Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

Hawaii Senate Bill SR54 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	THE SENATE S.R. NO. 54 THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE RESOLUTION urging the board of education and department of education to change the name of president William mckinley high school back to honolulu high school and remove the statue of president mckinley from the school premises.
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3	3	THE SENATE S.R. NO. 54
4	4	THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
5	5	STATE OF HAWAII
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7	7	THE SENATE
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9	9	S.R. NO.
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11	11	54
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13	13	THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
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17	17	STATE OF HAWAII
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29	29	SENATE RESOLUTION
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35	35	urging the board of education and department of education to change the name of president William mckinley high school back to honolulu high school and remove the statue of president mckinley from the school premises.
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43	43	WHEREAS, what is currently named President William McKinley High School was previously named Honolulu High School, which was established in the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1865 and is one of the oldest secondary schools in the Hawaiian islands; and WHEREAS, the name of Honolulu High School was changed to President William McKinley High School in 1907 as a key component of the political indoctrination strategy to deliberately convince the people living in the Hawaiian islands that they are American; and WHEREAS, when the statue of William McKinley was erected in 1911, several years after the renaming of the school, it was not to honor the President of the United States, but rather as a symbol to perpetuate the subjugation of Native Hawaiians and reinforce the lie that the Hawaiian islands belong to the United States of America; and WHEREAS, the name of the school and the statue of William McKinley holding the fabricated "Annexation Treaty" perpetuates the allegation that people in the Hawaiian islands wanted to become Americans, even though eighty percent of the adult population signed the Kūe Petitions against annexation in 1897; and WHEREAS, on July 6, 1898, President McKinley committed fraud to continue the occupation of the Hawaiian islands by the United States by signing a Joint Resolution of Congress, entitled the "Newlands Resolution" that purported the annexation of Hawaii; and WHEREAS, the Newlands Resolution illegitimately claimed United States annexation of the Hawaiian islands, even though such a document does not have any power or legitimacy to annex an internationally recognized nation with official treaties in eighteen foreign states dating as far back as 1846; and WHEREAS, the result of the illegal annexation turned Hawaii into an overseas colony completely dependent on the United States of America and displaced Native Hawaiians, robbing them of their birth right, cultural identity, nationality, language, and homes, while negatively impacting their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being; and WHEREAS, following the enactment of the Newlands Resolution, Hawaii's public education system was pressed into service to indoctrinate, denationalize, "Americanize", and convert generations of Hawaii's children into patriotic United States citizens; and WHEREAS, U.S. Public Law 103-150, informally known as the "Apology Resolution", a Joint Resolution of the United States Congress signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, acknowledges that "the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty over their national lands, either through a plebiscite or referendum"; and WHEREAS, William McKinley also turned a blind eye to racial atrocities being committed throughout the United States during his presidency, including the genocide of Native Americans in California and lynching of African-Americans in the southern states; and WHEREAS, William McKinley also signed the Curtis Act of 1898, which was intended to dismember the sovereign status of the Five Civilized Tribes, abolish the tribes' governments, invalidate their laws, dissolve their court systems, and subject native people to United States federal law; and WHEREAS, in recent years, the Department of Education has recognized the need to replace school names and symbols that have racially complicated origins with place-based alternatives; and WHEREAS, examples of the Department of Education's commitment to healing the State's school system from historical trauma include the renaming of Central Middle School to Princess Ruth Keelikolani Middle School in 2021, noting that the princess' home, Keoua Hale, once stood on the grounds of the current campus; and WHEREAS, the Board of Education purchased the property for what became Honolulu High School in 1895, which later became Keelikolani School before the name was changed to Central Junior High School in 1928, then Central Intermediate School in 1932, and Central Middle School in 1997; and WHEREAS, according to the principal of Princess Ruth Keelikolani Middle School, Joseph Passantino, Central Middle School was established as the school's name "in the 1930s because people couldn't pronounce the Hawaiian name"; and WHEREAS, regarding the restoration of the school's Hawaiian name, Mr. Passantino also said that "the significance is huge, especially for the staff who's dedicated over two years to give her that duty and honor"; and WHEREAS, additional actions have been taken at other public schools to address racially insensitive signifiers, such as the replacement of Kahuku High School's "Red Raiders" mascot, logo, and offensive chants after the Department of Education's Civil Rights Compliance Branch deemed them to be disrespectful and potentially discriminatory toward Native Americans; and WHEREAS, in an effort to overcome structural racism, communities across the United States have removed statues and symbols that deepen historical trauma, racial suppression, and white supremacy, including a statue of William McKinley in Arcata, California in 2019; and WHEREAS, in 2021, the Legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 112, declaring racism to be a public health crisis; and WHEREAS, Hawaii's public school system has a responsibility to promote historical understanding, racial equity, and civil rights; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Board of Education and Department of Education are urged to replace the name of President William McKinley High School with the previous name of Honolulu High School and remove the statue of President William McKinley from the school premises; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that to the greatest extent possible, the Board of Education and Department of Education are requested to ensure that public school curricula are inclusive of content on the historical injustice and discrimination endured by Hawaii's indigenous people; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaii's Congressional delegation, Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Kaimuki‑McKinley‑Roosevelt Complex Area Superintendent, and President of the McKinley High School Foundation. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: President William McKinley High School; Honolulu High School
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45	45	WHEREAS, what is currently named President William McKinley High School was previously named Honolulu High School, which was established in the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1865 and is one of the oldest secondary schools in the Hawaiian islands; and
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49	49	WHEREAS, the name of Honolulu High School was changed to President William McKinley High School in 1907 as a key component of the political indoctrination strategy to deliberately convince the people living in the Hawaiian islands that they are American; and
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53	53	WHEREAS, when the statue of William McKinley was erected in 1911, several years after the renaming of the school, it was not to honor the President of the United States, but rather as a symbol to perpetuate the subjugation of Native Hawaiians and reinforce the lie that the Hawaiian islands belong to the United States of America; and
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57	57	WHEREAS, the name of the school and the statue of William McKinley holding the fabricated "Annexation Treaty" perpetuates the allegation that people in the Hawaiian islands wanted to become Americans, even though eighty percent of the adult population signed the Kūe Petitions against annexation in 1897; and
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61	61	WHEREAS, on July 6, 1898, President McKinley committed fraud to continue the occupation of the Hawaiian islands by the United States by signing a Joint Resolution of Congress, entitled the "Newlands Resolution" that purported the annexation of Hawaii; and
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65	65	WHEREAS, the Newlands Resolution illegitimately claimed United States annexation of the Hawaiian islands, even though such a document does not have any power or legitimacy to annex an internationally recognized nation with official treaties in eighteen foreign states dating as far back as 1846; and
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69	69	WHEREAS, the result of the illegal annexation turned Hawaii into an overseas colony completely dependent on the United States of America and displaced Native Hawaiians, robbing them of their birth right, cultural identity, nationality, language, and homes, while negatively impacting their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being; and
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73	73	WHEREAS, following the enactment of the Newlands Resolution, Hawaii's public education system was pressed into service to indoctrinate, denationalize, "Americanize", and convert generations of Hawaii's children into patriotic United States citizens; and
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77	77	WHEREAS, U.S. Public Law 103-150, informally known as the "Apology Resolution", a Joint Resolution of the United States Congress signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, acknowledges that "the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty over their national lands, either through a plebiscite or referendum"; and
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81	81	WHEREAS, William McKinley also turned a blind eye to racial atrocities being committed throughout the United States during his presidency, including the genocide of Native Americans in California and lynching of African-Americans in the southern states; and
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85	85	WHEREAS, William McKinley also signed the Curtis Act of 1898, which was intended to dismember the sovereign status of the Five Civilized Tribes, abolish the tribes' governments, invalidate their laws, dissolve their court systems, and subject native people to United States federal law; and
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89	89	WHEREAS, in recent years, the Department of Education has recognized the need to replace school names and symbols that have racially complicated origins with place-based alternatives; and
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93	93	WHEREAS, examples of the Department of Education's commitment to healing the State's school system from historical trauma include the renaming of Central Middle School to Princess Ruth Keelikolani Middle School in 2021, noting that the princess' home, Keoua Hale, once stood on the grounds of the current campus; and
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97	97	WHEREAS, the Board of Education purchased the property for what became Honolulu High School in 1895, which later became Keelikolani School before the name was changed to Central Junior High School in 1928, then Central Intermediate School in 1932, and Central Middle School in 1997; and
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101	101	WHEREAS, according to the principal of Princess Ruth Keelikolani Middle School, Joseph Passantino, Central Middle School was established as the school's name "in the 1930s because people couldn't pronounce the Hawaiian name"; and
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105	105	WHEREAS, regarding the restoration of the school's Hawaiian name, Mr. Passantino also said that "the significance is huge, especially for the staff who's dedicated over two years to give her that duty and honor"; and
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109	109	WHEREAS, additional actions have been taken at other public schools to address racially insensitive signifiers, such as the replacement of Kahuku High School's "Red Raiders" mascot, logo, and offensive chants after the Department of Education's Civil Rights Compliance Branch deemed them to be disrespectful and potentially discriminatory toward Native Americans; and
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113	113	WHEREAS, in an effort to overcome structural racism, communities across the United States have removed statues and symbols that deepen historical trauma, racial suppression, and white supremacy, including a statue of William McKinley in Arcata, California in 2019; and
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117	117	WHEREAS, in 2021, the Legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 112, declaring racism to be a public health crisis; and
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121	121	WHEREAS, Hawaii's public school system has a responsibility to promote historical understanding, racial equity, and civil rights; now, therefore,
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125	125	BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Board of Education and Department of Education are urged to replace the name of President William McKinley High School with the previous name of Honolulu High School and remove the statue of President William McKinley from the school premises; and
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129	129	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that to the greatest extent possible, the Board of Education and Department of Education are requested to ensure that public school curricula are inclusive of content on the historical injustice and discrimination endured by Hawaii's indigenous people; and
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133	133	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaii's Congressional delegation, Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Kaimuki‑McKinley‑Roosevelt Complex Area Superintendent, and President of the McKinley High School Foundation.
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141	141	OFFERED BY: _____________________________
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145	145	OFFERED BY:
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147	147	_____________________________
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153	153	Report Title:
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155	155	President William McKinley High School; Honolulu High School