Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 9, 1 September 2000 — Akaka Bill gets Indian council support [ARTICLE]

Akaka Bill gets Indian council support

AT A meeting of the Govemors' Interstate Indian Council (GHC) Aug. 30 in Durango, Colorado, OHA Tmstee Rowena Akana presented on S.B. 2899 and the just-released Reconciliation Report of the Departments of Justice and the Interior. As a result, a resolution of the eouneil supporting the legislation was drafted and, later, unanimously approved. For 51 years,"the GHC has served as the national foram for delegates representing 175 tribal govemments in 17 states. Their mission is to protect the rights of all indigenous peoples to eeonomie and political self-determination. "After delegates got clarification on the current Native Hawaiian measures to affirm recognition by the federal govemment, they offered their full support," said Akana. "Representatives of North Carolina, Washington State, Michigan and Kansas helped draft the resolution. Unanimous adoption was the result of the prevailing sentiment that native peoples should work together to achieve strength in numbers." ■