Declaration
Be it known that I, Edmund Keli段 Silva, Jr. King of the
Kingdom of Hawai段 hereby declare that the entire archipelago
and surrounding seas of the archipelago belong to the Kingdom of Hawai段.
That all peoples throughout the world are served notice that Hawai段
is an independent sovereign nation ordained and sustained by
the Hand and Might of a Just God in our Heavenly Father.
Signed by: His Royal Majesty on September 25, 2007
My Opinion of the Akaka Bill
Many have asked about my views regarding the Akaka Bill. Below is a
summary of those views.
The Native Hawaiian community grows stronger every day, whether from the keiki who are now receiving a true Hawaiian education or the Kupuna who recognize that the US
"adoption" of Hawai'i has produced something akin to child abuse.
That strength is recognized by the political leadership of the occupying power, including Senator Inouye, Senator Akaka, Congressman Abercrombie, Congresswoman Mazie
Hirono, Governor Lingle, and the state-created Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). They lobby for this bill, in part,
because they believe that SOMETHING has to be given to the indigenous Hawaiians to avoid a wholesale movement toward complete independence.
But these individuals do not speak for me. They do not speak for the Hawaiian people.
In fact, they do not even speak for the best interest of the people. The words they speak all serve to protect their
interest in the continued domination of the islands by the occupying power.
The Akaka Bill is an arrow aimed at the heart of the independence movement. The Kingdom will be extinguished by carving the people descended from the indigenous
Hawaiians out of the independence movement.
Those given favored treatment by the Akaka Bill will be given some administrative control over lands and incomes from
those lands. There will also be a promise of a semi-autonomous government that will never be fulfilled.
Instead, the Native Hawaiians will receive a process that involves (a) interminable litigation challenging the
constitutionality of the bill, then (b) endless negotiations as to what the Interior Department will permit the so-called Hawaiian government to do, then (c) endless
challenges by the Hawaiian government or the Interior Department as the power struggle continues, and finally (d) a constant struggle for substantive autonomy should an
indigenous government ever be established. The tension between the injustice of the overthrow and the newly established reservation will never be resolved.
Another serious flaw in the Akaka Bill is the failure to provide any benefits for those not of Hawaiian ancestry who
are descended from subjects of the Kingdom. Many non-Kanaka Maoli subjects of the Kingdom loved the Kingdom and suffered from
the overthrow. The Akaka Bill ignores the rights of these citizens of the overthrown nation. Due process and equal protection questions are raised by treating
these descendants of Kingdom subjects as unworthy of any consideration.
Under the Akaka Bill, the United States will always be at the table when decisions are being made about Hawai'i's
future. The interests of the United States are clearly expressed in the writings of the Project for a New American Century, a group that dominates the current
administration in the US. One part of their long-range plan is confrontation with China. Hawai'i is a forward base for that confrontation, so the US will
never agree to a reduction of its military presence, limitations on expansion of that presence, or any attempt to take Hawai'i out of the line of fire.
The dialogue created in the Akaka Bill is limited to the US government and the Native Hawaiians. The focus of
the Native Hawaiians will have to be on satisfying the US while struggling to carve out something for the reservation.
Alternatively, pursuit of the restoration of the Kingdom offers far better potential.
The Kingdom presents a vision of a multi-national, multi-cultural nation; a non-aligned member of the community of nations; dedicated to restoration of and preservation of the traditional Hawaiian civilization. You can download the vision that I intend to present to the Celestial Council, as soon as this body within the Kingdom is convened.
This vision offers opportunities to bring everyone together who truly love Hawai'i and reach out to other nations for support in re-establishing the Kingdom's place in
the community of nations. That is a very different dialogue from the US dominated dialogue created by the Akaka Bill.
I certainly understand those within the Native Hawaiian community who accept the Akaka Bill as the best that can be achieved under the circumstances.
The occupying power is so strong, and the struggle has gone on for so long that many believe we should accept what Hawaiians can get and work from there. I
believe supporters of the Akaka Bill are ultimately wrong in expecting an outcome from the Akaka Bill that is anything like what they hope for, as I explained above.
Our people have long hoped for restitution. We have sought for indemnity that may have only seemed possible in dreams.
To settle for the Akaka bill, or anything else short of full restoration of the Kingdom, would be to surrender our dreams and trade them in forever for our
birthrights of who we are. We are the indigenous people of these islands. We are
not lost yet.
Those of us involved in the Kingdom restoration effort know that we are blessed by Ke Akua and assisted in our every step by spiritual forces that honor hana pono.
We witness miracles every day in our work. We feel the guiding hand, the opening doors, the smoothing of our path, and
the removal of obstacles. We weep, we laugh, we dance, we celebrate, we pray, and we keep moving down the road towards that
vision that awaits realization dependent only upon our commitment to it.
I invite everyone to join me in a restoration that will bring back the meaning to our names and create a reality that our ancestors could have only dreamed of.
Aloha pomaika段,
/s/
Edmund K. Silva, Jr.
November 1, 2007