HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

52

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting that the state foundation on culture and the arts review and reexamine the findings and recommendations of the Alii Memorial Art Advisory Task Force regarding, among other things, the location of the Spirit of Liliuokalani statue.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the Iolani Palace property consisted of the original Iolani Palace built in 1844 and the original Iolani Barracks built in 1871 that was sited at the location of the Hawaii State Capitol building; and

 

     WHEREAS, the original palace was razed and the palace grounds were expanded in 1874; and

 

     WHEREAS, the original wall surrounding the Iolani Palace property was moved ten feet closer to the Palace in 1883, thereby diminishing the "Hawaiian Space" of the original boundaries of the palace property; and

 

     WHEREAS, the original Iolani Barracks was relocated "brick by brick" to its current location in 1965, thus redefining the entire palace property and thereby further diminishing the "Hawaiian Space"; and

 

     WHEREAS, moolelo from many kupuna refer to the mall space as the Queen's Walkway, where the Queen travelled in an underground passage that connected the palace grounds to other Honolulu properties; and

 

     WHEREAS, prior to the Iolani Barracks relocation, the "Hotel Street Mall" was called the Palace Walk, Palace walkway, or Chiefs Walk on early Honolulu maps; and

     WHEREAS, Queen Liliuokalani ascended to the throne in 1891 and reigned until she was deposed in 1898 serving as the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Spirit of Liliuokalani statue was commissioned and displayed in its current location in 1982; the artist selected Washington Place or Iolani Palace as possible permanent locations, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Places, however, these sites were rejected as inappropriate; and

 

     WHEREAS, as a result of the adoption of SCR 96 S.D. 2, H.D. 1 by the Legislature during the Regular Session of 2016, the Alii Memorial Art Advisory Task Force convened and created the State Capitol Monuments Master Plan draft in 2017, that proposed relocating the Spirit of Liliuokalani statue to other sites, including the Queen Liliuokalani Building on Punchbowl Street and the Eternal Flame monument on Beretania Street, as well as the additional commission of four alii statues; and

 

     WHEREAS, in order to pay proper respect and homage to the Hawaiian people, their heritage, and the historical significance of Palace Walkway; now, therefore

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is requested to review and reexamine the findings and recommendations in the report submitted by the Alii Memorial Art Advisory Task Force regarding, among other things, the location of the Spirit of Liliuokalani statue; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020 that shall include its findings and recommendations regarding the Task Force's recommendation that:

 

(1)  The current location of the Spirit of Liliuokalani statue should be preserved;

(2)  Of the four proposed additional commissioned alii monuments, one be placed at the Ewa entrance and another monument be placed at the Diamond Head entrance to the Hotel Street Mall; and

 

(3)  The Hotel Street Mall be renamed as the Alii Memorial Pedestrian Walkway and dedicated as a space reserved for the promotion of Hawaiian history and culture through the placement of monuments, traditional native plants, and an interactive display space; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Commission.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Spirit of Liliuokalani Statue; Current Location