Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 9, 1 September 1995 — Home lands bill passes Senate [ARTICLE]

Home lands bill passes Senate

The Hawaiian Home Lands Recovery Act has passed the U.S. Senate. Introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka, the legislation would pave the way for the replacement of land taken out of the home lands trust by the federal govemment during the territorial period. It would establish a process whereby the federai government will convey lands to the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) that are equal in value to the 14,000 acres, mostly at Lualualei, that were taken by the U.S. and never retumed. The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 set aside land for Native Hawaiians in perpetuity, and permitted the transfer of land only in exchange for lands of equal value. The federal govemment, however, acquired home lands during the territorial period. "This measure will correct a 60-year-old injus-

tice," Akaka said. "Native Hawaiians have always contended that territorial withdrawals violated the 1920 Act, and this legislation affirms this fact. Resolving this longstanding elaim and compensating Native Hawaiians for lost ineome will help revitalize the Hawaiian homes program." The homelands legislation was added as an amendment to a House of Representatives Alaskan Native bill. The bill has passed the House, but without amendments added by the Senate. Esther Kia'āina said that at this point there are two ways the bill could pass: either the House accepts the amendments or the differences are worked out in conference committee. If the legislation passes, the U.S. Dept. of īnterior will appraise lands at Lualualei and other sites illegally taken by the U.S. when Hawai'i was its territory; DHHL would then have the right to acquire federal land in Hawai'i equal in value to those sites.