Palace's executive director releases statement
| • | 'Iolani Palace access restored after appeal from DLNR |
Advertiser Staff
This statement was released shortly before noon today by Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of 'Iolani Palace: A group has identified itself to us as the "Hawaiian Kingdom Government" and has blocked access to Iolani Palace grounds. They have delivered a written message to palace officials claiming the grounds as the seat of their government.
While we respect the freedom of Hawaiian groups to hold an opinion on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, we believe that blocking public access to Iolani Palace is wrong and certainly detrimental to our mission to share the palace and its history with our residents, our keiki and our visitors.
As a matter of historical record, we wish to point out that the original seat of government of the Hawaiian Kingdom was not Iolani Palace. The palace was the royal residence. Government activities were carried out in the original Courthouse (now demolished), then later in Aliiolani Hale
Claiming that Iolani Palace was the seat of government actually supports those who overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom. It was they who intentionally renamed the palace to be their "Executive Building" to show that by seizing this symbolic structure and utilizing it for mere offices and meeting rooms, they were now in control, and the alii were powerless.
The Provisional Government (January 1893-July 1894) and later the government of the Republic of Hawaii (July 1894-Aug. 1898) worked openly to wipe out physical vestiges of the alii in the palace by auctioning off its contents, thus further cementing the perception of the palace as a purely government building.
The removal of government functions from the palace and its restoration as the place of residence of the Hawaiian alii were, in fact, significant steps to acknowledge its true and proper position.
It is historically wrong for any individual or group to state that the palace is to serve as a government building.
We welcome any group who would like to celebrate the history of Iolani Palace and Hawaii's monarchy in a historically appropriate manner that embraces all visitors.
