RESOLUTION NO. 05-06

REMEMBERING HELEN EDYTHE “DIDI” MALIE LINCOLN LEE KWAI,

MUSICIAN, EDUCATOR, HAWAIIAN ACTIVIST, AND PLAYWRIGHT; AND

CALLING UPON THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS; THE CITY AND COUNTY

COUNCILS ON ALL ISLANDS; ETHNIC ORGANIZATIONS IN HAWAII; AND THE

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT THE PRESENTATION OF THE PLAY,

“KA LEI MAILE ALI‘I-THE QUEEN’S WOMEN, A “REENACTMENT”

WHEREAS, prior to the arrival of the first Europeans in 1778, the Native Hawaiian people lived in a highly organized, self-sufficient, subsistent social system based on communal land tenure with a sophisticated language, culture, and religion; and

WHEREAS, a unified monarchical government of the Hawaiian Islands was established in 1810 under Kamehameha I, the first King of Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, from 1826 until 1893, the United States recognized the independence of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, extended full and complete diplomatic recognition to the Hawaiian Government, and entered into treaties and conventions with the Hawaiian monarchs to govern commerce and navigation in 1826, 1842, 1849, 1875 and 1887; and

WHEREAS, the Congressional Church (now known as the United Church of Christ), through its American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, sent more than 100 missionaries to the Kingdom of Hawai‘i between 1820 and 1850; and

WHEREAS, on January 14, 1893, John L. Stevens, United States Minister, assigned to the sovereign and independent Kingdom of Hawai‘i conspired with a small group of non-Hawaiian residents of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, including citizens of the United States, to overthrow the indigenous and lawful Government of Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, in pursuance of the conspiracy to overthrow the Government of Hawai‘i, the United States Minister and the naval representatives of the United States caused armed naval forces of the United States to invade the sovereign Hawaiian nation on January 16, 1893, and to position themselves near the Hawaiian Government buildings and the Iolani Palace to intimidate Queen Lili‘uokalani and her Government; and

WHEREAS, on the afternoon of January 17, 1893, a Committee of Safety that represented the American and European sugar planters, descendants of missionaries, and financiers deposed the Hawaiian monarchy and proclaimed the establishment of a Provisional Government; and

WHEREAS, the United States Minister thereupon extended diplomatic recognition to the Provisional Government that was formed by the conspirators without the consent of the Native Hawaiian people or the lawful Government of Hawai‘i and in violation of treaties between the two nations and of international law; and

WHEREAS, soon thereafter, when informed of the risk of bloodshed with resistance, Queen Lili‘uokalani yielded her authority to the United States Government rather than to the
Provisional Government under protest and with the understanding that she yielded her authority "until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives" and reinstate her to the authority to which she claimed as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands; and

WHEREAS, on July 4, 1894, the Provisional Government declared itself to be the Republic of Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, on January 24, 1895, while imprisoned in Iolani Palace, Queen Lili‘uokalani was forced by representatives of the Republic of Hawai‘i to officially abdicate her throne; and

WHEREAS, on July 7, 1898, as a consequence of the Spanish-American War, President McKinley signed the Newlands Joint Resolution, an internal municipal document that allowed for the taking of Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, Miriam Michelson, a reporter, accompanied by an unnamed photographer attended a meeting of the women’s branch of Hui Aloha ‘Aina (Women’s Hawaiian Patriotic League) in Hilo on September 16, 1897 to protest against annexation, at the direction of the Mo`i Wahine, Lili`uokalani; and

WHEREAS, Ms Michelson wrote an article, on the deck of the Australia on 22 September 1897, and published in the San Francisco Call, on 24 September 1897, recalling the discussions at the meeting, during which people in attendance raised their hands to express opposition to annexation; and

WHEREAS, Hui Aloha ‘Aina, along with a sister organization, Hui Kalai’aina collected approximately 38,000 signatures protesting annexation; and

WHEREAS, the ku‘e petitions were submitted to the Congress in Washington, D.C. in 1897, effectively stopping the Treaty of Annexation; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, the petitions, now known as the Hui Aloha ‘Aina Anti-Annexation Petitions 1897-1898, were compiled and brought back to Hawai‘i by Dr. Noenoe Silva, from the National Archives of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Helen Edythe “Didi” Malie Lincoln Lee Kwai, playwright, wrote, produced, and directed the play, “Ka Lei Maile Ali’i-The Queen’s Women, A “Reenactment”, the script including the exact words spoken and recorded by Ms. Miriam Michelson, the reporter who attended the meeting; and

WHEREAS, in keeping with its mission to reauthenticate the Queen’s voice by studying her letters and her works and sharing those teachings with the general public, the Ka Lei Maile Ali‘i Hawaiian Civic Club first performed the play on Sep 2, 2001 at the Kanaina Building on the palace grounds; subsequently, forming its club; and

WHEREAS, subsequent presentations of the play have been made at the Association of Hawaiian Civic Club Convention in October 2003; the Pacific Club of Honolulu for the Campbell `ohana in January 2004; Papakolea Community Center, Honolulu, on September 4,
2004; Kaumakapili Church Hall on April 27, 2005; Bannings Landing in Wilmington, California in August 2005; and Hilo and Kona, Hawaii, in September 2005; and

WHEREAS, testimonials following the play attest to its value in educating the community about the position of native Hawaiians at the time of the annexation of Hawaii, e.g., “The play helped me to understand the emotions, passions and the human face of the signing of the petitions. Before that, great grandfather’s signing was a historical episode. Now it is as if the kūpuna are alive and speaking with a voice that is clear and unmistakable;” and

WHEREAS, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, has supported the play; and

WHEREAS, the petition has become one of the most powerful tools for independence dialogue in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 46^th Annual Convention in Kohala, Hawai`i, this ____day of October 2005, that a minute of silence and prayer be observed in remembrance of Helen Edythe “Didi” Malie Lincoln Lee Kwai, musician, educator, Hawaiian activist, and playwright, for her right of justice, love for her Hawaiian people, and for writing the play, “Ka Lei Maile Alii, the Queen’s Women – a Reenactment of a meeting to protest the annexation of Hawaii to the United States in 1897”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs commend the Ka Lei Maile Ali‘i Hawaiian Civic Club for re-enacting the meeting to protest the annexation of Hawaii to the United States;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs continue to support the presentation of this play on all islands and in the remaining 49 states; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the City Councils on all islands seeking their support to present it to their City and County Council members; to the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino Chambers of Commerce and the NAACP, with a recommendation that they have the play presented at one of their meetings as a means to further educate their communities on Hawaiian history; and to the Kamehameha Schools with a recommendation that they have the play presented at their school; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Mayors of all islands in the Hawaiian chain; Didi Lee Kwai's mother; and the Ka Lei Maile Ali‘i Hawaiian Civic Club.

INTRODUCED BY: Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu

& Queen Emma Hawaiian Civic Club

REFERRED TO: Community Relations Committee

ACTION:  Adopted