'Living Nation' events begin Friday at palace
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
Annual events commemorating the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom this week will include a re-enactment of the historic event, discussions about sovereignty efforts and the launch of a campaign to enroll voters who will choose delegates to form a Native Hawaiian government.
Saturday marks the 111th anniversary of the overthrow, but events will begin at 4 p.m. Friday, the start of the two-day "Living Nation" observance. Mel Kalahiki, a coordinator of the series, said the opening program is set for the grounds of 'Iolani Palace, where flags will be displayed, representing countries with which the kingdom had international agreements.
A second gathering is set for 5 p.m. Friday at Grover Cleveland Park, the green near Queen and Mililani streets that is named for the U.S. president who supported restoration of the monarchy. After remarks at the park, the group will move to Mililani Street for a costumed narrative re-enactment, at about the time when American troops massed near the palace.
A 12-hour vigil at the palace will be followed at 9 a.m. Saturday with music by the Royal Hawaiian Band and a program, Kalahiki said.
At 11 a.m., the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is set to begin the voter enrollment near Ali'iolani Hale. A select group will officially enroll in a ceremony, but the rest of the potential voters simply will receive the form that they will complete later, said Richard Pezzulo, OHA's director of Hawaiian governance.
In order to be credentialed as a voter, Pezzulo said, the form will need to be returned with a certified copy of a vital statistics record indicating their Hawaiian ancestry. In most cases that would be a birth certificate, but the death certificate noting a parent's ancestry also will be accepted.
OHA is working out the final details of the process, Pezzulo said, including which other credentials will be accepted, including notarized genealogical records and documents from the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
OHA unveiled its nationhood plan in May, outlining requirements such as candidates needing a minimum of 100 signatures to seek a seat in the 'aha, or constitutional convention. The original timetable had the delegates elected by November, but now the office has targeted midsummer for the voting, with the 'aha convening soon afterward.
Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.
