Attacking the Trust

(Note: This is the first installment of a three-part series discussing recent legal and political challenges to the Kamehameha Schools and other institutions designed to benefit the native Hawaiian people. Read parts 2 and 3.)

Last Thursday my alma mater, Kamehameha Schools, was sued by “an unidentified non-Hawaiian student.” The school was founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last direct descendant of Kamehameha I, via a trust established by her will.

The results of this lawsuit will have lasting and profound implications for every native Hawaiian and Hawai’i resident alike.

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Kamehameha I – A Profile

Oil portrait of Kamehameha the GreatTomorrow is King Kamehameha Day, a state holiday in honor of the first monarch of the unified Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha was well-loved by his people, because he was fair in just in his rule of the new kingdom. However, even though Kamehameha was a great man, it should be noted that, like everybody else, he had many undesirable character traits.

With the exception of Kaua’i and Ni’ihau, all of the major Hawaiian Islands were added to the kingdom by overthrowing the chiefs of the island, often in a surprise attack. Kamehameha was entrusted with the war god Kuka’ilimoku, and soon after led a revolt against the chief of Hawai’i, Kiwala’o, to begin acquiring land.

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Looking for More About Hawai’i?

You’ll probably have a hard time finding it here. The truth is, I’m much more likely to blog about stuff on the other side of the ocean than on my home, just because it’s so common and everyday to me. If what you’re looking for is Hawai’i, however, you may find what you’re looking for at Ian Lind’s blog. His material tends to be newsy stuff that may or may not be interesting for a non-resident. Not hard to understand, seeing that he used to work for the Star-Bulletin.

Blanketing Hawai’i with the Good News

A lot’s happened in the past month to get the Good News out about Jesus to the people of Hawai’i. The Jesus Hawai’i Project, along with the financial support of about 185 churches, has mailed out 497,000 copies of a special Hawai’i edition of JESUS on video – that’s one for every household and apartment in the state (and apparently some P.O. boxes as well).

A week later, K-12 students across the state distributed Student Survival Kits to any student who would take them. The kits contained a video, CD, New Testament, More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell, and more.

Naturally, this got some media recognition. It was featured in the April 12th Honolulu Advertiser (not linked because their articles expire), April 24th Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and at least one local television station.

We can pass out thousands of videos and kits, but only God can do anything with them. So, even though this happened a few weeks ago, pray for the people who organized this project, the students who are now working the front-lines, and especially for the people who are hearing the Gospel for the first time.