Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2012 — In the shadow of the Native American Indian experience [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

In the shadow of the Native American Indian experience

This is the second oftwo parts addressing federal recogn ition for Hawaiians. n July I explored the two most discussed options to restoring some form of Hawaiian sovereignty. First, we said that the more likely scenario was the federal government recognizing a Hawaiian self-governing entity similar to the Native American Indianmodels. The altemative would be United Nations intervention declaring the Hawaiian nation as never having been

dissolved, as Queen Lili'uokalani never relinquished her throne, and then persuading the United States to restore Hawai'i's sovereign status as it was at the time of the overthrow of the queen in 1893. This second, less likely ophon, has an interesting irony in that the citizenry of the Hawaiian nahon at the time of the overthrow was a multicultural nation and was not based on Hawaiian ethnicity. This would fly in the face of the current expectation that a restored Hawaiian nation would be predicated on an ethnic Hawaiian blood-quantum requirement to qualify as a citizen. At this writing, I will dismiss the United Nations option and pursue the complications of pursuing a restored nation through the federal govemment, by seeking federal approval to restore a model of sovereignty based on decades of judicial and congressionalhistories of the Native American Indian and Native Alaskan quest for recognition of eonditioned sovereignty. With the rapidfy diminishing likelihood of successfulfy navigating the Akaka bill through the U.S. Congress, OHA is exploring alternative approaches to federal recognition successfulfy pursued by Native Ameriean tribes in the past. But this path is strewn with ehallenges. First, we are prodded to form the nationfirst. To that end, the Native Hawaiian Roll Connnission was founded and has launched its work. Headed by former Gov. John Waihe'e, the connnission's

objective is to enroll Native Hawaiians who want to have a say in the shaping and restoration of nationhood. The connnission is also seeking to enlist non-Hawaiian allies and friends to support its work. It is criticalfy important for all Hawaiians, including and especialfy Hawaiian nationals, to be involved in this process. Otherwise we will not have a truly inelusive Hawaiian nation. You ean see more at their website, kanaiolowalu.org. So with the roll commis-

sion proceeding and financed by OHA, we have taken the first leap toward what I describe as a citizen recruitment process entitling registrants to a voice in shaping the nation. This is no small challenge. Second, following the citizen registration and based on the American Indian experience, a number of conditions of nationhood would probably be required by the federal govemment that will not sit well with Hawaiians. First, blood quantum alone will not be enough to qualify as a citizen. Unlike the Hawaiian Homestead Act, where blood quantum alone qualifies one as a beneficiary of entitlements of the act, the Indian tribal judicial experience insists that one must meet some culturally redeeming criteria beyond blood quantum. Third, another probable condition is that one must reside in the geopolitieal boundaries of the nation. This would disenfranchise the thousands of Hawaiians on the mainland and elsewhere who have shown a vital interest in having a voice in the shaping of a nation. In closing this perhaps awkward attempt to articulate this complicated new strategy toward federal recognition, let's just say that with the roll conunission under way and OHA conmiitted to federal recognition, the train has left the station. I would encourage all to hop aboard for what will surefy be a wild ride. ■ To eommenl on this or any issue, contact us at PeteraOHA@gmail.com.

PetEr Apo VicE Chair, Trustee, O'ahu