Should native Hawaiians have a legal status similar to American Indians and Alaska natives?

Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka warned the US Senate wed. “That failure to adopt his bill to grant native Hawaiian’s federal recognition could lead to a divided Hawaii,” with many young Hawaiian wanting the islands to become a separate nation.

Hawaii Tribune Herald 1/18/2007

Hawaii’s Sen. Daniel Akaka plans to reintroduce his bill today that would grant federal recognition to Native Hawaiians, hoping it will have a better chance of passage with a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. The effort comes seven months after the bill failed to get a final vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. All votes against considering it were from Republicans. The legislation, nicknamed the Akaka bill, is part of a seven-year push for legislation to recognize Native Hawaiians as indigenous inhabitants of the 50th state — a legal status similar to that of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

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View the "akaka bill"

View the "language change" in the updated bill to win over the Bush Administration

The overall message is summed up by Akaka as follows.

“it will redress the wrongs done during the US backed overthrow of the Hawaiian monarcy in 1893.”

Hawaii Tribune Herald 1/17/2007

“It would authorize federal recognition of a phony Indian tribe invented out of thin air,” Conklin said. “Twenty percent of Hawaii’s people, completely integrated and intermarried, living, working, and praying side-by-side with everyone else throughout all neighborhoods, would be singled out by law solely because they have a drop of native blood and given a new government.

Tribune Herald 1/17/2007 retired philosophy professional Ken Conklin

I personally have a hard time with this topic. Hawaii is a nation full of Asian ethnicities. And it's History will show an open door to many other ethnicties.

Hawaii is a land of immigrants, some ancient and some recent. Some estimate the population of Native Hawaiians in 1778 was 300,000, others believe it was much larger. The introduction of diseases unknown in isolated Hawaii decimated the population after European contact. The population of Hawaii decreased from first contact until 1872 when it hit a low of 56,000. The Hawaiian population was so low that sugar planters needed to import labor from other countries.

Source

Follow the above link to see a timeline of immigration to the islands.

I live on the big island in the Puna district where feelings for this bill can get fairly heated to say the least. Even then locals and new residents alike have a mixed reaction to the legislation. Some say they couldn’t live without it (Akaka bill) and that “haolies” should just go back to the mainland. Others have embraced the lifestyle they’ve become accustom to and actually fear life with U.S. influence.

It's a bit late. Native Americans - north of the Rio Grande - have been estimated to have numbered between 3 million and 10 million in 1492. In the US, by the 1900 Census, there were fewer than 300,000. Perhaps gambling casinos are to Native Americans what Montezuma’s Revenge is to Mexicans? I’m against both.

The native inhabitants of Alaska never numbered many, and I’m sure that even fewer are alive and well today. Industrialized societies and aborigines do not mix well. Always to the detriment - sometimes fatal - of the group with the smaller numbers.

If any native Hawaiians are still living, then if they want to be accorded the same “treatment” we give Native Americans, so be it. But it should be their choice to make.



[edit on 1/20/2007 by donwhite]

This is the problem with fixing things over 100 years after the fact. File this under "Maybe you should have thought about that before you rented the USS Boston out to Lorrin Thurston and Sanford Dole".

I think we should put it to a vote by those with native roots as Don said. We can't just say "too late now" but we do have to recognize that we can only do so much at this point because we now have a lot of non-indigenous people and a lot of capital deeply rooted in Hawaii which can only be infringed on so much by corrective measures.

Above all, I suggest we pay close attention to the moral of this situation. When you let the US government do something wrong, you'd better either be OK with it or fix it in a hurry, because there won't be a clear answer later. Maybe Hawaiians should take notes on what happens next and save them for future generations of Iraqis. (no I'm not saying we'll annex Iraq; I'm saying the longer we wait to find a fair and workable sollution to any such problem, the more painful any answer becomes.)

If any native Hawaiians are still living, then if they want to be accorded the same “treatment” we give Native Americans, so be it. But it should be their choice to make.

There are still some 3200 plus "native hawaiians" by the last stat I read. can't find the link right now (will post once found)

To acknowledge 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.

First line of the 1993 "Apology Resolution" Clinton signed this apology in 1993.

You would think that would be enough said. Done deal, give them what they want right....

So why is it that Akaka and his supporters are still fighting to get their Islands back under Hawaiian rule? Akaka has been trying to pass his bill for 7 years now.

Opponents have said the Akaka Bill illegally discriminates in favor of one race and would not be constitutional, while supporters say the bill is about the former Hawaiian nation and not an ethnic group.

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U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says granting Hawaiians the right to form their own government would "discriminate on the basis of race or national origin, and further subdivide the American people into discrete subgroups accorded varying degrees of privilege."

The current system of preferences for Hawaiians, and the Akaka bill, may be found in violation of the Constitution's Fifth and 14th Amendments.

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The Senator attempted to backtrack on a highly inflammatory statement he made in a 2005 interview on National Public Radio, during which he admitted the Akaka Bill could lead to Hawaii’s secession from the United States.

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Senior HI Sen. Inouye addresses the 103rd senate during the debate leading to the vote for the apology resolution:

To suggest that this resolution is the first step toward declaring independence for the State of Hawaii is a painful distortion of the intent of the authors. To suggest that this resolution is intended to expel non-Hawaiians from the State of Hawaii is something that even the most severe critics of this resolution in Hawaii would not even consider.

later in the same debate…

Mr. President, may I once again say that the suggestion that this resolution was the first step toward declaring independence or seceding from the United States is at best a very painful distortion of our intent. The whereases were placed in the resolution for a very simple reason: So that those who are studying this resolution or those students of history in years to come can look back and say that is the way it was in Hawaii on January 17, 1893.

To suggest that we are attempting to restore the Kingdom, Mr. President, I find it most difficult to find words to even respond to that.

Mr. President, I indicated that we submitted this resolution because of our love for our country. It is that simple. Because we believe that our country is big enough and great enough to recognize wrong and admit it. It is simple.

And for those who may somehow question the patriotism of the people of Hawaii, it may be well to note that in World War II -- that great war -- there were more volunteers from Hawaii on a per capita basis than any other State in the Union. We sent more sons and daughters than any other State in the Union. Never did we complain, because we felt it was a matter of honor.

No, no, this is not seceding or independence. We fought for statehood long enough and we cherish it and we want to stay there. I can assure you, I do not wish to leave this place.

So, Mr. President, I hope that our assurance would suffice. After all, we are the authors of this resolution, and that is not our intention.

Source: www.hawaii-nation.org...

As Inouye states within the congressional record, “it’s a simple apology” in reaction to Sen. Gorton’s (WA) concerns of further “consequences,” if this resolution is passed. Two times Inouye reacts within the debate claiming that this resolution has no other intention than to have the US admit fault.

Keep in mind Daniel Akaka wrote the Apology Resolution. Daniel Akaka is now in a 7 year fight for his “Akaka bill.” As stated in my previous post, Akaka admitted the Akaka Bill could lead to Hawaii’s secession from the United States on a radio station. If the bill passes, future legislation and negotiations could lead to the passing of land and power.

During the recent election, Sen. Inouye’s advertising was dedicated to persuading the public of Akaka’s ability to serve the people of Hawaii. This was necessary due to the fact that Akaka was “recently named one of the 5 worst and most ineffective senators in the nation.“ He has been known to ramble, gets lost in speehes, repeats himself and has failed thus far with his bill.

What's going on here? Seems as though Washington Sen Gorton might have been on the right track. I currently find it hard to have any trust in either of my states senators will a power play like this one!

As much as i want the Hawaiian people to be recognized, (if they want to be) the credibilty of Sen. Akaka and Sen. Inouye leads be me to believe independence and secession may have been the primary motive in the Apology act. Maybe testing the waters one might say. Their recognition may have to wait until a cleaner bill is presented by another Senator.

posted by whoknew

There are still some 3200 plus "native Hawaiians" by the last stat I read. can't find the link right now (will post once found.) [Edited by Don W]

I suspect this current ruckus for special status is backed by some wily lawyers looking at getting their hands on a half-trillion dollars worth of prime ocean front real estate. Rest easy, that won't happen.

I’d suggest 4 things. 1) Excuse all living Hawaiians from future Federal income tax obligations for their life.
2) Offer a special K-16 school where the Hawaiians are the School Board, totally in charge, but funded to hire appropriately trained people as teachers and administrators, to serve at the Board’s pleasure.
3) to pay for all post baccalaureate studies by any ½ parentage child, until the end of this century with an annual stipend.
4) Fund a museum for Pre-American Hawaii, again, with only real Hawaiians planning and operating the museum. But us to pay for it.


[edit on 1/21/2007 by donwhite]

I’d suggest 4 things.
1) Excuse all living Hawaiians from future Federal income tax obligations for their life.
2) Offer a special K-16 school where the Hawaiians are the School Board, totally in charge, but funded to hire appropriately trained people as teachers and administrators, to serve at the Board’s pleasure.
3) to pay for all post baccalaureate studies by any ½ parentage child, until the end of this century with an annual stipend.
4) Fund a museum for Pre-American Hawaii, again, with only real Hawaiians planning and operating the museum. But us to pay for it.

Well said Donwhite. I believe that two of these have already been accounted for.

2. Kamehameha Schools: Founded and endowed by the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Kamehameha School's policy on admissions is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law. Kamehameha Schools is the largest private landowner in the state of Hawai‘i.

4. Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family. The Museum was established to house the extensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts and royal family heirlooms of the Princess, and has expanded to include millions of artifacts, documents and photographs about Hawai‘i and other Pacific island cultures.

So that leaves 1: income tax waiver for life (federal) I assume you mean current and 3: paid post-baccalaureate studies.

I guess that leaves us with a bold question to any Hawaiians (American Indians and Alaska natives aswell) reading this. Would this be an appropriate course of action?