Hawaiian rights activist Dennis Pu'uhonua "Bumpy" Kanahele's planned constitutional convention for Native Hawaiians won't take place next month as some had envisioned.

Kanahele said he is still gathering support from Native Hawaiians for the effort, which would be separate from a Hawai'i state ballot issue in November asking voters whether they want a convention that would consider changes to the Hawai'i State Constitution. Kanahele believes a Native Hawaiian convention could work toward unifying the historically fractured Hawaiian independence movement.
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Kanahele last week said [...] he is now focused on getting a minimum of 50,000 signatures supporting a constitutional convention before he wants to move forward.

He would not say how long he thinks that will take. He estimated that he has "over a few thousand right now." About 10,000 forms have been released and those have the potential of becoming 100,000 signatures, he said.

"We're just plugging away and getting more signatures," Kanahele said.

The signatures are considered important because they would form the basis for people who would vote in a constitutional convention and because the signatures would establish credibility with an international tribunal or independent entity.

The leader of the Independent and Sovereign Nation State of Hawaii (Nation of Hawaii), Kanahele has stressed that while he wants to take the lead organizing a gathering, his group's view will be only one of the views that would be presented for participants to consider.

Convention participants may ultimately decide they favor federal recognition for a Native Hawaiian entity through the Akaka bill as advocated by OHA instead of sovereignty, he said.

But that's not likely, given that most sovereignty groups don't think federal recognition will offer enough in compensation for the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian government and that a Hawaiian government entity should be negotiating with an international tribunal rather than the U.S. government.

It was a time of healing for Iolani Palace on Sunday morning, more than a week after Hawaii sovereignty activists briefly took over the palace.
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Four royal societies marched in full regalia in a show of support for the palace and its place as an historic Hawaiian treasure.

"It served as the home of our aliis. It served as the government of our aliis. It served for the people of Hawaii," said Edward Akana of Alii Ai Moku.

The societies included the Royal Order of Kamehameha, Kaahumanu Society, Hale o Na Ali'i o Hawaii and Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors.

Privately, supporters of the bill believe they have the 60 votes necessary to break a Senate filibuster. The strategy is to get the bill through the Senate and then possibly attach it to other legislation to reduce the chances of a Bush veto. Even if Bush were to veto the bill, some supporters say, it would be in a stronger position if re-introduced in the next Congress because of having finally cleared the Senate after eight years.

Ikaika Hussey, an organizer with the Movement for Aloha No ka Aina, a group seeking independence, said the discussion should go back to the question of reconciliation raised by the 1993 apology resolution.

"I think even the people who support the Akaka bill recognize it doesn't really address the question of reconciliation. It's sort of a work-around," he said. "It's bad legislation, all the way around."

Hussey said reconciliation is not the same as an apology and he would urge Obama or McCain to look at the issue differently than how it is presented in the bill. He said it should not be about federal recognition, but how to return land and correct the effects of private development and military expansion.

Hussey would like something more akin to the Waitangi Tribunal in New Zealand, which reviews claims brought against the government by the indigenous Maori, or the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which heard accounts of government abuses under apartheid.

"I would tell them that we do need to arrive at a political agreement," he said. "But it needs to be based on the question of making right the wrongs of the past and making sure that, moving forward, we have an equitable solution."

ARTICLE 22.

The Crown is hereby permanently confirmed to His Majesty Kalakaua, and to the Heirs of His body lawfully begotten, and to their lawful Descendants in a direct line; failing whom, the Crown shall descend to Her Royal Highness the Princess Liliuokalani, and the heirs of her body, lawfully begotten, and their lawful descendants in direct a line. The Succession shall be to the senior male child, and to the heirs of his body; failing a male child, the succession, shall be to the senior female child, and to the heirs of her body. In case there is no heir as above provided, the successor shall be the person whom the Sovereign shall appoint with the consent of the Nobles, and publicly proclaim during the Sovereign's life; but should there be no such appointed and proclamation, and the Throne should become vacant, then the Cabinet, immediately after the occurring of such vacancy, shall cause a meeting of the Legislature, who shall elect by ballot some native Alii of the Kingdom as Successor to the Throne; and the Successor so elected shall become a new Stirps for the Royal Family; and the Succession from the Sovereign thus elected, shall be regulated by the same law as the present Royal Family of Hawaii.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has scheduled a series of statewide hearings to gather input on proposed rule amendments for the use and protection of the 'Iolani Palace State Monument.
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"The state is proposing to establish new administrative rules for 'Iolani Palace State Monument that will help protect and preserve the historic and cultural significance of this important piece of Hawai'i's history and heritage for future generations; and meet the monument's education mission to preserve the character of Hawai'i's monarchy era," said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairwoman.

"We invite all interested individuals to attend a public hearing to present relevant information and opinions for the DLNR to consider," Thielen said.

Meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. except on Lana'i where the meeting begins at 5 p.m. The schedule is as follows:

Moloka'i – Aug. 12, Kaunakakai Elementary School cafeteria, 30 Ailoa St., Kaunakakai.
Lana'i – Aug. 12, 5 p.m., Lana'i High and Elementary School, room L16, 555 Fraser Ave. Lana'i City.
O'ahu – Aug. 13, DLNR Board room 132, 1151 Punchbowl St., Honolulu.
West Hawai'i – Aug. 13, Events Pavilion, Old Kona Airport County Park, 75-5480 Kuakini Highway, Kailua, Kona.
Maui – Aug. 13, Maui County Planning Department conference room, 1st floor, 250 South High St., Wailuku.
East Hawai'i – Aug. 14, State Office Building, 75 Aupuni St., conference rooms A, B and C, Hilo.
Kaua'i – Aug. 18, State Office Building, 2nd floor conference room, 3060 'Eiwa St., Room 209, Lihu'e.

Anyone unable to attend or wishing to present additional comments, may mail written testimony by Sept. 5 to Administrator, DLNR Division of State Parks, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 310, Honolulu, HI 96813.

The proposed rules are posted at www.hawaiistateparks.org/administrative/index.cfm. A copy of the proposed rule changes will be mailed at no charge upon receipt of verbal or written request to: Administrator, DLNR Division of State Parks, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 310, Honolulu, HI 96813. A copy may be also requested in person from the state parks offices on each island. For more information on the meetings, contact Steve Thompson at 587-0303.

A lawsuit filed today against Kamehameha Schools is once again challenging its admissions policy that favors Native Hawaiian children.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of four children and their families “seeks an end to the ‘Native Hawaiians only’ admissions policy,” of the schools, a statement by lawyers for the children said.

Attorneys Eric Grant of California and David B. Rosen of Honolulu said the federal District Court lawsuit filed today “is essentially identical to the earlier lawsuit filed on behalf of ‘John Doe,’” which the schools settled last year.