Topolinski, Kahai

Twigg-Smith, Thurston

English

ScholarSpace at University of Hawai'i at Manoa

t The role of isle royalty ~ r/4/'1-t ,;M . Weren't democranc .. Sustained culture By ThUl'llton Twigg-Smith Maybe we need a "truth czar" in the contlnUing Everyone around us - from the exiled alil to discussion of sovereignty. There often seems to be commoner, prince, princess, our cousins in foreign a disregard for facts but I guess that's normal in lands, former royalists, the educated and uneducat-opinion pieces - the writers are trying to make a ed Hawaiian - all of us - has lost, to some de-point, or in the case of the many UH students we · gree, his or her place and reason for being. heard from this summer, score a credit or two in .' The reason: The demise of our hereditary insti· their momentary Immersion In Hawaiian studies. · · ;tu'tions. . ·Qpinions themselves are ' prop- 1 ·· :Hawaiian sovereignty, though ' -. erly subjective. It is the stat~ .heavily debated in the political ments made in support of them arena, is also a story about ref-that are troublesome - and that ugees. should be factual. · . · - It is about human beings unan-A case in point is the piece chored; blinded by a fractured Augul!t 23 by Rowena Akana. · past and immobilized by uncer-She says the Hawaiians were, at , tainty fueled by traitors who the time of the overthrow, "told . hastened the destruction of our we could no longer ·speak -our hereditary monarchy. language, dance, sing, or follow Above all, it is the tale of a Twigg-Smith the teachin ·gs of our kupuna. • famUy in crisis · ~ chiefs and TopoHnakl · Where in the world did' this come frorri? .Not trife! ~~ ·i,! c'om.inoners · alike - confronted with mounting , She continues that "virtually five Caucasian problems whi~h ancient laws and traditions could leaders were responsible for trying ~ blow out the · not • effectively comprehend. . _",. candle of the Hawaiian culture." That's a. nevi' one. _ In~eed, the Hawaiian family was decimated 'iji too. The Committee of 13 has _shrunk to 5? .Or da:e& th,e,llawaiian revolution and was then told .\:>y she mean an early version of the Big 5? - - ~ · pseudo-political prophets to accept as authentic. ~ She suggests Hawaiians. n~ to go .b\~ --•as far. cfa;Y:"s mangled, unstable and recriminatory v~ion J as the overthrow and longer still• Jo .. Jlnd the . an- , -. of. il§. .~nµr~ existence. _ . swer to "why sovereignty?• Slie states : that sov~r- , ,,The answer to the ever-elusive riddle of Hawai-eignty .will occur .y.,hen ~r~ht;. -natty~ Hawaiian· · •,:fah~!jOverei,inty does not only _lie in the multitud_ e peopie~-~ .-s ..; i "crea.Wj a, gof~~at ~rgvides .,. .-;;of' ti-a~!~ political Hil'YJtii~ • .:sam~st. ,b!,lt .ip..:,(¥ _ for democratic representatio!l.... · 1 • . ~ · ·· · • · ·-·ess~nce .. lllld · heart of the ~v.:~an -~Qyal-.. f~..Y t-H~:~f:n ~~g~~rii~~ts~~~::· =b ~ ~~~l:11~;i!:r~:. a;:u:~~J\:;~~iWi:i · · niiich in the way · of ·democratic representation! In ' ·:"1ood ~rks;· , · . • fact, go back far enough and you'll find Kamelt.a:-. : . . Members of the Royal Family ar.e the legal meha I taking over the Islands withouf ; aslwtg, •· · ·hi!lrs, as we are, of a great political tragedy which anyone's permission or representa- · i ·~i..~:, happened only 100 years ago, and tion at all. which· must be made right. Those who led the overthrow did' Contrary to popular belief, the i so to achieve democratic '1represen- Hawaiian monarchy was a viable tation as opposed to determination political structure. Freedom and in-by the will of some monarch. And dividual human rights, which we the first and immediate beneficia· cherish so much today, were the ries were the Hawaiians among the ....... .;; cornerstone of its creation long be-people of Hawaii. With their pre- ••• fore modern governments took up ponderance of the new vote, they the cause. elected Hawaiian leader Robert And because of this, Hawaiian , Wilcox and later Prince Kuhio to PIIPII,. ............. -... rulers became targets of ridicule, ~ Congress. . .~.J1}Jl .j •)·~ [llJ' il'J harassment and international in- ~ Hawaiian culture, by the wa~, is ~ l I 81 L- 'J \ 111 trigue wi_th ever-:encroachi~g politi· , a noble and separate cause and 1t is · _____ •• _ •- •• _ • cal philosophies foreign to not correct to say that anyone con·: • .. , . Hawaiian thinking. nected with the overthrow sought to blow out that .. Iij their effort to sway Hawaiians from their '. candle. The revolutionists merely wanted the gov- own traditions and innate political structure, none ernment to make proper use of the talents of its was more vociferous than the Hawaiian ntalcon-people and the worth of its lands for the benefit of tent along with his American counterpart who all of the residents of Hawaii, not just the monar- waved the banner of a new brand of political idc-chy and its friends. - ology, such as jingoism, American superiority, and They didn't even want to be the successor lead- Manifest Destiny. ers themselves, and in fact, no member of the Thus, the flower of Hawaiian government under overthrow group took a position in the new gov- the monarchy was never given a fair and unbiased crnment nor gained financially from the change in chance to blossom in its fullness. government. Nor stole any land. John R. Kaha'i Topolinski is a teacher of history Thurston Twigg-Smith is chairman of the board of at MilUani High School and a descendant of royal-The Ilonolulu Advertiser and a descendent of a ists Hon. John. Adams Kuakini Cummins, who leader of the overthrow. /ought to preserve the Hawaiian nwnarchy. 

The role of isle royalty

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/77729/1/ESP2050.pdf

The role of isle royalty

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