The Kingdom of Hawaii

1
The Kingdom of Hawaii?
2
The Original Kingdom of Hawaii

• Islands originally unified by Kamehameha I
• 1887- King Kalakaua forced to sign the Bayonet
  Constitution sharply curtailing monarchial powers

3
Dissolution of the Kingdom

• 1893- Queen Liliuokalani prepares to announce a
  new constitution
• American backed group declares the plan
  revolutionary and seizes power on January 17th
• Liliuokalani surrenders sovereignty to US,
  officially abdicates under pressure in 1895
• Dies in 1917 without heir, the heir she selected
  also dies childless

4
The Apology Bill

• Passed unanimously by Congress and signed into
  law by president Clinton Nov. 23, 1993

• Apologizes for the illegal actions supported by
  the US in disposing Queen Liliuokalani and
  recognizes that Hawaii was a sovereign nation
• Activists argue that the final result of this
  bill must be an independent Hawaii

5
After the Bill

• 1993- Hawaii passes Act 359, forming the
  Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission
• Sends out ballots in 1996, aprox. 33,000
  returned, of which 30,423 are countable
• 73.28 of voters want to elect delegates for a
  convention to form a new Hawaiian sovereign
  state

6
The Delegates Assemble

• May 13th 14th, 1999 Conference on Reinstating
  the Lawful Hawaiian Government
• April 29, 2000, a new constitution is ratified
  Henry Noa becomes prime minister
• Claims all property owned by the Kingdom of
  Hawaii prior to 1893

7
The Man who would be King

• King Akahi Nui, aka James Akahi, alleged
  grandnephew of Queen Liliuokalani
• Crowned Feb. 22, 1998
• Has his own diplomatic passport and is recognized
  by the UN, but is not elected by the interim
  government or even mentioned by most sovereignty
  groups
• King has a symbolic role in the new government
  anyway

8
Tangled States

• English and Hawaiian both recognized as official
  languages by the new government
• Most eligible voters in Hawaii are not actually
  native Hawaiians
• Hawaiians recognized as a race, not a political
  group by the US government, so they lack the
  power of most tribes
• From a pro-secession website although the
  Office of Hawaiian Affairs is an agency of the
  illegal state of Hawaii, they have some valuable
  programs for the betterment of the lives of the
  Hawaiian people.

9
Where Are They Now?

• Although the reinstated government has claimed
  all land previously owned by Hawaii, none of it
  seems to have been returned
• Cant agree on a flag for the new nation