Stop the Auction! Bring Hawaiian Artifacts Home!

I am contacting you regarding an auction held at Bonhams Auction House New York on October 25, 2022. In this auction titled “Exploration and Travel Literature, Featuring Americana,” there are several items acquired from the Kingdom of Hawai’i during the events of January 17, 1893. On that day, a group of businessmen allied with the United States Marine Corps and, guided by Colonel John Soper, proceeded to stage a coup and overthrow the Hawaiian government, formerly recognized as a sovereign state by the United States. This statement is proven by 107 STAT. 1510 PUBLIC LAW 103-150—NOVEMBER 23, 1993, issued by Congress and signed by then-President Bill Clinton, which “acknowledge[s] the 100th anniversary of the January 17, 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and to offer an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.” The items featured in this collection include Lot 56, “ROYAL HAWAIIAN STANDARD FLOWN AT LILIUOKALINI’S RESIDENCE DURING THE OVERTHROW.” In the description, it states the origins of this standard: “In [Soper’s] detailed typescript written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs F.M. Hatch narrating the proceedings of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Soper writes, ‘On January 20 the late royal standard was flying from the flagstaff at Liliuokalani’s residence and acting under instructions from the Councils, I sent one of my aides, C.A. Brown, with a note to Liliuokalani, directing the lowering of that standard and prohibiting it’s being raised again, but informing her that she was at liberty to fly the Hawaiian Flag.’ On the next page of the same document, Soper writes that on January 22, he ‘ordered Major Nowlein to secure possession of the royal standards and deliver them to the Com’d’g Officer at the Barracks.’” Not only is this explicit admission of theft by Colonel Soper, but it also shows knowledge of the unethical origins of this item and others in the said collection that Bonhams intends to sell. All items for sale are listed on the Bonhams Auction House website at https://t.co/dggBlxZerp, with prices ranging from $500 upwards of $20,000 for Queen Liliuokalani’s Royal Standard. These prices acknowledge the historical scarcity and value yet are ineffable for most Native Hawaiians who would gladly buy back their culture if they had the financial capability. So I implore you to stop this online auction and ensure the safe return of these items to Hawai'i. These items should be returned and kept in a temperature-controlled environment to ensure their continued existence. To deny Native Hawaiians this act of repatriation is to deny their continued existence and continues to erase Hawaiian history from current conversations. Allowing these items to be sold to private members will only further the loss of Hawaiian history and display negligence for and against the Hawaiian people today and those who endured the horrors of 1893 and what followed.