KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JUNE 2024
Rejoining Oceania…
The massive ten-day event called the Pacific Festival of the Arts and Culture (FestPAC), served as a reminder of both our glorious past and the potential for a glorious future.
The fact that our ancestors traversed this great ocean and settled hundreds of tiny islands, not only surviving, but thriving, is a testament to our people’s resilience and genius. And they did this with boats made of wood and leaves a thousand years before Christopher Columbus was even born.
Although there are many variations, we are basically one people… those who knew how to live as people of the sea.
In the Nineteenth Century, however, nearly all the Pacific Islands were colonized by foreign powers like the UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Japan and, at the very end of the century, the United States. The imposition of colonial ways with its exploitative practices seriously undermined and wrecked island communities and lifestyle, causing slavery conditions and other severe hardships many for native peoples.
The Hawaiian Kingdom, as a sovereign independent state, protested against these acts of imperialism and sought to form a confederation of Oceania, to band together against the onslaught of colonialism, an to uplift the welfare of our Pacific family.
Unfortunately, imperial/colonial forces persisted and eventually Hawaii too was taken in the coup d’etat of 1893, backed by American armed forces seeking to carve out their piece of the Pacific. It wasn’t until the formation of the United Nations when the decolonization process was instituted and many nations and territories began to gain independence.
The irony is: during the Nineteenth Century, Hawaii was a sovereign country, and all the other Pacific Islands were captive nations under colonial rule. Today, nearly all the Pacific nations are independent or enjoy some form of autonomy, but Hawaii is a nation in captivity.
Hopefully, FestPAC will be a step toward rejoining our Pacific Island Family.
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
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Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
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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
6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
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"And 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 – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO!
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
