‘Iolani Palace and its Importance to Hawai’I
Today, ‘Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States and it was the last official residence of the Hawaiian Monarchy after the dethronement of Queen Lili’uokalani by American businessmen. It took three years to complete the palace, 1879-1882. Under the hands of King Kalakaua, he envisioned ‘Iolani Palace to be a modern building to show the rest of the world that the Hawaiian Kingdom was as competitive as any of the other nations in the world. It has been the setting for many celebratory occasions as well as many changes to the Hawaiian Government . ‘Iolani Palace is important to native Hawaiians for it is one of the last remaining treasures of the Hawaiian culture and it is a reminder
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But, predominantly, he wanted to raise the self esteem of his people, who were declining in number (A King’s Noble Vision). ‘Iolani Palace is located in downtown Honolulu. It took three years, three architects, and it cost $360,000 to build.
Nearly ten years after statehood, preservation and restoration of ‘Iolani Palace began. It is an on going project led by the Friends of ‘Iolani Palace, a non profit organization with support from the state legislature and donors, millions of dollars were spent to restore the building and return the palace to its dignity of the Kalakaua dynasty.
Before ‘Iolani Palace was constructed, an earlier palace was built by Kamehameha III on the current site of the palace which was named Hale Ali’i meaning House of the Chiefs.When King Kamehameha V was the ruler, He changed the name of the palace from Hale Ali`i to Iolani Palace (Hawaii History, 3). King Kamehameha V envisioned a grand royal palace fit for a modern kingdom. He started the construction of Alii`iolani Hale, the future home to the Hawaiian monarchy. The palace was built right across of the Iolani Palace today. During that time of modernization, the Hawaiian government needed a new building. Rather than constructing a new government building, Alii`iolani Hale became the new home
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“the Hawaiian people are still working on seeking justice through legal reparations, a fulfillment of trust commitments, settlement of land claims and the return of lands” (Pat Pitzer, 91). Additionally, they are still working toward the recognition of Hawaiian sovereignty, which is no longer a distant dream, but an attainable goal.
On November 23, 1993, President William J. Clinton signed the “Apology Resolution” to endorse the 100th anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the “Kingdom of Hawai’i on January 17, 1893 with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States”… “and expresses its commitment to acknowledge the ramification of the overthrow… in order to provide a proper foundation for reconciliation between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people.” (Apology
While sitting on the beach looking into the ocean, rubbing the sand and enjoying the beautiful weather at Cabana’s beach; in beautiful Hawaii on the west side of the island of Oahu is a blessing. Listening to “Hawaii 78” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole at midday at three-thirty pm sparks a sense of uneasiness to a Native Hawaiian, Who are my ancestors? Who is Israel Kamakawiwo’ole? What is the land used for? Has Hawaii really changed, what is the difference between today and one hundred years ago? The importance of the logo “Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono O Hawaii” http://www.netstate.com/states/mottoes/hi_motto.htm
A small company of thirty-four New England missionaries came to Hawaii between 1820 and 1930, were the first modern immigrants. (Lind p.59) Missionaries were powerful agents of cultural destruction, coming to Hawaii to settle and teach their ways and beliefs. Bloodthirsty priests and despotic chiefs had ruled one reason for missionaries arriving and settling in Hawaii, due to the fact that they believed ancient Hawaiians. (Trask p.14) Bringing along cultural havoc by establishing a western style educational system, which included the first textbook as the Bible. The most critical change was in the use of language as a tool of colonization. Language had once been inseparable from the Hawaiians and their history by communicating their heritage between and among many generations, now came to be used as the very vehicle of alienation from their habits of life.
The Hawaiian culture is known throughout the western world for their extravagant luaus, beautiful islands, and a language that comes nowhere near being pronounceable to anyone but a Hawaiian. Whenever someone wants to “get away” their first thought is to sit on the beach in Hawai’i with a Mai tai in their hand and watch the sun go down. Haunani-Kay Trask is a native Hawaiian educated on the mainland because it was believed to provide a better education. She questioned the stories of her heritage she heard as a child when she began learning of her ancestors in books at school. Confused by which story was correct, she returned to Hawai’i and discovered that the books of the mainland schools had been all wrong and her heritage was correctly told through the language and teachings of her own people. With her use of pathos and connotative language, Trask does a fine job of defending her argument that the western world destroyed her vibrant Hawaiian culture.
The people of Hawaii and other Pacific Island Nation groups have experienced great injustice from their colonial powers and the acts of imperialism. Lands were seized, cultural practices banned, language lost, and people were even forced to move away from their homes for the purpose of bomb testing. The United States and other countries abroad sent out representatives to do their work for them; in return their future actions would be justified in describing the Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders as savages that need to have wider powers enforced upon them; thus resulting in a tangled web of political mythologies.
Tabrah, Ruth M. Hawaii: A Bicentennial History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1980.
Queen Ka’ahumanu was also his most powerful wife. When the King died on May 5, 1819, he left Ka'ahumanu a share of the governance over the islands. On the morning of Kamehameha I’s death, a few chiefs advised Ka’ahumanu to do away with the kapu system, but she thought it was too soon to act. The kapu system was the ancient Hawaiian set of laws and regulations that forbid many acts. Kapus were strictly enforced, and breaking one often led to immediate death. One of the main causes of the Hawaiians beginning to question the kapu system was seeing the foreigners break the kapus with no consequences. Ka’ahumanu had also secretly broken the kapu multiple times with no consequences. Two weeks following Kameha...
Sonia P. Juvik, James O. Juvik. Atlas of Hawaii. 3rd Edition. Hilo: University of Hawai'i Press, 1998.
The arrival of the missionaries in Hawaii changed the lives of the natives in huge ways that lasted forever. The introduction of western houses and culture had a big influence on Hawaii. The native Hawaiians built their houses out of grass and had very simple villages, but when the missionaries established their settlement they built more sophisticated and sturdy homes out of coral and used western architectural methods to construct buildings. The Hawaiians soon following their lead and the royalty all had western palaces for homes. This also lead to an increase in technology, such as the use of wells and water lines to store fresh water for the towns. They also began to bring in and
Kualapai, Lydia. "The Queen Writes Back: Lili'uokalani's Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen." Studies in American Indian Literatures. 17.2 (2005): 32-62.
Racism in Hawaii has caused various issues, and one of them is racial tension. It states that “ some say…”[there are]”...racial tensions between the islands white community and native hawaiians” (Hansen, paragraph 3). Well, in history, it was quite difficult for most of the
Jovik, Sonia P. and James O. Jovik. (1997). “History.” Atlas of Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p.408.
While walking down the beach, the white, warm sand mushes between your toes. The sun’s radiant rays beam off your glowing skin. The sound of waves crashing blocks out the external world. There is no other place like the gorgeous tropical islands of Hawaii. The wide range of flowers, cuisine, and wildlife makes it one of the most picturesque places on Earth. It also leads the United States with the highest racial minority rate making it the most diverse state. However, there are numerous hidden dangers of Hawaii, and not all ethnic groups get along causing sharp tensions across the island.
...e" (Trask xix). This incident beautifully illustrates and signifies tourism's impact in American society. Like most Americans, this woman uses a discourse that has been shaped by tourist advertisements and souvenirs. The woman's statement implies that Trask resembles what the tourist industry projects, as if this image created Hawaiian culture. As Trask asserts, Hawaiian culture existed long before tourism and has been exploited by tourism in the form of advertisements and items such as postcards. Along with the violence, endangered environment, and poverty, this exploitation is what the tourist industry does not want to show. However, this is the Hawai'i Haunani-Kay Trask lives in everyday. "This is Hawai'i, once the most fragile and precious of sacred places, now transformed by the American behemoth into a dying land. Only a whispering spirit remains" (Trask 19).
The Treaty of Waitangi is a very important document to New Zealand. It is an agreement that was drawn up by representatives of the British Crown and Maori Hapu and Iwi. It was first signed at the Bay of Islands on February 6th, 1840. There has been a lot of debate over the years about the translation of words between the English and Te Reo Maori versions of the text and the differences in the word meaning over the who languages. In this assignment I am going to cover the rights and responsibilities that the treaty contains and an explanation of the differences in wordings and I am also going to contextualise my understanding of the differences of wording against the Maori Worldview and the Declaration of Independence.