Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2000 — Flawed thesis [ARTICLE]

Flawed thesis

What is it about the illegal overthrow Ken Conklin ( Honolulu Advertiser, May 12) doesn't understand? The whole premise of the sovereignty movement is the right to live as a separate and distinct people - whieh Hawaiians were prior to the illegal overthrow of their sovereign, inde-

pendent nahon. Conkhn states, "They do not have a tribal government like the Indians." Well, let's keep it simple. The Hawaiian government was overthrown by white businessmen aided by armed United States military forces. Is the parallel with the Indians so difficult to understand? All had their rights usurped by the United States. The most audacious aspect of Conkfin's diatribe is his presumption he speaks for Hawaiians. He says, "Kanaka maoli are assimilated, happily married, living and working side by side with everyone else." Does assimilation mean having the highest rates of crime, incarceration, poor health, premature death and dysfunctional kids in our schools? Does "working side by side" apply to working menial jobs at low wages while the Conklins of the world plan whom they ean exploit next? Conklin is right about one thing. We kanaka maoli do not want to partition the state along racial fines. We only want the

right to determine for ourselves how we wish to live. Rod Ferreira Kamuela