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Royal House of Hawaii testifies to Maui County committee, asserts royal patent title claims and urges contact of beneficiaries
Summary
A representative identifying as a beneficiary under royal patents testified during the committee's bond discussion, asserting that royal patent titles from the Mahele and the constitution of Kamehameha III remain valid and urging the county to identify and contact beneficiaries regarding land developments.
A member of the Royal House of Hawaii, identifying themselves as a beneficiary of royal patent titles for Ka‘onoulu-a-a-pua‘a (self‑identified heir name recorded in the transcript), testified during the committee’s public testimony period and urged the council to recognize and respect royal patent titles.
The testifier told the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee that land in Hawaii is held under royal patent titles established during the Mahele and rooted in the constitution of Kamehameha III. The speaker argued that those titles are perpetual and said that any efforts to create land trusts or similar schemes that contradict royal patent titles would be illegal and improperly disregard beneficiary rights.
The testifier said they had not received notice about development on the land where they claim beneficiary status, including construction of a hotel, and demanded that the county identify and contact all similarly situated beneficiaries to ensure their rights are respected. Committee members asked clarifying questions about contact information for submitted testimony. The chair closed public testimony after a last call and proceeded with committee business.
Ending: The committee did not take action on testimony; the comment was recorded in the public record and will be part of meeting minutes.
