Authorizing the Use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an Event to Celebrate the Birthday of King Kamehameha I

Floor Speech

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Ms. GABBARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. Con. Res. 3, a concurrent resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to be held on June 7, 2015, to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I.

This annual celebration honors King Kamehameha I who established a unified Kingdom of Hawai`i in 1810.

King Kamehameha Day was celebrated first on June 11, 1872, and has been a Hawai`i State holiday since 1959. In 1970, the celebration of King Kamehameha's birthday in our nation's capital opened the rich history and culture of Hawai`i to more Americans.

In 1758, with the birth of Kamehameha, a prophecy foretelling that a great leader would be born and unite the islands of Hawai`i was fulfilled. Born into royal families from the islands of Hawai`i and Maui, Kamehameha's mentoring started at a young age. He learned religion, oral history, culture, economics, governance, navigation, warfare, and other fields of knowledge necessary to build a nation.

Kamehameha rose to power through political astuteness and superior forces. He was a visionary leader with a strategic mind, dominating presence, and persuasive personality. Kamehameha developed relationships with other royal families, built coalitions and sought the counsel of those steeped in modern warfare. By 1790, Kamehameha's modernized armed forces equipped with cannons and firearms and use of psychological warfare to undermine the spirits of opposing forces led to one successful military campaign after another.

While uniting the islands of Hawai`i, Kamehameha contemplated on the future of the Kingdom of Hawai`i and reasoned that for a nation to be vibrant, its citizens must feel safe and secure. Kamehameha reflected on a military encounter with fishermen gathering food from the ocean for their families. As Kamehameha gave chase to the fishermen, his leg got caught among the shoreline rocks. One of the fishermen hit him on the head with a paddle that broke into splinters. The fisherman spared Kamehameha's life.

Later, the fisherman was brought before Kamehameha. In his wisdom, Kamehameha ruled that the fisherman was innocent. The fisherman was protecting his family and land from an aggressor who could have done them harm. From that experience, Kamehameha embraced the inalienable rights of all men and women by proclaiming the Law of the Splintered Paddle (Ka 8na 8wai Ma 8mala Hoe), the law of the land.

The law stated, ``Let every elderly person, woman, and child lie by the roadside in safety.'' The Law of the Splintered Paddle sets the moral tone to do no harm to fellow human beings, take personal responsibility and think before committing an act of violence. It is fitting that the words of the Law of the Splintered Paddle are enshrined in the Hawai`i State Constitution. Its values have become a model for human rights law regarding the treatment of civilians and other non-combatants.

Kamehameha knew that in order to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of his people, it was imperative to create economic opportunities. Kamehameha invested resources to maintain viable fishponds and taro patches; protect fresh water streams, fertile soils, and forest lands; build schools and train a new generation of leaders. Kamehameha also bore witness to rapid unfolding events occurring since the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778. Kamehameha knew that it was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Native Hawai`ian people, and he made wise decisions to prepare his people for the future.

In closing, I would like to extend my appreciation to the staff of the Committee on House Administration, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, and the Office of Sergeant at Arms who have helped make this annual birthday celebration for King Kamehameha I a success.

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