Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 8, 1 August 1999 — Sovereignty [ARTICLE]

Sovereignty

Is the sovereignty movement dying due to the ineptitude of Hawaiian leadership? Are Hawaiians uninterested because their leaders are merely pushing private agendas and trying to manipulate the system, the convention, the grants to line their own pockets? Shouldn't the focus be on how to help all Hawaiians benefit? The jockeying for power, the nit-picking, the laek of true Hawaiian values, Roberts' Rules ofOrder , disdain and eontempt for ordinary Hawaiians, arrogant laek of interest in constituents' input, dehberate refusal to uphold beneficiary rights, and actions against the people's wishes are some of the problems with our leadership. Where is the strategy in the movement? What are the priorities? Are Hawaiians bored with workshops on sovereignty? Shouldn't we know what Hawaiians know, what form of government they favor before we draft a constitution? Why have we not been asked whether we want independence, a compact of free association, nation-to-nation status, a constimtional monarchy? Is there a dehberate conspiracy by our leaders to turn us off? Snooze and you may lose up to $50 billion in reparations and definitely more of your ceded lands. Lela M. Hubbard 'Aiea