Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 2, 1 February 2007 — Akaka Bill [ARTICLE]

Akaka Bill

The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs strongly supports the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, commonly known as the Akaka Bill. The bill provides for a process of formal recognition of a Native Hawaiian governing entity by the United States. The association has a long history of supporting sovereignty, self-determination and nationhood. Over the past decade, it has passed at least 15 resolutions to demonstrate that support, including support for the Akaka Bill. The association has also organized and participated in many activities and events to help educate the community about sovereignty, self-deter-mination and nationhood. Over the past 30 years, the Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement has largely been driven by a quest for self-gov-emanee and the return of lands and resources. But intervening legal ehallenges that threaten to eliminate Hawaiian-preference programs administered by Kamehameha Schools, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and other trusts have resulted in a heightened sense of urgency. If successful, these legal challenges would wipe out all Hawaiian programs. Federal recognition is important because it would help defend against the ehallenges made on grounds that Hawaiian programs are racist and therefore unconstitutional.

Under the U.S. Constitution and federal law, indigenous people are not defined by race or ethnicity, but by the fact that their ancestors exercised sovereignty over the lands that subsequently heeame part of the United States. It is on the basis of America's indigenous people's sovereignty, whieh pre-existed the formation of the United States, that the U.S. Constitution recognizes and accords indigenous people special political status. This political status has withstood legal challenges to native preference programs. The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, in supporting the Akaka Bill, has taken an important first step toward protecting Hawaiian entitlements for future generations. Leimomi Khan President, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

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