Bumpy Kanahele
Encyclopedia
Dennis "Bumpy" Pu‘uhonua Kanahele is a Hawaiian nationalist
leader and titular head of state of the group Nation of Hawai'i. He spearheaded the founding of Pu‘uhonua o Waimānalo, a Hawaiian cultural village and traditional lo‘i kalo (taro
paddy) agricultural restoration project in Waimānalo, Hawai‘i
. Pu‘uhonua is a Hawaiian
word meaning "sanctuary" or "place of refuge".
The Nation of Hawai‘i group, which administers the village, regards itself as a sovereign
government
under international law
, acting as a successor state to the independent Kingdom of Hawai‘i
and therefore not subject to United States
rule. Kanahele, like many Hawaiians, claims to be a descendant of King Kamehameha I
.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kanahele became known for militant activism on behalf of Hawaiian sovereignty
, publicly resisting U.S. federal and state laws.
In 1993—the 100th anniversary of the U.S. seizure of power in Hawai‘i, and the year in which the U.S. passed a joint resolution of Congress apologizing for that action—Kanahele led 300 people in an occupation of Makapu‘u beach.
After 15 months, Gov. John D. Waihee III
proposed a deal: If Kanahele and his group would leave Makapu‘u beach peacefully, the state would give them a 45-acre (18 hectare) parcel above Waimānalo in the foothills of the Ko‘olau Mountains. Kanahele's group signed a renewable 55-year lease at a cost of $3,000 a year, and in June 1994, Pu‘uhonua o Waimānalo came into being.
In 1998, Kanahele was sentenced to four months in prison for interfering with U.S. marshals seeking to arrest a federal fugitive. The judge gave Kanahele credit for the three and a half months he spent in prison without bail. The judge also fined him $500 and ordered him to spend another four months under electronic monitoring at his Waimānalo home.
In 2002, Gov. Benjamin J. Cayetano granted Kanahele a full pardon. Kanahele vowed to avoid all violence, choosing instead a Gandhian path of passive civil resistance.
In 2005, Kanehele has spoken out against the proposed Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (S.147, known as the Akaka Bill
) currently pending in the Senate, and has called upon Native Hawaiians
to establish their own bank.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
leader and titular head of state of the group Nation of Hawai'i. He spearheaded the founding of Pu‘uhonua o Waimānalo, a Hawaiian cultural village and traditional lo‘i kalo (taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
paddy) agricultural restoration project in Waimānalo, Hawai‘i
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Pu‘uhonua is a Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
word meaning "sanctuary" or "place of refuge".
The Nation of Hawai‘i group, which administers the village, regards itself as a sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
under international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, acting as a successor state to the independent Kingdom of Hawai‘i
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
and therefore not subject to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rule. Kanahele, like many Hawaiians, claims to be a descendant of King Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kanahele became known for militant activism on behalf of Hawaiian sovereignty
Hawaiian sovereignty movement
The Hawaiian sovereignty movement is a political movement seeking some form of sovereignty for Hawai'i. Generally, the movement's focus is on self-determination and self-governance, either for Hawaiʻi as an independent nation, or for people of whole or part native Hawaiian ancestry, or for...
, publicly resisting U.S. federal and state laws.
In 1993—the 100th anniversary of the U.S. seizure of power in Hawai‘i, and the year in which the U.S. passed a joint resolution of Congress apologizing for that action—Kanahele led 300 people in an occupation of Makapu‘u beach.
After 15 months, Gov. John D. Waihee III
John D. Waihee III
John David Waihee III served as the fourth Governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994. He was the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected to the office from any state of the United States. After his tenure in the governor's office, Waihee became a nationally prominent attorney and...
proposed a deal: If Kanahele and his group would leave Makapu‘u beach peacefully, the state would give them a 45-acre (18 hectare) parcel above Waimānalo in the foothills of the Ko‘olau Mountains. Kanahele's group signed a renewable 55-year lease at a cost of $3,000 a year, and in June 1994, Pu‘uhonua o Waimānalo came into being.
In 1998, Kanahele was sentenced to four months in prison for interfering with U.S. marshals seeking to arrest a federal fugitive. The judge gave Kanahele credit for the three and a half months he spent in prison without bail. The judge also fined him $500 and ordered him to spend another four months under electronic monitoring at his Waimānalo home.
In 2002, Gov. Benjamin J. Cayetano granted Kanahele a full pardon. Kanahele vowed to avoid all violence, choosing instead a Gandhian path of passive civil resistance.
In 2005, Kanehele has spoken out against the proposed Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (S.147, known as the Akaka Bill
Akaka Bill
The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009 S1011/HR2314 is a bill before the 111th Congress. It is commonly known as the Akaka Bill after Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, who has proposed various forms of this bill since 2000....
) currently pending in the Senate, and has called upon Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
to establish their own bank.
External links
- Bumpy Kanahele's personal website
- Pro-independence website maintained by the Nation of Hawai‘i
- Foes [of Akaka Bill] share opposition, little else Honolulu Advertiser, August 14, 2005
- Akaka Bill interview with Bumpy Kanahele in MauiTime Weekly, September 1, 2005