Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 1, 1 February 1984 — Single Definition of ʻNative Hawaiianʻ Urged [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Single Definition of ʻNative Hawaiianʻ Urged

"Ser\ices could be provided to more Hawaiians if there were a single definition of Nati\e Hawaiian without reference to blood quantum,"OH A Board ofTrustees Chairman Joseph Kealoha told Sens. Daniel K. lnouye, D-Hawaii, and Lowell Weicker, R-Conn., at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Heahh. Human Services and Education. Kealoha told the Congressional duo that a broadened definition would open up both state and federal kokua to a mueh wider class of Hawaiian people. "Our limited budget and the restriction of the type of beneficiaries are major problems for OHA. But these are problems that your committee may help us solve," Kealoha added. He continued by suggesting that "one possible aelion to solve both problems is allowing equal access to federal programs that are available to other native Americans, such as the lndians." Kealoha went on to note that there are numerous programs listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance specifically for Indians, including those for \ocational training, health care improvement, self-determination and education. These programs are based on "a unique relationship conferred upon the Federal Government by the Constitution to deal with the political entities of the aboriginal peoples who had inhabited the area that

became the U.S. prior to European colonization." The Congressional Research Service memo from whieh the excerpt was taken further states that "the same reasoning that we used to infer a trust relationship between the U.S. Government and the Indian tribes would seem to be capable of being applied to the relationship with native Hawaiians." The U.S. Congress, Kealoha noted, currently uses two definitions of Native Hawaiian. Under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, a native Hawaiian is defined as having at least 50 percent Hawaiian blood; whereas the Native American Programs Act of 1 973 defines a native Hawaiian as having any quantum of Hawaiian blood. Kealoha explained that OHA has taken action to resolve this problem by adopting a resolution urging Congress to establish a single definition of Native Hawaiian without reference to blood quantum and to provide appropriate protections to guarantee the rights and privileges of current Hawaiian Homes beneficiaries. Kealoha concluded by saying that "we realize that to an extent Hawaiians hold the key to their own self-determination and success, but it is also clear that we cannot accomplish this by ourselves and ask that you and your colleagues help us in our efforts to help ourselves."

OHA Chairman Joseph Kealoha presents testimony before U.S. Sens. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii (center), and Lowell Weicker of Connecticut. The person to Sen. Inouye's right is Senate staff member. The two senators are members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and Education.