Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 5, 1 May 2005 — Hawaiians deserve true facts on recognition [ARTICLE]

Hawaiians deserve true facts on recognition

Federal recognition is indeed a controversial measure in our community. Hawaiians who understand and have read the Akaka Bill realize that federal recognition is a total sellout. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs through its biased educational campaign has never told its beneficiaries the truth. Beneficiaries should be given the facts on issues and controversies so they ean decide themselves what they want done. For example: • The Findings section of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (the Akaka Bill) gives Congress power over the indigenous people of theUnited States, including Hawaiians. Meanwhile, the Declaration of Indigenous Rights has been languishing in the U.N. for over a decade, with the U.S. having strongly opposed it. • The bill's Findings jump from the Sovereign Kingdom of Hawai'i, where we had total rights of citizenship and control of our lives and land, to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, through whieh the abused native Hawaiians were supposed to be rehabilitated - a farce until the late 1990s. • The submission of Hawaiians to

the power of the United States is further delineated in the puhlie tmst based on the government and crown lands of the Kingdom of Hawai'i that were somehow acquired by the United States. In the Statehood Compact, Native Hawaiians were considered one of the purposes of this ceded lands trust; therefore the State of Hawai'i, in its munificence, gives the Office of Hawaiian Affairs 20 percent of those land revenues. Strange. Don't Hawaiians still have title to and ownership of their nalional lands? • The illegal invasion of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and the co-opting of our country by the United States is mentioned in

eonneelion with the Apology Resolution, whieh focuses on a reconcihation process that is limited to the American definition of self-determination, with only loeal internal control and

preservation of our culture - self-sufficiency and selfgovernance would be limited to the Hawaiian Indian reservation. On the other hand, true nationhood means that the Hawaiian Nation would have equal status with the nation-states of the world. If Hawaiians accept the Akaka Bill, they are continuing the domination of the United States. Simply put, Hawaiians acquiesce - a legal term whieh means Hawaiians accept everything that has happened to them,

including the loss of their lands and control of their destiny. The United States and the State of Hawai'i will decide what lands will be returned, probably about 10 percent if the Alaskan Land Settlement is used as a guideline. It is rather ridiculous for the Hawaiians to so easily give up what is rightfully theirs. True education on self-determination would let Hawaiians know the pros and cons ofthedifferentforms of govemment that a true nation could create. For example: what are the advantages and disadvantages of a Compact of Free Association, with whieh we could have dual citizenship, American and Hawaiian.

What is the true price of federal recognition? Many of us believe the price is too high: the loss of the right of full restoration of our nahon, lands, identitv. culture.

traditions andcontrol of our internal and external affairs. However, what Hawaiians should be focusing on is creating their government. That is the only element we laek to be a tme nation, for we are a distinct people with an established land base, our own language, history, culture and traditions. Lela M. Hubbard 'Aiea

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