Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 5, 1 May 1985 — Resolution Seeking Restitution lntroduced at London Conference [ARTICLE]

Resolution Seeking Restitution lntroduced at London Conference

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' efforts to seek restitution from the United States government for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom has reached another far corner of the world in London, England. OHA Cultural Specialist Maleolm Naea Chun was a delegate to the recent meeting of the World Council of Churches in London where he presented OHA's resolutioh to Professor Todor Sabev, WCC deputy general secretary.

The resolution urges the U.S. Congress to acknowledge the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government. Sabev, who is from Bulgaria, assured Chun he would lend whatever support was necessary to gain WCC support. This was the second action taken by WCC in support of native causes. WCC, largest international eeumenieal organization, at its last General Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, passed a resolution supporting the native rights of Canadian Indians. This action has been encouraging to Canada's native peoples and it kindled hope WCC would also help the Hawaiian cause.

The trip was not sponsored nor financed by OHA. Chun represented the Episcopal Church of the United States whieh sponsored his trip. Purpose of the meeting was to plan programs for dialogue with people of other faiths throughout the world. WCC staff members and more than 40 people from differ-

ent parts of the world attended the meeting during whieh time Chun and others from areas representing native peoples were able to further establish programs within the WCC structure. The reasoning behind this was to involve more native peoples, especially concerning traditional religion and society.