Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 5, 1 May 1996 — Dennis Arakaki's House floor speech Re: S.B, 1698, HD 3 -- April 15, 1996 [ARTICLE]

Dennis Arakaki's House floor speech Re: S.B, 1698, HD 3 -- April 15, 1996

... If nothing else, the bill has made it clear that there is no consensus on a definition for, "revenues from ceded lands." I suppose it would depend on one's perspective on the issue. The bill has clearly demonstrated the need to research the intent of the constitutional amendment and the statute that mandates the twenty per cent allocation. My reservation on this measure is that we are on a track to allow for the free expression of the Hawaiian people to pursue the establishment of a sovereign entity of the kanaka maoli or native Hawaiians. Mr. Speaker, I have no doubts that the sovereign nation of Hawai'i shall someday rise like a phoenix from the ashes. The resurrection shall be made possible by the restoration of a land base, the rejuvenation of cultural pride and the rebirth of the native Hawaiian tongue. There has been an acknowledgement and legal opinions on all levels of govemment, international, national and loeal, that the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom was a wrongful taking. While there is no expectation that the lands and the Kingdom of Hawai'i shall be retumed to the Hawaiian monarchy, there is certainly an expressed desire and intent by this Legislature, to better the conditions of the native Hawaiian, including but not limited to, their housing, culture, health and well being. For those of us who truly believe in self-determination and democratic principles, the watchword is ahonui, patience.

A hundred years of wrong cannot be made pono in a year or two, or even five. The disagreements on sovereignty is not a sign of disunity of purpose of the Hawaiian people, it is the labor pains of a Hawaiian nation about to be born. The new form of Hawaiian self-governance will have mueh to do with how the lands and other resources should be allocated. If the new nation is to be land based, then lands should be set aside whereby revenues ean thus be derived from that land base. If the nation is to be based on services directed specifically for Hawaiian people, then a consistent revenue stream must be developed to fund these services and programs. To reduce the funds for OHA at a time when it is poised to address the pressing issues of kanaka maoli who are the poorest and unheahhiest and most likely to be incarcerated and homeless ethnic group is unconscionable and like pulling the rug from beneath a baby ready to start walking after crawling for so long. The bottom line is that the measure is premature and the issue needs further study before definitive action is taken. Let me recommend that instead, we do a resolution to have a study done by Legislative Reference Bureau or the auditor. In addition to Arakaki, other members of the House who voted "Yes" on the bill, did so to position themselves to vote "no" as members of the conference committee.