Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 2, 1 February 2006 — Refocus our efforts on the Akaka Bill in the new year [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Refocus our efforts on the Akaka Bill in the new year

Bnyd P. Mūssman TrustEE, Maui

Aloha all. The year 2006 is on its way, and eaeh second that goes by is irretrievable with no exchanges allowed. So we should plan now for tomorrow. Indeed, we are who we are, not who we were, and though we leam from who we were, we need to prepare for tomorrow, not yesterday. For Hawaiians the future holds mueh if Congress and the courts will recognize us as they have the Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. The rhetoric of the opposition continues, the lawsuits eonhnue, the politicians in Washington are not yet coimnitted, and our own people fail to understand the urgency and how critical it is that we stand up for our future, now. It is imperative that we eonhnue to be educated and understand our options then seek out the best one as we approach that day in history that the courts make a final decision as to our fate as a people. Our attorneys continue to advise us that the Akaka Bill will be of infinite worth to our success in court and that without it we will likely fail in our quest to achieve self-determination. We eonhnue to face the challenge of equal rights and argue within our constitution that plenary powers under the Commerce Clause trumps the 14th Amendment. We may argue, but without the Akaka Bill our argument is a hollow one. We need to recognize that the United Nations, for all the good it may do, is not a viable solution to our problem. We are American citizens living in the United States and are subject to U.S. laws - not U.N. laws. For those who believe that someone will rescue us poor Hawaiians and secure for us

our own independent country, I would say that past history, emohon and international law cannot stand up to the law of the land, reality and progress. In any event, I would encourage those who believe that the United Nations ean be of any benefit to Hawaiians to eonhnue to seek that venue for resolution of their concerns and demands. But please don't continue to undermine the efforts of the rest of us who are merely trying to secure survival for our people and fight off the challenges against us in court. As we enter the new year and as Congress hopefully considers the Akaka Bill, we should all be praying for, working on and helping with getting it passed. There is really no alternative. Without it, we will say goodbye to the brunt of funding for Hawaiian-based programs, from education to housing to heahh to employment to language to business to grants and loans. As we say goodbye, so will the rest of Hawai'i say goodbye to the term "N(n)ative Hawaiian" and all it stands for, as we are assimilated into the rest of the populahon of Hawai'i; all to be then called "Hawaiians." I recognize that there are some Hawaiians who want this, and they are suing us. But for the sake of the majority of Hawaiians, the state of Hawai'i and our children, we cannot give up this fight. What if we lose in Congress? We eontinue to fight in court, but with two hands tied behind our backs. What if we lose in court? See the above. As many recognize, what is good for Hawaiians will be good for Hawai'i, and what is bad for Hawaiians will be bad for Hawai'i. What to do? Register now for Kau Inoa and secure a vote for yourself when the time comes. Volunteer your time. Flood the papers with your letters. Call your mainland friends and family and ask them to contact their senators and representatives and tell them "please don't forget America's forgotten people, support S. 147." ^