Hawaiian Sovereignty: Focus on the Apology BillOne of the most important documents to be familiar with to understand Hawaiian Sovereignty, is the Apology Bill. On the 100 year anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, President Clinton signed and approved Public Law 103-150, also known as the Apology Bill. The first part of the document goes into detail about how the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom was illegal, and the ramifications that action has had. It also quotes Queen Liliuokalani's statement when she yielded to the United States, not the provisional government that held power for five years. The provisional government was backed by the U.S., but not officially. Annexation of Hawaii did not occur officially till 1898. 
Here is the quoted statement from Liliuokalani. "I Liliuokalani, by the Grace of God and under the Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom. "That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support the Provisional Government." "Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands." From that statement alone, it is easy to understand why Hawaiian Sovereignty is of such importance not just to Kanaka Maoli, but to all people that live in Hawaii. Hawaiian Sovereignty is about an illegal act, the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, and this has never been dealt with or settled. How these claims are settled is the main issue that our nation is facing today. The dangerous Akaka Bill is hoping to settle any claims that Hawaii might have against the U.S. The door to sovereignty was unlocked by this Apology Bill, whether or not it gets opened is hanging in the balance right now.
Take a look at what the Apology Bill really says: SEC. 3. DISCLAIMER. "Nothing in this Joint Resolution is intended to serve as a settlement of any claims against the United States." This means that there is the possibility for claims against the U.S. to get heard, and settled. The Supreme Court has even been mirroring these sentiments, with all their conclusions pertaining to the State of Hawaii starting with the statement Notwithstanding. This term legally means that the court does not have standing or authority legally to rule over Hawaii. The Supreme Court has authority to rule that Hawaii is illegally occupied, but that case has not been heard yet. There is a strong feeling that if that case was brought in the right manner, the Supreme Court would rule in Hawaii's favor. That remains to be seen. To see a copy of the Apology Bill in its entirety follow this link
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The Apology Bill is the U.S.'s first step towards reconciliation, and possibly settling the claims that the Hawaiian Kingdom have against the U.S.