E iho ana o luna;

That which is above shall be brought down;

E pi'i ana o lalo;

That which is below shall be lifted;

E hui ana na moku;

The islands shall be united;

E ku ana ka paia.

The walls shall stand upright.

— Kapihe Wanana

Memorials in Hawai'i and around the country have been created for every purpose, honoring every ethnic group and those who have served in various wars.

There are memorials for the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I and World War II. The Punchbowl and Arizona memorials honor World War II heroes, and there are memorials for the Korean War, Vietnam War and many more.

In this same tradition of honoring those who have made a significant contribution and demonstrated courage for their beliefs, we believe a Ku'e Memorial Wall is long overdue.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs recently granted our group, Ke Kia'i, some $24,950 to begin planning and community consulting on what we call the Ku'e Memorial Wall Project.

The initial goal in this phase of the project will be sharing of ideas on creating a Ku'e Memorial Wall through community meetings on O'ahu representing signatories of the Ku'e Petitions and eventually on each of the neighboring islands.

The Ku'e Petitions — opposing the loss of the Hawaiian kingdom — were first displayed to the Hawai'i public on Jan. 17, 1998, during the Sovereignty Sunday events held on the 'Iolani Palace grounds.

Since then, the petitions have traveled throughout the Islands as tangible proof that our kupuna took heroic actions against the traumatic dehumanization, humiliation, forced assimilation and theft of our nation, the Kingdom of Hawai'i.

The Ku'e Memorial Wall will be a tangible touchstone to our kupuna who, at great personal peril and loss, stood up for what they believed in and supported the restoration of the nation of Hawai'i and Queen Lili'uokalani at the time of the 1898 illegal annexation of Hawai'i by the government of the United States of America.

The strong impact of the display of the Ku'e Petitions and the connection that many have felt to their kupuna when they have had an opportunity to view them has been dramatic.

Touching the signatures of their kupuna has inspired many to become more active in their community and to reaffirm their identity as kanaka maoli o ka pae 'aina o Hawai'i.

The Ku'e Memorial Wall will help to ho'ala hou, reawaken and bridge the gap by increasing awareness of important historic events and "acts" of America's influence on Hawaiian history. As we proceed with various nation-building strategies throughout our community, we strive to reach consensus to find common values and convictions that will draw the community together and strengthen our ties to one another.

Kupuna, makua and opio (elders, parents and youths) have reconnected with the understanding that our kupuna did not give up, but resisted annexation despite overwhelming odds. Their solidarity was illustrated by the signing of a petition — the "Monster Petition," the Ku'e Petitions.

This community memorial project will help strengthen our cultural identity and promote community development and self-esteem. It will help to preserve this part of our Hawaiian heritage and our understanding of Hawai'i's history, and inspire our people, young and old, to be firm in their resolve to achieve a more meaningful reconciliation and recognition of our ancestors' drive to maintain their sovereignty.

It will tell the story to our children and our young people that their kupuna showed courage and were steadfast in the support of their independent nation. It also will help to bring pono and ho'opono, and assist in reconciling the wrongs done to our kupuna and their descendants as we show respect and honor their brave actions.

It is by heeding the voices of our ancestors that we will restore our nation and bring peace, power and righteousness back into the hearts and minds of kanaka Hawai'i.

"We are who we were!"

Ku'e! Ku'e!! Ku'e forever!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

There are several design concepts in the creation of the Ku'e Memorial Wall. Two are "free-standing" wall designs as depicted by the artist conceptions. One is the concentric circle and the other is the kupu, or spiraling configuration.

Other options are the usage of existing walls such as the interior/exterior walls of the 'Iolani Palace and/or the adjacent Capitol.

The symbolism here is that the queen is facing the present "seat of government," the state's Capitol/Legislature and along with her subjects, the original signatories, reminding those today of the desire then of the opposition to the illegal annexation of Hawai'i by the American Congress and its military. We have not acquiesced then, since and still today and remain steadfast in our stance of ku'e calling for the restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy by the American government ... onipa'a!