RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, in 1864, after the passing of King Kamehameha IV, his brother and successor, Lot Kekuapoaiwa, King Kamehameha V, continued the plans to develop Mauna`ala--the Royal Mausoleum--in Nu`uanu, on the island of O`ahu; and

WHEREAS, upon the Royal Mausoleum's completion in 1865, and on the evening of October 12, eighteen royal caskets were removed from their coral tomb at Pohukaina and, in a formal procession, were interred at the Royal Mausoleum. From that time forward, the ruling ali`i and their families have been interred there, including all of the Kamehameha line, with the exception of Kamehameha I, and the Kalakaua line; and

WHEREAS, following the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai`i in 1893 and the annexation of Hawai`i in 1898, the Congress of the United States, nevertheless, took steps to recognize and protect the sacred and culturally unique purpose for which Mauna`ala was created; and

WHEREAS, in 1900, Congress passed Joint Resolution 28 of the fifty-sixth Congress, which stated that the Royal Mausoleum would be "forever reserved for the purpose to which the said lands have been heretofore dedicated and for which they have been heretofore used"; and

WHEREAS, confirmation for the perpetuity and protection of this site was echoed in a letter dated March 8, 1950, from the Department of the Attorney General of the Territory of Hawai`i to the Honorable Samuel Wilder King, which stated that the "Royal Mausoleum premises were dedicated as a burial ground for members of the Royal family of Hawai`i. The resolution was designed to perpetuate the dedication of the premises as a mausoleum for the old Hawaiian kings and members of the royal family by making certain that the premises would not be disposed of under the public land laws of the United States"; and

WHEREAS, the care and maintenance of Mauna`ala, from that time, has been the kuleana of the State of Hawai`i through the State Parks Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

WHEREAS, the civic clubs of the O`ahu Council are to be commended for contributing to the care of Mauna`ala through rotating the responsibilities for chapel cleaning; and

WHEREAS, the students of Kamehameha School are also to be commended for their generous contribution in assisting with the cleaning and care of Mauna`ala; and

WHEREAS, a provision in the will of Mr. Charles Reed Bishop, who built the Kamehameha crypt for the Kamehameha Ali`i provides evidence of the history of maintenance and upkeep of Mauna`ala; and

WHEREAS, Charles Reed Bishop committed in his will, to honoring the resting place of our ali`i by providing for "such sum as may be necessary for the care, repair, maintenance, and improvement of the tomb, monument and grounds in Nu`uanu, in said City of Honolulu, where are deposited the remains of my late wife, and other Hawaiian chiefs"; and

WHEREAS, however, due to specific limitations in the trust pertaining to the maintenance costs, the trust is financially unable to subsidize all of the repair and maintenance needs of the Royal Mausoleum, which still remains the responsibility, and under the jurisdiction, of the State of Hawai`i; and

WHEREAS, there presently exists significant structural and maintenance needs affecting the Chapel and grounds of Mauna`ala, including erosion of retaining walls, repairs needed to maintain the crypts, upkeep of the paved areas within the grounds, and many other needs requiring substantial funding; and

WHEREAS, Mauna`ala is culturally sacred and unique, and deserving of adequate state funding for its appropriate upkeep; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs is requested to support the preservation of Mauna`ala through measures demonstrating its commitment to this project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is strongly encouraged to accept its historical and moral responsibility for properly caring for this sacred site and to acknowledge that Mauna`ala is not merely another "park" or recreation site, but rather a unique cultural treasure that must be appropriately funded, protected, and cared for as the final resting place of our Ali`i; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Governor, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources are urged to support the restoration of Mauna`ala through allocation of appropriate state funds for this purpose; and

Report Title:

Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; Mauna`ala; Royal Mausoleum