Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2001 — Formation of a nation [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Formation of a nation

Movement is under way to persuade Congress to recognize the Hawaiian people as a sovereign nation. The "Akaka Bill" (S. 746> is pending in the U.S. Congress. It is important that Hawaiians are recognized as indigenous, that we have a special relationship to the United States, and that self-determination is restored to us under federal law. Sovereignty will give us the right to control our own destinies and the opportunity to be economically self-sufficient by managing a portion of our own ceded lands. Misinformation has been circulated that in order to be recognized as a sovereign nation, articles of organization have to be filed. This is incorrect. Native American nations have been able to be recognized as sovereign by enrollment of members in a nation and applying to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Bureau reviews the application with the particular tribe and submits it to the Secretary of the īnterior. There

is already a precedence set by the federal government for recognition. The other way to gain recognition is directly through Congress whieh is already being proposed in the 107th Congress through the Akaka Bill. Misinformation is perhaps being

circulated by entities wishing to prolong the sovereignty process and keep Hawaiians wandering in the desert by preventing them from being correctly informed and organized. It ean discourage many from

supporting Hawaiian self-determi-nation if our movement appears disorganized and misinformed. It may also be politically expedient for some people to have us wander around. Our people should not be discouraged by such tactics. Hawaiians have eome too far to take anyone's word for it. The recognition process is simple and easy. All it takes is the support of the Hawaiian people themselves. For the last one hundred years, the trust lands for the benefit of Hawaiians have been impoverished through executive orders, land swaps, sales, and general theft. With eaeh change of government trusteeship there were agreements to provide for the needs of the land's inhabitants — the Hawaiians. Eaeh trustee government, in turn, has thoroughly mismanaged the inhabitants' land. After statehood, responsibility for managing the homestead program rested with the state's Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Until

recently, DHHL had no funding to improve land management or infrastructure except the general use leases it was allowed to grant to non-Hawaiians on land "not immediately needed" for homestead. Consequently, DHHL leased more land to non-Hawaiians than to Hawaiians. These are just some of the inequities that occur when nonHawaiians manage Hawaiian affairs. Sovereignty ean help us take charge of our destinies. We should not be discouraged by efforts to keep us at bay and prolong the process of sovereignty. Hawaiians should take pride in themselves and support the recognition bill. The people should get as mueh information as they ean and urge Congress to pass the Akaka bill. To support the Akaka Legislation, write to the Committee on Indian Affairs, 838 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510 or fax to 202-224-5429. ■

Misinformation is perhaps being circulated by entities wishing to prolong the sovereignty process and keep Hawaiians wandering in the desert.

Rowena Akana Trustee, At-large