Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 November 1999 — TRUSTEE MESSAGES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TRUSTEE MESSAGES

CHAIRPERSON'S MESSAGE

Race cards and reconciliation

ĪHE SOVEREIGNTY of the Hawaiian people was stolen with the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani on Jan. 17, 1893. More than 100 years later, the ramifications of this illegal act are being felt in the Rice vs. Cayetano case now before the United States Supreme Court. The people are different, the arena is different, but the message is the same. Mr. Rice and special interest groups, who oppose minorities, are trying to strip Hawaiians of their political status by using the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth and Fifeenth Amendments as race cards. As I sat in the courtroom watching the oral arguments, my emotions were torn between anger and tears. Most of the justices were ignorant of who Hawaiians were, yet they held the power to ultimately decide our fate. But, mueh to her credit, it seemed as if Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn't fooled by the shell game

Rice's attomeys were playing. She acknowledged the federal government's agreements with Native Americans to restore their dignity, and pitched a strong analogy by asking out loud "Why doesn't that work for Hawaiians?" im

We Hawaiians all know that this Supreme Court case is not about race at all. It is about the trust obligation the United States has to indigenous Hawaiians because it is responsible for the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the uncompensated taking of our lands. We all know Congress doesn't extend services to us because of our Hawaiian blood, but rather, because Hawaiians were the

first people to inhabit our islands. and are therefore, by definition, indigenous. In fact, federal legislation has been enacted as a direct result of America's recognition of its trust responsibility to the natives of

these islands. This cannot be considered race-based discrimination. The Rice vi. Cayetano decision is expected sometime in the early spring. But we must not waste any time. We must start taking proactive measures and begin making decisions for ourselves as a people. We must start pressuring our concressional

delegation to move for congressional recognition and status as a native nation. There is strength in numbers, and, despite our philosophical differences, it is more important now than ever before to present a unified front as a nation so that our voice ean be heard. It is important to note that during the oral arguments, more than one Supreme Court justice questioned the fact that Congress never codified the State of Hawai'i's

recognition of its native peoples. Because of Pubhc Law 103-150, whieh was introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka, federal officials will be in our islands in December for statewide meetings to hear from as

many of us as possible. This is a historic opportunity for Hawaiians to voice their opinions on what steps should be taken to achieve reconciliation. I urge all Hawaiians to become involved in this important process. Our future does not depend solely on a court decision. It depends on our desire to control our own destiny and the willingness of our people to work together toward a eommon goal. The task rests squarely on every Hawaiian's shoulders. Talk about this important issue of reconciliation with your friends, your 'ohana, and those without Hawaiian blood. Attend the hearings and express your mana'o to the federal government. It is not coincidental that the Rice case strikes at the very heart of Hawaiian lands and resources. The 15th Amendment is a mask. What lurks behind the mask is the desire to control Hawaiian lands and resources, just as it did more than 100 years ago. It's time for Hawaiians to wake up, be maka'ala, organize in numbers and do whatever it takes to bring national attention to Hawai'i's biggest secret: Hawai'i's indigenous peoples are still being oppressed in a democratic society. I mua e nā kānaka maoli! ■

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