Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 8, 1 August 2003 — Governor Lingle signs law to establish Native Hawaiian registry [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Governor Lingle signs law to establish Native Hawaiian registry

Governor Lingle signed SB1156, a new law that will establish a registry to help the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) track people who are of Hawaiian ancestry. The registry, based on genealogical records, will help OHA track Hawaiians who migrate in and out of Hawai'i. The new law allows Hawaiians "to document that they are descendants of aboriginal people who inhabited the Hawaiian Islands in 1778, "said Linda Dela Cruz, the Hawai'i island trustee overseeing the project for the board. Governor Lingle stressed the importance of the registry, saying that "in order for OHA to discharge its duties in an appropriate manner, the office needs to identify who and where its beneficiaries are." OHA trustees praised Governor Lingle and called the registry an important step for the Hawaiian people. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Governor received an "honorary" registration card, reading "Gov. Lingle, volunteer." About 4,300 people have applied to be listed on the registry, with a little more than 2,000 validated as Hawaiians through birth certificates or adoption records, said Registry Coordinator Lueille Meyer. For some Native Hawaiians living on the Mainland, where some states did not categorize them as "Hawaiian" on birth certificates, registration has required going back a few generations to find the proof, Meyer said. ■

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OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona and Lt. Govemor Duke Aiona look on as Gov. Linda Lingle signs the Native Hawaiian Registry Law (SB1 156).