Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai‘i?

Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai‘i?

Author: Jon M. Van Dyke

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2007-12-31

Total Pages: 505

ISBN-13: 082486560X

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The 1846-1848 Mahele (division) transformed the lands of Hawai‘i from a shared value into private property, but left many issues unresolved. Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) agreed to the Mahele, which divided all land among the mō‘ī (king), the ali‘i (chiefs), and the maka‘āinana (commoners), in the hopes of keeping the lands in Hawaiian hands even if a foreign power claimed sovereignty over the Islands. The king’s share was further divided into Government and Crown Lands, the latter managed personally by the ruler until a court decision in 1864 and a statute passed in 1865 declared that they could no longer be bought or sold by the mō‘ī and should be maintained intact for future monarchs. After the illegal overthrow of the monarchy in 1893, Government and Crown Lands were joined together, and after annexation in 1898 they were managed as a public trust by the United States. At statehood in 1959, all but 373,720 acres of Government and Crown Lands were transferred to the State of Hawai‘i. The legal status of Crown Lands remains controversial and misunderstood to this day. In this engrossing work, Jon Van Dyke describes and analyzes in detail the complex cultural and legal history of Hawai‘i’s Crown Lands. He argues that these lands must be examined as a separate entity and their unique status recognized. Government Lands were created to provide for the needs of the general population; Crown Lands were part of the personal domain of Kamehameha III and evolved into a resource designed to support the mō‘ī, who in turn supported the Native Hawaiian people. The question of who owns Hawai‘i’s Crown Lands today is of singular importance for Native Hawaiians in their quest for recognition and sovereignty, and this volume will become a primary resource on a fundamental issue underlying Native Hawaiian birthrights. 64 illus., 6 maps


Hawaiian National Bibliography, 1780-1900

Hawaiian National Bibliography, 1780-1900

Author: David W. Forbes

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2003-02-28

Total Pages: 818

ISBN-13: 9780824826369

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The fourth and final volume of the Hawaiian National Bibliography, 1780-1900, records the most volatile period in Hawaii's history. American business interests and the desire for a constitutional monarchy were pitted against the desire of the monarchs, King Kaläkaua and Queen Liliuokalani, to strengthen the power of the throne. The convulsions of the 1887 and 1889 revolutions were succeeded by the overthrow of the monarchy on January 17, 1893. Documents revealing the struggle over annexation, beginning in 1893, and the counterrevolution of 1895 are an important component of this volume. Annexation in 1898 was followed by a two-year period during which functions of government and laws were altered to conform to those of the United States. After the organic act became effective in 1900, vestiges of monarchical Hawaii disappeared and the history of the Territory of Hawaii unfolded. As with the previous volumes, Volume 4 is a record of printed works touching on some aspect of the political, religious, cultural, or social history of the Hawaiian Islands. A valuable component of this series is the inclusion of newspaper and periodical accounts, and single-sheet publications such as broadsides, circulars, playbills, and handbills. Entries are extensively annotated, and also provided for each are exact title, date of publication, size of volume, collation of pages, number and type of plates and maps, references, and location of copies.