Bumpy Kanahele

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 [http://www.alohafirst.com/puuhonua.htm 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 [Tizon, Tomas Alex; "Rebuilding a Hawaiian Kingdom", article in the "Los Angeles Times", July 21, 2005. [http://www.hawaii-nation.org/rebuilding-kingdom.html] ] .

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 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.

See also

*Legal status of Hawaii

References

External links

* [http://bumpykanahele.com Bumpy Kanahele's personal website]
* [http://www.hawaii-nation.org Pro-independence website maintained by the Nation of Hawai‘i]
* [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Aug/14/ln/508140321.html/?print=on Foes of Akaka Bill share opposition, little else] "Honolulu Advertiser", August 14, 2005
* [http://www.mauitime.com/story.aspx?story_id=781 Akaka Bill] interview with Bumpy Kanahele in "MauiTime Weekly", September 1, 2005