Feb. 11, 2023 Symposium – The Royal Commission of Inquiry Investigating War Crimes and Human Rights Violations Committed in the Hawaiian Kingdom

The Hawaiian Society of Law & Politics (HSLP), in collaboration with the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the National Lawyers Guild, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Native Hawaiian Student Services, and the Kamehameha Schools Kanaeokana, invites you to its February 11, 2023 Symposium showcasing the Royal Commission of Inquiry – Investigating War Crimes and Human Rights Violations Committed in the Hawaiian Kingdom. The event is at no cost but you’ll need to register to ensure you can get a seat. The auditorium is air conditioned and sits 300. The symposium will also be live streamed on Facebook via NHSS UH Mānoa for those who are unable to attend.

The half-day symposium will feature experts in the fields of international law, international relations, international criminal law and war crimes, and Hawaiian Kingdom law on the topic of the American occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom since January 17, 1893. 

Dr. Kamana‘opono Crabbe will open the symposium with a Hawaiian chant and then followed by a special appearance by Hawaiian actor Jason Scott Lee who acted in films such as Dragon – the Bruce Lee Story, the Jungle BookRapanuiMulan, and The Wind and the Reckoning.

Presenters to follow include Professor William Schabas, renowned expert in international criminal law and war crimes from Middlesex University London, author of “Legal Opinion on War Crimes Related to the United States Occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom since 17 January 1893;” Professor Federico Lenzerini, professor of international law from the University of Siena, Italy, and Deputy Head of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, author of “Legal Opinion on the Authority of the Council of Regency of the Hawaiian Kingdom;” and Dr. Keanu Sai, a Lecturer in Political Science and Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai‘i, and Head of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, author of “The Royal Commission of Inquiry.” The presenters will discuss the subject matter of their respective articles which have been published by the Hawaiian Journal of Law and Politics. Following their presentations, the presenters will sit together on a panel to answer questions from the audience.

The symposium will also have as a finale a presentation celebrating Aloha ‘Āina (Hawaiian Patriotism) through mele (song) by well known Hawaiian entertainers and musicians featuring Mele Apana, Lina Girl, Davey D, Amy Gilliom, Mailani Makainai, Ku‘uipo Kumukahi, Sean Pimental, Glenn Maeda, Danny Kennedy, Na Wai Ho‘olu‘u o ke Ānuenue, and Heuaʻolu Sai-Dudoit.

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE: The symposium will begin at 11:00am and end at 4:30pm at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Art Building auditorium across from Varney Circle where the water fountain is. Here is a link to a map of UH Mānoa. Light lunch and drinks included at no cost.

Registration is now open for all UH Mānoa students, faculty and staff, as well as community members. Click here to register for the event.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 10, 2023

For any questions or concerns, please contact nhss@hawaii.edu.

Click here to visit HSLP’s Symposium’s website

6 thoughts on “Feb. 11, 2023 Symposium – The Royal Commission of Inquiry Investigating War Crimes and Human Rights Violations Committed in the Hawaiian Kingdom

  1. Okay Hawaiians are poor now. Even even more than the vitaministration came on during the presidency and covid.
    If I’m if America can tax the Hawaiians in their own Homeland without any consequences we’ve been waiting too long we need to rip off the Band-Aid. Why can’t Hawaiians tax the illegals Americans and Immigrants that are in their Homeland. Hawaiians need to tax these people $500.00 person a month My husband has an ancestor really close to being a royal. His third great grandfather. My husband is 50% blood Hawaiian. My husband’s only 58 years old.

    • I’m not a lawyer, political scientist or expert, but I’m pretty sure taxing Americans and illegal immigrants, despite their illegal presence in our Kingdom & despite American civilians presence being a violation of art 49 of IVGC, could potentially open us up to violating international law. Likewise taxing them might give them the ability to claim they had our permission to be in our Kingdom & prevent us from pursuing future reparations for the US violating art 49 of IVGC. Also, we don’t have the manpower, we don’t have a Kingdom department of taxation, a Kingdom notary, a Kingdom legislature to vote on it etc etc.
      The Hawaiian Kingdom still exists, that means so does our constitution & our laws & we have to make sure we don’t violate any International or Kingdom laws as well, which means we have to move in alignment to the laws we are held to.

      E kala mai but I don’t understand what your husband having an ancestor who was “really close to being royal” or your husbands blood quantum has to do with your comment. What does “really close to being royalty”even mean?! You’re either royalty or you aren’t and a royals descendants don’t inherit a royal title as in accordance to Article 35 of the 1864 Hawaiian Constitution “All Titles of Honor, Orders, and other distinctions, emanate from the King.”, meaning titles are not inheritable, titles must be bestowed upon people by the King. Most Hawaiians have connections to royal bloodlines and blood quantums are an American ideology, not a Hawaiian one. And I don’t understand what your husbands genealogy has to do with taxing Americans.

      • Truly amazing how we can even speak to the matter given the historical trauma and miseducation. All have been learning at their pace. It is better to hear the unheard, see the unseen, know the unknown. Hiki mai ke aloha, a’e pono mai ana!

    • America taxes US citizens in the Hawaiian Islands albeit native/Native Hawaiian US citizens. The reason why Hawaiians can’t tax Americans is because the loss of self-government and self-determination. Thus the US citizenship and foreign population in the islands upholds the federally incorporated government and trust established by Congress. The question is…why and how have Hawaiian nationals become US citizens and accustomed to being governed by Congress effectively perpetuating the fraud? Miseducation is part of it but self determination is the key!

  2. Mahalo for your well educated replys, I so enjoy them, with much food for thought and confusion. Learning learning learning, a lot for years and years.

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