Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 1, 1 January 2011 — Don't rule out the Akaka bill passing in 2011 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Don't rule out the Akaka bill passing in 2011

/A no'ai kakou... On Nov. /\ 15, 2010, Sen. Daniel ^^\ Akaka introduced a # % compromise / \version of

Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2010 (S.3945). While there has been mueh talk in the media that the Akaka bill has little ehanee of passing in the next two years, I wouldn't rule it out for the following reasons: • Hawaii-born President Barack Ohama is still in the White House and remains a

strong supporter or tne Ditt. • Sen. Daniel Inouye, the most senior member of the U.S. Senate, remains the chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Appropriations. After 5 1 years in Washington, I'm certain Senator Inouye ean find a way to twist the arms of the Republican Senators who are holding up the bill. • Gov. Neil Abercrombie ean lobby the Senate with the help of his close friend, Republican House Speaker John Boehner. (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 21,2010) Yes, it won't be easy, but there is certainly still reason to hope. POLITICAL STATUS 0NLY It is disappointing that critics of the bill continue to eall it "race-based." Jere Krischel of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, whieh opposes the Akaka bill, even said that it would "racially segregate families and eommunities into groups with different rights based on whether or not they have Hawaiian blood." (AP, Nov. 9, 2010) This is so ridiculous that anyone with half a brain knows this is crazy. The Grassroot Institute, with a handful of members fromthe lower 48 states, has no real roots in Hawaii. They know darn well the bill doesn't do any of the things they elaim it does. Their propaganda is based on lies and it's time for all of us to eall them out. We must investigate who really makes up their membership and what is their real agenda. Who is Jere Krischel and where does he

eome from? How long has he lived in Hawaii? Why do he and his contacts hate Native peoples and what are they afraid of? Ever since Americans

landed here on our shores, they have tried to eontrol our people and our lands. Krischel needs to be reminded over and over - Hawaiians aren't immigrants, nor are we foreigners looking for handouts. Krischel and his ilk are the foreigners and they are the racists! They need to go back to where they eame from and take with them

tneir racist annuae. we don't need them to spoil our Hawaii. Hawaiians for centuries have always been generous and kind to our malihini and visitors. We certainly don't want outsiders giving us a bad rap! Establishing a polkieal relationship between Native Hawaiians and the federal government will hopefully silence these racists and put a stop to their continuing legal challenges to Hawaiian programs. It will also prevent the loss of millions of dollars the state currently receives from the federal government for programs that perpetuate the Native Hawaiian eulture, language and traditions. The Akaka bill is only meant to begin the reconciliation process between the federal government and the over 400,000 Native Hawaiians living in the U.S. Passing the Akaka bill is simply the right thing to do. It doesn't have anything to do with being a Democrat or a Republican and should not be such a politically divisive issue. I look forward to working with the Ohama Administration, our Congressional Delegation and Governor Abercrombie as we take our next emeial steps toward Native Hawaiian sovereignty. Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! ■ Are you interested in Hawaiian issues and OHA? Please visit my web site at www.rowenaakana.org for issues and links to other information sites.

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