HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 495 Draft 02 1988-1992COUNTY OF HA1M/Ltl~~~" ~'~'ATE OF HAWAII `
RESOLUTION No. 495 ~2
(DRAFT 2)
URGING THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF HAWAII AND ALL EXECUTIVES OF THE
CITY AND COUNTIES OF HAWAII TO INITIATE AND SUPPORT GOVERNMENTAL
ACTIONS AND PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS OF OBSERVING THE OVERTHROW OF QUEEN
LILI'UOKALANI ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO ON JANUARY 17, 1993.
WHEREAS, Her majesty, Queen Lili'uokalani Lydia Kama'eha Lili'u
Paki, ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1891 as the
heir and successor to her brother King David Kalakaua; and
WHEREAS, the Kingdom of Hawaii was an internationally-
recognized nation whose kanaka ma'oli (indigenous people of Hawaii)
had exercised sovereignty over the lands and waters of what is now
the State of Hawaii since time immemorial; and
WHEREAS, on January 14, 1893, Queen Lili'uokalani attempted to
promulgate a new national constitution which would have reaffirmed
the integrity of her throne and the sovereign rights of her people
and would have replaced a document historically-called "The Bayonet
Constitution" signed by her brother in 1887, under threat of arms and
reflecting tle dominance and control of the wealthy non-native
merchant class; and
WHEREAS, members of the Queen's own cabinet and of the
"Committee of 13" -- a secret leadership organization representing
the hostile economic interests of the non-native citizenry -- planned
and conspired with the United States Minister to use the proposed new
constitution as a pretest for setting into action their plan to
abolish the monarchy and to annex the Islands to the United States;
and
WHEREAS, the American Minister John L. Stevens ordered the armed
landing of 162 United States Marines from the USS Boston who, by
position and intent, threatened the Queen and the national Palace
while supporting those proclaiming the abolishment of the monarchy
and announcing a provisional government; and
WHEREAS, United States Minister Stevens extended American
diplomatic recognition to the provisional government at least an
hour prior to the Queen yielding her throne and nation to the
American government in the belief that once the American people
knew and understood the injustice being inflicted upon Hawaii in
the name of the United States would undo the actions of American
agents and troops; and
WHEREAS, in an "Executive Message to Congress" deliverer by
President Grover Cleveland on December 13, 1893, acknowledged the
wrongful acts of the United States and the harm done to the kanaka
ma'oli and concluded that "...[I]f a feeble but friendly state
(Kingdom of Hawaii) is in danger of being robbed of its
independence and its sovereignty by a misuse of the name and power
of the United States, the United States cannot fail to vindicate
its honor and its sense of justice by an earnest effort to make
all possible reparation...;" and
WHEREAS, the Congress of that time did not respond to the
Queen's or the President's plea for American honor, and
subsequently annexed the Hawaiian Islands, received the ceded
transfer of more than 1.7 million acres of the former public,
crown and government lands of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and continued
the subjugation of Hawaiian sovereignty, native traditional
rights, culture, language, and religious practices through the
forced imposition of a foreign culture and system of government;
and
WHEREAS, there is the shared belief -- by Native Hawaiians and
all the citizens of Hawaii -- that justice can still occur if the
American people know and understand what truly occurred and the
continuing harms suffered as a consequence of those actions in
1893; and
WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of Hawaii and all
executives of the City and Counties of Hawaii have the obligation
and the opportunity to foster that understanding and the
restoration of American honor by ordering and allowing the fullest
participation and understanding of the one-hundredth observance of
the overthrow in January, 1993, by:
1. The lowering of the flag of Hawaii to half-staff in
respectful salute to the nation whose flag it was;
2. Allowing signs of individual expressions of
acknowledgment to be worn without violating standards of
"dress uniform" whether among Fire, Police or other
public employees wishing to wear black arm-bands, or
ribbons across their shields;
RESOLUTION N0. 49~ S yT
3. [That] Providing that employees be granted reasonable
vacation or compensatory time off from work, whenever
possible, if they wish to participate in-the many
activities that will occur to mark the centennial; and
4. Other appropriate displays of governmental and individual
expressions of observing the centennial and the life and
accomplishment of Queen Lili'uokalani.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF
HAWAII that it urges the Governor of the State of Hawaii and all
executives of the City and Counties of Hawaii to initiate and
support governmental actions and public employee expressions of
observing the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani one hundred years
ago in January, 1993.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Hawaii
transmit copies of this Resolution to the Honorable John Waihee,
Governor of the State of Hawaii; the Honorable Joanne Yukimura,
Mayor of the County of Kauai; the Honorable Frank F. Fasi, Mayor
of the City and County of Honolulu; the Honorable Linda Lingle,
Mayor of the County of Maui; and the Honorable Lorraine R. Inouye,
Mayor of the County of Hawaii.
Dated at Hilo, Hawaii, this ~tli_ day of a~„~+ ,
1992.
INT D BY:
~~~e/~ UNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY HAi~FPwFI
~, n ~
MEMBERS, COUNTY F HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawaii
Hilo, Hawaii
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL
of the County of Hawau on_~Q ~ c 1 ~ 19 9
~~~ ~
~I
COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER
ROLL CALL VOTE
AYES NOES ABS EX
ARAKAKI X
DE LIMA
DOMINGO
HALE
A NZ
LAI
MAKUAKANE X
RUDDLE
Y;HUT'['E
Reference C-3913/pC
RESOLUTION NO. x95 92