Apology Resolution (Pub. L. 103-150), 1993

What happened

On November 23, 1993, Public Law 103-150 became law. It is a joint resolution marking the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893. Its opening clauses call the overthrow "illegal" and say it was carried out "with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States."

Section 1 has Congress acknowledge that the overthrow "resulted in the suppression of the inherent sovereignty of the Native Hawaiian people." It then "apologizes to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the people of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893 with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States, and the deprivation of the rights of Native Hawaiians to self-determination." Congress also expressed its commitment to acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow and urged the President to support reconciliation.

One of its findings concerns land: "the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum."

Section 3 is a disclaimer: "Nothing in this Joint Resolution is intended to serve as a settlement of any claims against the United States." In Hawaii v. Office of Hawaiian Affairs (2009), the Supreme Court held that the resolution did not strip Hawaii of its sovereign authority to sell the ceded lands it received at statehood, and described the first section's verbs as "conciliatory or precatory."

Good to know. The Supreme Court's 2009 decision turned on the resolution's legal effect, not on the truth of its history.

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error