Prince Kuhio worked on the County Home Rule. Along with Hawaiian Curtis I'aukea, Prince Kuhio launched a campaign to establish local government at the county level.
The
county rule matter was a major issue of the 1904 election; leading to a
new county act in 1905. Under this act, the islands were divided into
five separate counties, which lead to the decentralization of certain
government function. This resulted to new county offices and county
controlled jobs being created; filled primarily by Hawaiians.
The
Hawaiian societies were revised including the Hale O Na Ali's,
Daughters and Sons of Hawaiians Warriors, the Kaahumani Society and
other.
An amendment to the Organic Act
in 1910, opening public land to homesteading in Hawaii was
disappointing. Leases on vast acreage, more than two hundred thousand
acres of government land, were due to expire between years 1917 and
1921. Much of this pasture and can land if opened to homesteading,
might set people on road to recovery.
The
Hawaiian Homes Commission Act:
For more information on Hawaii's Homesteads try these locations
CLICK HERE OR CLICK HERE OR CLICK HERE
A little Homestead History
Like flowers, people need water to flourish. Water is essential to the survival of any type of life. But for Hawaiians, both of the past and present, survival is dependent on both land and water. The two are inseparable in providing for good living conditions. The centrality of the 'aina and wai to Hawaiians is reflected in the language, stories, and in the ability to thrive in Hawai'i today.
The 'aina and wai sustained the people of ancient Hawai'i. In ancient times, the land and its resources were under the control of the king, who in turn parceled out areas to his chiefs and supporters down to the common people. Everyone who had a parcel of land had access to most of the vegetation and could gather food from the land and the water. Hawai'i's traditional land system was eliminated in 1848, by the Mahele, which converted Hawai'i's land to governance by a private property system. The Western property system quickly took hold in Hawai'i, and coupled with various factors, eventually forced many Hawaiians off their ancestral lands.
Homesteading came about as a
response to the post-Mahele "decimation of the Hawaiian population and
the social conditions under which they lived." In 1921, the United
States Congress adopted the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act ("HHCA"),
providing government land to be leased to native Hawaiians on a
long-term (ninety-nine year) basis at a nominal fee. The Act, backed by
Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole, Hawai'i's delegate in the U.S.
Congress, intended to provide native Hawaiians with an opportunity to
reconnect with the land as homesteaders.
Island |
Homestead Lease Type- June 30,1997 |
Total
|
||||||
| Residential |
Agricultural |
Pastoral |
||||||
| Hawaii (east) |
689 |
13.54% |
369 |
35.38% |
24 |
8.05% |
1082 |
16.83% |
| Hawaii (west) |
346 |
6.80% |
104 |
9.97% |
246 |
82.55% |
696 |
10.83% |
| Maui |
510 |
10.03% |
66 |
6.33% |
0 |
0.00% |
576 |
8.96% |
| Moloka'i |
388 |
7.63% |
399 |
38.26% |
26 |
8.72% |
813 |
12.65% |
| O'ahu |
2,739 |
53.84% |
58 |
5.56% |
0 |
0.00% |
2,797 |
43.51% |
| Kaua'i |
415 |
8.16% |
47 |
4.51% |
2 |
0.67% |
464 |
7.22% |
| Total |
5,087 |
1,043 |
298 |
6,428 |
||||
Year |
Homestead
Lease Type: June 30,1988-June 30,1997 |
Total |
|||||
| Residential |
Agricultural |
Pastoral |
|||||
| 1988 |
4,595 |
79.48% |
1,093 |
18.91% |
93 |
1.61% |
5,781 |
| 1989 |
4,592 |
79.47% |
1,093 |
18.92% |
93 |
1.61% |
5,778 |
| 1990 |
4,592 |
79.47% |
1,093 |
18.92% |
93 |
1.61% |
5,778 |
| 1991 |
4,601 |
76.90% |
1,093 |
18.27% |
289 |
4.83% |
5,983 |
| 1992 |
4,613 |
78.33% |
990 |
16.81% |
289 |
4.86% |
5,889 |
| 1993 |
4,662 |
78.12% |
1,015 |
17.01% |
291 |
4.88% |
5,968 |
| 1994 |
4,739 |
78.21% |
1,023 |
16.88% |
297 |
4.90% |
6,059 |
| 1995 |
4,770 |
78.29% |
1,025 |
16.82% |
298 |
4.89% |
6,093 |
| 1996 |
5,014 |
78.96% |
1,038 |
16.35% |
298 |
4.69% |
6,350 |
| 1997 |
5,087 |
79.14% |
1,043 |
16.23% |
298 |
4.64% |
6,428 |