Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 7, 1 July 2003 — OHA refocuses nationhood campaign in light of recognition bill amendments [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA refocuses nationhood campaign in light of recognition bill amendments

By Derek Ferrar Responding to recent amendments to the U.S. Senate bill seeking federal recognition for native Hawaiians, OHA has refocused the timeline of its own campaign to facilitate Hawaiian self-governance, known as Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha, or "To Raise a Beloved Nation." In early May, OHA's Trustees, together with a variety of Hawaiian community groups, announced the process of puhlie discussion and participation leading to a communitybased 'aha, or gathering of delegates, whieh would frame the founding documents of a governing entity to represent the Hawaiian people. OHA's Board has several times affirmed its view that federal recognition and the formation of a Hawaiian governing body are the best ways to defend against legal and political attacks seek-

ing to terminate benefits to Hawaiians as being unconstitutionally based on "racial preference." "As representatives elected solely to represent the Hawaiian people," OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona said at the launeh of the Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha campaign, "the

Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian affairs are resolute and committed to advancing the process of Hawaiian governance and nationhood." Initially, it was hoped that the eleetion of delegates could take plaee in November, with the 'aha to be convened early in 2004. On May 14, however, the Senate's Committee on Indian Affairs passed an amended version of the federal recognition bill that spelled out its own

specihc process lor the lormation and recognition of a Hawaiian governing body. Now known as the "AkakaStevens Bill" following the addition of influential Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens as a cosponsor, the legislation calls for eligible Hawaiian adults to register for

a list, or "roll," that would be assembled under the supervision of a federal Office for Native Hawaiian Relations created by the Department of the Interior. These Hawaiian voters would then choose the nature and representatives of the Hawaiian governing entity, whieh won1d he

empowered to negotiate with the federal and state governments over eontrol of ceded lands and other vital issues. In light of this new procedural framework, OHA's leadership has postponed scheduling the 'aha pending developments on the recognition bill, whieh, having passed out of the Indian Affairs Committee, is now awaiting

consideration by the full Senate. "The changes in the Akaka-Stevens Bill may affect the timing of our governance campaign," said Peter Yee, OHA's Director of Hawaiian Governance and Native Rights, "but they don't affect

the principle focus — to give members of the public the information they need to eome to a decision that nationhood is serious and important, especially now in the face of the legal threats to programs benefiting Hawaiians." As a first step in the drive for nationhood, OHA is currently facilitating a wide variety of hālāwai, or community meetings, to discuss the issues of nationhood and federal recognition. In addition, it is sponsoring such media outreach efforts as an e-mail newsletter and televised roundtable discussions on Hawaiian issues (see box at left). Meanwhile, OHA is prepared to proceed with the original 'aha process in the event that the Akaka-Stevens bill fails to advance during the current session of Congress. "We are hopeful that the recognition bill will be passed into law sometime in the fall," OHA Administrator Clyde Nāmu'o told staff at a recent meeting. "If that should not occur, however, we are prepared to move ahead with the originally announced Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha plan to build a Hawaiian governing entity from the community level up." "The bottom line of all of this is that we cannot rest until there is recognition of a Hawaiian governing entity," said Apoliona. "But even after that, nationhood will be an ongoing effort, and it is one that will require the participation of all Hawaiians." n

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I I I ■ r- .i>l T OHA Trustee Boyd Mossman and Sen. Daniel Akaka during the trustees' recent visit to Washington, D.C., to lobby in favor of the Akaka-sponsored Hawaiian Recognition Bill.