Hawaiian Kingdom Independence Blog

Ed Rampell, L.A. film critic and long-time supporter of Hawaiian sovereignty, has a review of the movie Princess Ka’iulani in the LA Progressive.

British writer/director Marc Forby’s movie Princess Kaiulani, about the last heiress apparent of the Hawaiian kingdom, has generated controversy in Hawaii and raises a number of complex issues. What are filmmakers’ responsibilities to historical accuracy, especially when portraying actual historical personages? How obligated are non-indigenous artists to the people they are depicting? What say does an ethnic group have in how it’s portrayed – especially by others from the dominant majority culture?

[…]

This biopic purports to tell the tale of a fabled beauty who became embroiled in political turmoil, and of her romance with an Englishman. The movie’s press notes assert that, “Princess Kaiulani is the inspiring true story of the Hawaiian princess.” The problem is that this is a dubious claim. The simple fact of the matter is that Kaiulani opens with a historically inaccurate scene that never happened, and much of the movie is likewise historically suspect.

[…]

The film is at its best when it succeeds in raising awareness about the plight of Hawaii, which suffered an American-backed overthrow and invasion in 1893, leading to U.S. annexation in 1898. Kaiulani, a young brown woman, throws herself into the fray as a champion for Native rights, and she meets with Pres. Grover Cleveland in Washington before returning home to support the Hawaiians. There are great, rare interior shots of Iolani Palace, where cinematography is generally tabu (although I imagine some Polynesian purists also resented this as a cultural intrusion). But the movie repeatedly undermines itself by straying from the truth.

Here’s a video of Palani Vaughn, who turned down the role of Kalakaua due in part to the historical inaccuracies of the script, giving some backstory on the Ka’iulani movie.

Here’s a couple articles (belatedly) from the Jersey Tomato Press (h/t George Cleveland!) about the event honoring Pres. Grover Cleveland at his birthplace on April 30 as Hawaii Restoration Day for Cleveland’s role in investigating and exposing the truth about the 1893 U.S. illegal intervention in the Hawaiian Kingdom, and his friendship and executive agreements with Queen Lili’uokalani that helped preserve Hawaii’s sovereignty.

Grab Your Grass Skirt – It’s Hawaii in Caldwell, April 27

Caldwell Presidential Luau is Aloha-Fantastic, April 29

Five visitors from Hawaii, along with a renowned Hawaiian folk singer, a Hawaiian official from the Hawaiian Kingdom Embassy and a Hawaiian representative from the U.N. were on hand to celebrate the Hawaiian annual day of reconciliation, which honors President Grover Cleveland for his efforts to support the last Queen of Hawaii, Queen Lilliuokami.

Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President, is a hero to Hawaiians for his efforts to support Queen Liliuokalani when the U.S. decided to take over the islands, over 100 years ago.

When his efforts failed, instead of encouraging her subjects to enter into a violent war with the United States, the Queen told everyone to seek change through peaceful measures.

Today, this struggle continues, and in Hawaii there have been numerous changes in both attitude and education within the islands.

And here’s an article from an event in Buffalo where a statue of Cleveland was unveiled:

The carving near the high school’s Porter Avenue entrance, donated by Sen. Antoine Thompson, D-Buffalo, and Keep Western New York Beautiful, was also paid tribute by a delegation from the Pacific Justice & Reconciliation Center in Honolulu that is visiting the school as part of a human rights education project.

Leaders of the group placed a lei around the neck honoring Cleveland’s unsuccessful effort to nullify the overthrow of the island monarchy by American and European businessmen in 1893.

“He did not believe in manifest destiny,” the grandson said, “but he was not able to right that wrong.”

Update: Here’s another article from New Jersey Star-Ledger:

The bassinet where Grover Cleveland slept as an infant is topped with Hawaiian leis. And on Thursday, the first-ever “Presidential Luau,” was held in his honor at the late president’s birthplace here.

Cleveland’s homestead and a delegation from Hawaii spent Thursday and today commemorating the former president’s efforts to keep the island state an independent nation, just as the political winds may be shifting toward some form of self-governance for native Hawaiians.

“It honors his love for Hawaii,” said Cleveland’s grandson, George Cleveland, who said his grandfather never made it to the island. “I know he would appreciate it, especially about something he felt so strongly.”

[…]

As president, Cleveland withdrew an annexation treaty advanced by his predecessor, Benjamin Harrison, after the 1893 overthrow engineered by sugar plantation owners against Queen Liliuokalani and the native people of Hawaii.

“If a feeble but friendly state is in danger of being robbed of its independence and its sovereignty by the misuse of the name and power of the United States,” Cleveland wrote, “the United States can not fail to vindicate its honor and its sense of justice by an earnest effort to make all possible reparation.”

Dr. Keanu Sai on the “1893 Cleveland-Lili`uokalani Executive Agreements and Their Impact Today”

The Kanaka Council Moku O Keawe is sponsoring a public presentation by Dr. Keanu Sai, on Saturday, April 24 at UH Hilo from 9am-12noon and Hamakua MacNut Factory in Kawaihae from 2pm-5pm. Dr. Sai will be speaking on the “1893 Cleveland-Lili`uokalani Executive Agreements and Their Impact Today”. Specifically addressing the impact of the “executive agreements”on the contested case hearing against Hawaiian Oceanic Technology (proposed Ahi Fish Farm off the Kohala Coast) filed by Kale Gumapac and the Kanaka Council Moku O Keawe. The Attorney General has rendered an opinion regarding “standing” of Kale Gumapac and the Kanaka Council and DLNR will use the AG’s opinion to make their decision on May 13th in Honolulu.

Dr. Keanu Sai, has a Ph.D. in Political Science specializing in International Relations and Public Law. He has been to the World Court at the Hague filing legal briefs on Larsen v. Hawaiian Kingdom. He has a forthcoming book to be published by UH Press on the American Occupation of the Hawaiian Islands, and is currently working on another book to be published UH Press on Hawaiian land law. He is also the author of law journal articles on the topic of the continued existence of the Hawaiian Kingdom as an independent and sovereign State. Dr. Sai will provide a legal analysis based on the executive agreements between President Cleveland and Queen Liliuokalani that affects most if not all the current issues today, which includes the desecration of Kupuna Iwi, gathering rights, native tenant rights, water and natural resources rights from mauka to makai, vested private property rights, etc.