Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 2003 — Poll shows broad support for federal recognition, Hawaiian programs [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Poll shows broad support for federal recognition, Hawaiian programs

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By Derek Ferrar

According to the results of a telephone survey recently released by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a solid majority of both Native Hawaiian and non-native Hawai'i residents support federal recognition for Hawaiians and the continuance of federally funded programs benefiting people of Hawaiian descent. Nearly three-fourths (71 percent) of the Hawaiians who responded to the survey also said they would be willing to register for a roster of Native Hawaiians, whieh would be a key component in the formation of any native representative body. Eighty-six percent of the 303 Hawaiians who responded to the survey said they think that Hawaiians should be recognized by the U.S. government, "similar to the special recognition given to Native Americans and Alaska Natives" — a sentiment that was shared by 78 percent of non-Hawaiian respondents. When asked whether they believe that the more than 100 federally funded programs that benefit Native Hawaiians should be continued, 93 percent of Hawaiians said yes, joined by 82 percent of non-Hawaiians. "I think those numbers represent a strong statement from the community," said OHA Chairperson See POLL on page 3

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POLL from page 1 Haunani Apoliona. "This poll eonfirms what we've seen before: that there is a Hawaiian 'silent majority.' I think the community at large has been waiting for OHA to take responsible steps, and I think we are doing it." The survey, conducted for OHA in July by Ward Research, was based on telephone interviews with 604 Hawai'i residents, half of whom reported that they were of Native Hawaiian ancestry and half said they were non-native. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 5.6 percent. Apoliona said that OHA commissioned the survey to provide "a base line, a sense of where the eommunity is at, especially on the issue of federal recognition as being something that is well deserved by Hawaiians." Apoliona said she thought one of the most positive findings of the survey was that a majority of nonHawaiians supports both federal recognition and Hawaiian programs. "I believe that there is a majority of fair-minded and just non-Hawaiian people in Hawai'i who really want to see Hawaiians succeed in our efforts to determine our future," she said. "I think the small group of people such as those behind the lawsuits attacking Hawaiian programs do not reflect

the sentiment that the greater number of non-Hawaiians carry in their hearts for Hawaiians." In other poll findings: % Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians generally agree that Hawaiians have a right to self-determination with regard to their lands, beliefs and culture. Eighty-five percent of Hawaiians and 79 percent of nonHawaiians said they believe Hawaiians have a right to make these their own decisions on such matters. % Nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of Hawaiians and just over half of non-Hawaiians (53 percent) said they agreed that a Hawaiian governing entity should be created to represent the Hawaiian people in their dealings with the state and the federal government. % The overwhelming majority of Hawaiians (86 percent) were opposed to efforts by some to force Kamehameha Schools to admit non-Hawaiian students. Among non-Hawaiians, 57 percent disagreed with efforts to eompel the school to admit non-Hawaiians, 39 percent agreed, and four percent said they didn't know. In addition, some of the survey results compared the recent responses to those given to identical questions asked by Ward Research as part of The Honolulu

Advertiser's "Hawai'i Poll" in 2000. Among the comparisons: % There was no statistical change from 2000 to 2003 in the percentage of both Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians supporting federal recognition, with over 85 percent of Hawaiians and over 70 percent of non-Hawaiians saying they were in favor in both polls. % There was no change in the level of support among Hawaiians for the formation of a Hawaiian governing entity, with 72 percent saying they were in favor in both surveys. The number of non-Hawaiians supporting the creation of such an entity increased slightly from 2000 to 2003, from 45 percent to 53 percent. % More of both Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians now feel that Native Hawaiians deserve "special support" than felt this way three years ago. When asked whether they believe Hawaiians are entitled to special government support, 70 percent of Hawaiians and 51 percent of non-Hawaiians said yes in 2003, compared to 64 percent and 31 percent in 2000. Read a question-and-answer interview with OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona and view expanded coverage of the survey at www.oha.org. ■

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