Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 2, 1 February 2002 — Speeches, debate, history and song among Sovereign Sunday highlights [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Speeches, debate, history and song among Sovereign Sunday highlights

By Manu Boyd Pōkā Laenui, former OHA trustee previously known as Hayden Burgess, took the floor at Sovereign Sunday, Jan, 13, during a 30-minute power out that silenced the sound system, But his words were heard by the scores in attendance as he recalled such early "warriors" as Kawaipuna Prejean and Pīlahi Pākī who were responsible for Sovereignty Sunday's early years, Originally held on Saturdays at the Queen Lili'uokalani statue behind 'īolani Palaee, the annual event is scheduled on or near Jan, 17, in solemn commemoration of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Laenui also underscored the difference between indigenous rights and the sovereignty movement: "īndigenous rights speak to programs and entitlements for health, housing etc, Sovereignty speaks to nationhood and independence, We have to ho'omanawanui," he said, "Prepare, be ready, and be patient, Colonial countries don't hang on to colonies forever," A hula performance by Ka Pā Kānaenae o Kaua'i īki added color to the event, Nālani 01ds' storytelling and poignant performance of " Makalapua " hushed the crowd, At noon, a debate on S,746, the 'lAkaka Bill," was facilitated by Lela Hubbard of Nā Koa Ikaika, Widely touted as the most viable antidote to the feared unravelling of entitlements for Hawaiians in the post-i?zce deci-

sion era, the,Akaka Bill inspires deep ambivalence among the Hawaiian community, even among those who had supported the original bill, Panelists were Trustee Oz Stender, who stated that his participation was purely on his own behalf; Le'a Kanehe, UH-Mānoa Law School graduate; StopAkaka.com website organizer Charles Isaacs; Māhealani Kamau'u, executive director of Native Hawaiian Legal Corp,; and activist Henry Noa, Isaacs, a businessman who last year mounted a website and petition to stop the bill, criticized the deletion of a section that ensured Hawaiians' right to eeonomie self-sufficiency, He also decried assigning jurisdiction over Hawaiians to the Department of the Interior," now embroiled in a legal dispute over its mismanagement of Native American trust assets, Stender said he supports the bill, "It's a step in the right direction that will make things better, There is no perfect solution to any problem," he emphasized, "If you expect the perfect bill, you'll get nothing," Kanehe, who had supported an earlier draft of the bill, said, "There could be a recognition bill that would not interfere with our international law rights, but S,746 is not that bill," "There are no guarantees for Hawaiians in the bill," Noa said, "There's no remedy to the Rice decision. How do we restore our rights?" he asked, "It's difficult for me to have another government recognize me, I know who I am," ■

Trustee Oz Stender, Le'a Kanehe, Mōhealani Kamau'u (standing), Henry Noa and Charles lsaacs were panelists in an Akaka Bill forum facilitated by Lela Hubbard of Nō Koa Ikaika,

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