Friday, May 02, 2008
Iolani Palace reoccupation story hits New York Times
An article datelined Saturday May 3, Occupation of Palace Area Invigorates Native Hawaiian Movement, continues national attention to the reoccupation of Iolani Palace begun on Wednesday.
Just getting a paragraph like this before the eyes of the national reading public will surprise many who may never have heard about the overthrow:
The group believes it has the right to take back from the government more than one million acres in the Hawaiian Islands it claims were illegally seized during the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, 11 years after the palace was built.
For most NY Times readers, Hawaii may just be a vacation destination, no more. This and other articles open the way for letters to the editor and other discussions on the national scene that might raise awareness.
The article also discusses OHA, an organization most readers will never have heard of:
Hawaiian Kingdom Government and some other Native Hawaiian groups view the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as an arm of a state government they do not recognize. They also part ways with the office on the issue of ceded lands, more than 1.2 million acres in crown lands that were ceded to the federal government when the United States annexed the republic of Hawaii in 1898. The land passed to state control when Hawaii was admitted to the union in 1959.
Thanks for the post, Larry. It's exciting to think that the word is finally getting out to the mainland masses. It's just unfortunate that such coverage is only prompted by a palace re-occupation, and that the issue still isn't explored in the depth that is warranted. But it's a start.
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