Near the end of a 12-minute speech on Waikiki Beach in July 1993, President Clinton was interrupted by a pro-sovereignty group chanting: "Justice for Hawaiians."
Clinton turned to them and said: "I hope we can provide it."
Four months later, Clinton signed a congressional apology that acknowledged the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
The Apology Resolution explained the events that led to the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani on Jan. 17, 1893, and admitted that U.S. officials in Hawai'i sent Marines to invade Honolulu and intimidate the queen and her government.
The resolution, signed on Nov. 23, 1993, as Hawai'i's congressional delegation looked on, apologized to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the U.S. government. It also stated a commitment to acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow and find a foundation for reconciliation between the U.S. and Native Hawaiians.
U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, one of the sponsors of the resolution, called the signing "one of the most gratifying moments of my life" and was keenly aware that the apology was signed in a year marking the centennial of the overthrow.
"Out of the grim centennial of the darkest episode in our history has come the establishment of a firm foundation for reconciliation and ho'oponopono," he said.
Ho'oponopono means to correct things.
But some called the bill largely symbolic. Mililani Trask, president of Ka Lahui Hawai'i, the sovereignty group that chanted to Clinton during his speech on the beach, called the resolution "a mere paper apology ... too little, too late."
