emotional plea that emphasized the appeal of laulau to anyone from Hawaii seeking a connection to home.
Laulau Day, Kila said, would be “for every ohana that knows when you open the pot and see the steam, you are home and you are in Hawaii.”
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** Ken Conklin's online comment:
We need a Hawaii state holiday annually on April 23 to honor the birthday of Sanford B. Dole. He was native-born in Hawaii at Punahou, twice elected to the Kingdom legislature representing Koloa. He was father (either biological or hanai) of Elizabeth Napoleon Dole Low, from whom are descended numerous ethnic Hawaiian cultural leaders including Nainoa Thompson. Dole was appointed Justice of the Supreme Court by both King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani, resigned honorably before the revolution of 1893 that overthrew the monarchy, and served as President of the revolutionary Provisional Government. He was elected President of the permanent Republic of Hawaii, and received letters in 11 languages addressed to him throughout Fall 1894 officially recognizing the Republic as the rightful successor government, personally signed by Emperors, Kings, Queens, and Presidents of at least 19 nations on 4 continents. President Dole's ambassadors negotiated the Treaty of Annexation offered by Hawaii in 1897 which the U.S.A. agreed to in 1898. In 1900 he became the first Governor of the Territory of Hawaii; and then in 1903 was appointed Judge on the U.S. District Court in Honolulu where he served until retirement.
We also need to declare March as Missionary Month to honor the first company of missionaries, including several native Hawaiians, sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, who arrived in March 1820 from Boston after a voyage of 5 months and 18,000 miles. From 1820-1863, the ABCFM sent 12 boatloads of missionaries, who brought numerous cultural elements eagerly appropriated by Hawaii's natives including reading, writing, Christian religion, Western technology and medical knowledge.
** Conklin's additional online comment a couple hours later:
This article is one of the weirdest I have ever seen at this newspaper. But it takes a little time to notice the weirdness -- It's like eating something and then an hour later part of it comes back up and you choke on it.
The article is classified as a "news" story, but it feels like an editorial (actually not especially unusual for this newspaper!). Then I noticed that the author's name is very unfamiliar -- and there is absolutely nothing to tell what is her affiliation with the newspaper or how to find her other articles or how to contact her. Every normal news report has the writer's name in italics as a clickable link providing such information, or else there's an explanatory note at the end. So to circumvent the "stealth" authorship I went to Google and put in the following search, which I encourage other readers to do:
"Talia Sibilla" hawaii
She is apparently a youthful and privileged transplant from Portland, and brand new graduate from UH Manoa (or perhaps not even a graduate yet?), where she clearly drank the DEI/CRT koolaid. She apparently spent the past couple of months as a student at UH also getting some experience as an "intern" at this newspaper, and now this article is her first big break into the news biz. So congrats, I guess. Even if this newspaper saves money by "hiring" interns to write articles without monetary payment, at least she gets paid "in kind" and gets a leg up in a journalistic or public relations career by having her name printed as author of a published "news report" with placement on the front page of the "local news" section of the Sunday newspaper. Wowie.
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https://indianz.com/News/2025/05/12/lumbee-tribe-still-waiting-on-federal-recognition-report-as-trump-threatens-indian-country-funding/
Indianz.com Monday May 12, 2025
Lumbee Tribe still waiting on federal recognition report as Trump threatens Indian Country funding
By Acee Agoyo
** Excerpts by Ken Conklin; emphasis added by Ken Conklin for portions focused on Native Hawaiians.
The Lumbee Tribe has yet to receive a federal recognition report promised by President Donald Trump, who is now calling for major cuts in funding for Indian Country.
In an update shared on Friday, Lumbee Chairman John L. Lowery said the Department of the Interior completed the report more than two weeks ago. However, he revealed that he has not seen the document because he believes it is being held at the White House. ... Three days after taking office on January 20, Trump ordered the Secretary of the Interior — a cabinet position that was vacant at the time — to come up with a “plan to assist the Lumbee Tribe in obtaining full Federal recognition through legislation or other available mechanisms, including the right to receive full Federal benefits.” ... More than 100 days later, the Lumbee report and its contents remain unknown. But a spokesperson for Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who took office on February 1, confirmed that a “plan” has indeed been completed. ...
Despite lacking a government-to-government relationship with the United States, the Lumbees are considered a tribal entity by the state of North Carolina. State status has led to the receipt of federal funds, such as millions of dollars from Indian housing programs that Trump is now asking Congress to cut as part of his fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. “Overall, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina received more than $78 million awarded by 10 programs in six federal agencies during the 4-year period,” a report from the Government Accountability Office in 2012 stated.
But Trump is seeking to reduce funding for Native programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by a whopping $479 million, according to his May 2 request. THAT INCLUDES A PROPOSAL TO OUTRIGHT ELIMINATE HOUSING GRANTS FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS — WHO ALSO LACK FEDERAL RECOGNITION, JUST LIKE THE LUMBEES.
“CONSISTENT WITH SIMILAR BUDGET PROPOSALS ELIMINATING HOUSING PROGRAMS, THE BUDGET ELIMINATES THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANT,” THE PROPOSAL READS. “THE PROGRAM HAS LARGE BALANCES AND ONLY ONE GRANTEE, WHICH WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATELY FUNDED BY THE STATE OF HAWAII.” ...
“UPON OUR INITIAL REVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT’S PROPOSED BUDGET, THE ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES CUTS TO KEY PROGRAMS WITHIN HUD, INCLUDING THE IHBG COMPETITIVE GRANTS, AND ELIMINATES THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANT (NHHBG),” RUDY SOTO, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HOUSING COUNCIL SAID IN A MAY 2 UPDATE TO TRIBES.
“Indian Country programs and funding are provided on the basis of our unique political status and are legally required by trust and treaty obligations and associated implementing statutes,” a coalition of tribal governments said in a February 21 letter to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner.
The Lumbees have been seeking federal recognition from the U.S. since the late 1800s. Over the decades, they have identified with and affiliated themselves with such diverse and divergent Indian groups as the Croatan, the Cherokee and the Tuscarora.
More recently, the Lumbees settled on a claim of being descended from the Cheraw people. They asserted the connection in testimony to Congress and in a petition for federal recognition that they submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in 1987. The BIA is part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), the government agency with the most trust and treaty responsibilities to tribes and their communities.
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2025/05/ke-aupuni-update-may-2025-primary.html
Free Hawaii blog, Ke Aupuni Update Saturday May 24, 2025
Primary Objectives at the UN in Geneva
During the last two weeks of June, I will be at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland to participate in Session 59 of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to continue protesting the egregious human rights violations being perpetrated on the Hawaiian people by the United States in its prolonged illegal occupation of the Hawaiian Islands.
There are five items that we are urging the Members of the Human Rights Council and other members of the United Nations and the international community to act upon:
To call on the HRC to urge the UN General Assembly to conduct a review of the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 1469 of 12 December 1959, by which the United Nations became complicit in the United States’ fraud of Hawaii statehood.
To call for a stop to the State of Hawaii’s ongoing taking and selling of lands, private and public, and for the return of these lands to their rightful owners as defined, secured and protected under the laws of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
To call for a stop to the State of Hawaii’s arbitrary detention, incarceration, property seizure and other forms of discriminatory persecution and harassment directed at Hawaiian Nationals living in the Hawaiian Islands.
To strongly object to the United States hyper-militarization of Hawaii which makes the Island of Oahu, and its 1 million people the target for nuclear annihilation by enemies of the United States.
To question the United States at its upcoming (October 2025) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) regarding the serious human rights violations being perpetrated in the Hawaiian Islands.
Those are the 5 main items we are pursuing at the UN in Geneva.
Item 5 refers to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a formal review of the Human Rights policies and record of each member of the United Nations. It takes about 5 years for the Review to cycle through each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations.
The reviews take place at the Human Rights Council meetings in Geneva. The Koani Foundation and Ke Aupuni Hawaii filed reports and attended the first 4 USA reviews. I am pleased to report that a few weeks ago we again filed a Shadow Report with the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (Read it here - TinyURL.com/UNShadowReport) and this Fall, we will attend the 5th UPR of the USA.
Aloha ʻĀina
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – log in to PayPal and pay to the account, info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Malama Pono, Leon Siu, Hawaiian National
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https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/06/07/editorial/kauakukalahale/column-pehea-la-e-hemo-ai-ka-naio/
Honolulu Star-Advertiser weekly Hawaiian language column Saturday June 7, 2025
Pehea lā e hemo ai ka naio?
By Laiana Wong
Synopsis: The ringworm of colonization is firmly established within us. We need to support the endeavors of our people to transcend that predicament. The colonizer must be overcome from within. We cannot wait for some outside force to do the job.
** Ken Conklin's copy of the English translation done by Google online translator robot:
How to get rid of naio? [pinworm]
Hello friends. That might be a stupid question to post above. Perhaps the answer lies in the meaning of "colonial". This word was created to express the idea of "colonized" through the Hawaiian language. Because of the closeness of these two words, "colony" was brought from Kahiki and its meaning is the same as that of a foreigner. However, it still has a Hawaiian feel. Some friends, Kalani Makekau-Whitaker and Kaleikoa Kaeo, have shown that it is the same thing that creeps into the heart. And therefore, the one who is colonized, he has no knowledge of that type of intoxication. Again, said Kaleikoa, we are all colonized. No one escaped. And here's the thing, all the work we do is guided by that naio. It is hypocritical to call someone a colonist. Naio may encourage this work. When will he get rid of it?
There are many new things in the country. The government, the laws, the technologies, the environment, and so on, all with words, such as the environment. There is no place that is not touched by the voice of a foreigner. The same goes for entertainment shows. Last week, I watched the movie Lilo and Stitch at the cinema. Since the outbreak of the Covid disease, I rarely go to the cinema in person, and therefore, the idea has been taken away from the good times. At the end of that picture, the imagination was really happy. A few days after that, I heard a lot of noise disparaging Disney's hard work, stealing the Hawaiian culture, and using it as a way to make money. In other words, apart from some actors, where pictures were taken, and some words, there are few Hawaiian things!
Hey, my friend, all those excuses are correct. It cannot be spread. However, another question can be raised, that is, "Who is not colonized?" I often say that from the time foreigners first set foot on our land, foreign ideas began to invade Hawai'i society. And now, it's so tight, there's nothing to loosen! In the past, when the Hawaiians were standing in the boat, and also with the Hawaiian language (even though they didn't call it Hawai'i), it wasn't a problem. However, as the years passed, it was seen that the religion, the government, the language, etc., changed and became things that were led by foreigners. There is no place that the foreigner does not enter, and this is also the case with movies.
How should it be? For me, we have the right to work hard in all our work to serve. If the power is with Disney now, it will continue to work until the time when the right to lead that work will be lost. That is the time when we will succeed without living under foreign rule. But here is the problem. The long-term attachment of food to foreigner's activities will become a new alahula [way of dancing] for us, and we will forget the way of our ancestors. It is good for us to stand up to that situation, and also stand up with choosing our own path. All the activities mentioned above, we will lead as we think is right - and we will support each other in going that way.
** Ken Conklin's online comment to Wong's article on Star-Advertiser website::
Oh, pity the poor author Laiana Wong, who confesses that even his own mind has been infested by the pinworms of foreign colonization which have crawled into it. Wong loves wordplay, and in this essay he takes apart the Hawaiianized version of the English word for "colonized". Many concepts unknown to Hawaiians became Hawaiianized by stealing the English word and transliterating it to sound like a Hawaiian word, following Hawaiian grammatical rules such as: any pair of consonants must be separated by a vowel, and every word must end with a vowel. Thus "colonized" becomes "kolonaia". And it occurs to Wong that kolonaia can be broken into kolo, which means to creep or crawl, and naio, which is a bloodworm or pinworm. How clever of Wong to notice this! Following the arrival of British/American explorers and businessmen, the Hawaiian natives eagerly embraced Christianity, reading, writing, the rule of law rather than brutal dictatorship, etc. But now Wong and his anti-ha-ole buddies regard those things as parasites that have infested their culture just as non-natives have crept into their beds and infested their genealogies. They wish they could call Roto-rooter to come and purify their blood, minds, and culture. For several decades Hawaiian sovereignty zealots have been using the phrase "decolonize the mind" which this essay parrots. Some advice for Wong and his buddies: self-loathing is a terrible psychological illness; perhaps you should see a professional who might be able to help you overcome it. The trouble is that after you rip out all the stuff you hate, what's left behind might be little more than an empty husk.
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https://mauinow.com/2025/06/09/maui-police-detective-asks-ag-if-he-is-liable-for-war-crimes-by-enforcing-american-laws/
Maui Now online newspaper Monday June 9, 2025
Maui police detective asks AG if he is liable for war crimes by enforcing American laws
Attorney General Anne Lopez has received a 10-page letter, with attachments, from Edward Halealoha Ayau who is the attorney representing Maui Police Detective Kamuela Lanakila Mawae. That letter addresses legal concerns regarding the status of Hawaiʻi as an occupied State and potential war crimes being committed by law enforcement officers, according to a news release from Ayau.
In 2022, Mawae and Patrolman Scott McCalister requested legal services regarding Hawaiʻi’s political status. They sought assurance that enforcing US laws does not violate international law. On behalf of Mawae and McCalister, Chief John Pelletier formally requested legal services from Maui’s Corporation Counsel. Ayau called the response “evasive” and said “did not address what was asked.”
In 2024, a letter from Mawae and 36 other retired and active police officers urged Major General Kenneth Hara to establish a military government in Hawaiʻi. They expressed concern over the lack of transition to military governance, which could implicate officers in unlawful actions.
In that letter they stated, “It is deeply troubling that the State of Hawaiʻi has not been transitioned into a military government as mandated by international law. This failure of transition places current police officers on duty that they may be held accountable for unlawfully enforcing American laws. This very issue was brought to the attention of the Maui County Corporation Counsel by Maui Police Chief John Pelletier in 2022.”
Ayau’s letter referred to former Sen. Cross Makani Crabbe’s request to the Attorney General dated Sept. 19, 2024, for a legal opinion on Hawaiʻi’s status, emphasizing the need for clarity on its legality. Crabbe made the request because of his concern that he and other members of the Legislature were committing war crimes by enacting American laws. Crabbe stated in his request, “As a senator that represents the 22nd district, I am very concerned by these allegations that the State of Hawaiʻi, as a governing body, is not legal because the Hawaiian Kingdom continues to exist as an occupied State under international law.” The Attorney General has not responded, which Ayau stated is now at eight months since the initial request.
Ayau’s letter references legal opinions from scholars asserting the Hawaiian Kingdom’s continued existence under international law. It highlights the absence of a treaty ceding Hawaiian sovereignty to the United States, questioning the legitimacy of US claims to sovereignty over Hawaiʻi and the impact it has on all law enforcement officers of the State of Hawaiʻi and the four counties.
Ayau cites expert and scholar, Professor William Schabas from Middlesex University London, who authored a legal opinion for the Royal Commission of Inquiry identifying war crimes being committed since Jan. 17, 1893. One of those war crimes is the unlawful imposition of American laws and administrative measures within the territory of an occupied State, which is called the war crime of usurpation of sovereignty during military occupation.
In the letter, Ayau stated, “on behalf of my client, I am respectfully submitting to you a deadline by June 11, 2025, for you to make public the legal opinion, as formally requested by former Sen. Crabbe, that clearly states, by citing sources of international law, i.e. treaties, custom, general principles of law, and judicial decisions and scholarly writings, that the State of Hawaiʻi is within the territory of the United States and not within the territory of the Kingdom.” He also stated that if “you do not make public your legal opinion by this day, my client will be forced to comply with the law of occupation.”
“In 1893, a political crime was committed by the United States against the Hawaiian Kingdom,” said Ayau, “and this led to the American theft of a country that was internationally recognized worldwide.” He then stated, “we are repatriating our country according to the rules of international law so that this American occupation will come to an end.”
=========
http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2025/06/ke-aupuni-update-june-2025-hawaiian-or.html
Free Hawaii blog Ke Aupuni Update Saturday June 14, 2025
Hawaiian or American?
On January 17, 1993 at the Onipaʻa rally protesting the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Haunani Kay Trask boldly declared, “We are not Americans! We are not Americans! We are not Americans! We are not Americans! We are Hawaiians! We will die as Hawaiians! We will never be Americans!” It was a shocking line-in-the-sand challenge, a head-on confrontation of our identity in crisis. Over the past 32 years, many have cone to understand and embrace our identity and our legacy.
I haven’t seen it yet, but friends say that in the Disney film, Lilo and Stich, when the CIA agent tells Lilo that their main job is protect Americans, Lilo says, “But we’re Americans too!” My friends said there was a noticeable groan from the audience. Some people booed. My friends said, that one line ruined the whole film for them. Apparently, the Disney writers (and local script consultants?) “didn’t get the memo” and completely missed that crucial distinction… We are not Americans!
The point is, 30 years ago, 20 years ago and even 10 years ago, the average Hawaii movie-goer would have completely missed that glaring error. But today, Lilo, a bright young Hawaiian tita, would have known she is not an American and would thanked the CIA agent for acknowledging that fact.
Having been in the movement from the early 70s, I am amazed how far we’ve come. I’ve noticed that the term “mainland” when referring to America, is being used less frequently. The McKinley statue (and the name of the school), are now regarded as offensive icons of the hewa (wrong, bad) of the U.S. presence in in Hawaii.
The “Overthrow”, the “Annexation” and “Statehood” are seen as illegal acts. Hawaii’s “relationship” with the U.S. is now called, “a proplonged illegal occupation”; and an “international criminal enterprise,”
Current problems like poverty, homelessness, are seen as the result of the the Illegal Occupation. Nation-to-nation (federal tribal recognition) is out, full independence is in.
What we see happening is not just reclaiming our true Hawaiian identity, it is decoupling from the fake American one of dependency and destruction. The direction for Hawaii is to decouple from the US and make our own way into the future.
Aloha Aina, Kapu Aloha, Malama Aina, Kuleana, Pono, Aloha I Kekahi I Kekahi… These are not just awesome words and slogans. This is who we are… Hawaiians. These are the foundational principles of our nation rising.
Aloha ʻĀina
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – log in to PayPal and pay to the account, info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Malama Pono, Leon Siu, Hawaiian National
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http://freehawaii.blogspot.com/2025/06/ke-aupuni-update-june-2025-adversarial.html
Free Hawaii blog, Ke Aupuni Update Saturday June 28, 2025
Adversarial or Diplomatic
The UN has 4 headquarters. The two main ones are in New York and Geneva, Switzerland. The other two are in Vienna, Austria and Nairobi, Kenya.
The biggest UN facility by far is the one that sprawls over 114 acres in Geneva, Switzerland, which is where I visit several times a year to maintain advocacy for Hawaii’s independence. I also make trips to the iconic New York headquarters three or four times a year. This Ke Aupuni Update is coming to you from Geneva where I am currently winding down from another visit to the UN Human Rights Council at the Palais des Nations.
People in Hawaii often confuse the UN in Geneva, with the international courts at The Hague. They are not the same. The Hague is a city in the Netherlands and is the home to three of the most prominent international courts: the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The famous Lance Larsen v. the Hawaiian Kingdom case took place in the year 2000 there at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Conflating Geneva and the Hague not only reveals confusion over the venue for settling international disputes, it reveals confusion over the approach for settling disputes: legal or political. Or another way of putting it, adversarial or diplomatic.
Because we have been focused so much on the legal wrongs in what happened to us in Hawaii, we tend to see everything in legal terms. The misuse of laws to take our lands, our identity, and abuses to our rights and our freedoms keep us fixated on looking at legal mechanisms and remedies.
Therefore, many think that our going to the UN is like going to a court. It is not. The difference between the legal and diplomatic approach.
In a court of law, legal arguments are presented and judges or other persons in authority make decisions based on how good your legal arguments are. The legal approach creates an adversarial setting, where legal experts battle each other about points of law, with one side eventually beating the other side, winning a judgement in its favor.
But diplomacy is not an argument, it’s a negotiation. It works best by making friends and respecting one another. By seeking how things can be worked out. By bringing goodwill and friendliness into the picture to resolve a problem together. It is more on the line of ho’oponopno, putting things into proper balance.
The legal approach is like making war. The diplomatic approach is making Aloha. That is definitely more our style.
Aloha ʻĀina
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort
To contribute, go to:
• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII
• PayPal – log in to PayPal and pay to the account, info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Malama Pono, Leon Siu, Hawaiian National
------------------
https://kawaiola.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/KaWaiOla-July2025.pdf
Ka Wai Ola [OHA monthly newspaper] Iulai (July) 2025 | Vol. 42, No. 07, page 3
Owning Our Ea: Reflections From Palau and Aotearoa on Indigenous Self-Governance
** Ken Conklin's note: "Ea" is sovereignty; "Aotearoa" [Long white cloud] is the Maori name for the island of New Zealand.
Aloha kakou,
I was recently blessed with the extraordinary opportunity, as an Omidyar Fellow, to shape a deeply personal and powerful Individual Impact Experience. I journeyed to Palau and Aotearoa, traveling with a singular purpose – to understand how our Pacific cousins have built and sustained successful models of Indigenous self-governance.
I spent a week in Palau, engaged in conversations with traditional leaders. Their wisdom was profoundly rooted in genealogical memory and lived resilience. Each night I transcribed our talks, sorting through their insight to discover what I could carry home to transform the work and kuleana of OHA.
Palau’s struggle to retain its ancestral lands, protect its language, and practice its customs is familiar. Yet what struck me most was how vigorously their traditional leaders assert their ea (sovereignty). Their system of co-governance, balancing Indigenous leadership with western political frameworks, proves that both forms of governance can exist in tandem.
In Aotearoa I was welcomed by the leaders of Kiingitanga and Waikato-Tainui. The Māori story of colonization, resistance, survival and revival resonates profoundly with our own. The Kiingitanga is a powerful cultural force, moving resolutely toward the vision of a unified Māori nation. Waikato-Tainui has leveraged a $150 million settlement into a $2 billion economic powerhouse, one that fuels not only tribal prosperity but the assertion of political sovereignty. This is economic ea, not for wealth’s sake, but as a platform for justice, dignity, and self-rule.
Ea is not lost in Hawaiʻi, it is very much alive across the pae ʻāina. From Hāʻena to Kāʻū, communities are leading with ancestral intelligence, reviving language, stewarding ʻāina, and reasserting our right to govern ourselves.
We have an opportunity to build regional self-governance rooted in each moku; responsive to local needs, and reflective of our collective ea. OHA has a critical role to play in supporting and resourcing this growth, not as the authority, but as an advocate and provider of infrastructure, funding, and legal support to empower communities charting their own course.
In both Palau and Aotearoa, formalized Indigenous governance structures directly inform and shape local decision-making, natural resource management, and education. Their governance has a physical presence: in Palau, bai (traditional meeting houses) are the sacred spaces for decision-making among chiefs; in Aotearoa, marae function as the epicenter of tribal life and governance. These spaces are not symbolic, they are essential. They codify the authority of Indigenous governance. We must build our own hale hālāwai (meeting houses) in each moku to ground our ea in place and practice.
In both Palau and Aotearoa there is a fierce reclamation of land and language. And, importantly, their people vote. In both nations, Indigenous communities are powerful voting blocs. They organize, mobilize, and assert their presence within national political systems, not to assimilate, but to influence laws and policies.
In Hawaiʻi we have everything we need to grow our ea. It begins by believing that our self-governance is not a distant memory, but the work of the present.
Me ka ha‘aha‘a,
Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira
Ka Pouhana | Chief Executive Officer
==================
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