Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 10, 1 October 2013 — Interior Secretary Sally Jewell addresses Native Hawaiian Convention [ARTICLE]

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell addresses Native Hawaiian Convention

Waihe'e underscores 'unrelinquished sovereignty'

By Francine Kananionapua Murray n September, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally lewell, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and former Gov. John Waihe'e addressed more than 500 attendees at the 12th annual Native Hawaiian Convention held at the Hawai'i Convention Center. Jewell described the unique role the Department of the Interior has with the Hawaiian Home Lands, and emphasized the importance within the Interior of Native Hawaiian issues like historic preservation and cultural preservation, protecting the land, wildlife and natural resources, as well as federal recognition. "The Obama administration strongly supported legislation that established federal recognition of a government-to-government (relationship) between the United States and the Native Hawaiian community," Jewell said. "We really appreciated the efforts of the late Senator Inouye and retired Senator Akaka for their decades of very effective service to the people of Hawai'i, and their work with Congress to be sure that the law is clear: we have a special poliheal and legal relationship with the Native Hawaiian community.

"A number of members of the Native Hawaiian community have asked the administration to explore advancing the federal relationship with Native Hawaiians and we are looking at honoring their request and looking at different options to move a path forward. In the meantime, I applaud the continued support from the state of Hawai'i, the American Indian and Alaska Native leaders for self-governance of the Native Hawaiian eommunity. They are unified in your support." Schatz, meanwhile, spoke of the importance of native peoples standing together. "When a child in the mainland comes to me as a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, I understand that my role is not to just look after Native Hawaiians but after all native peoples," he said. The committee members "make sure that native people everywhere have eaeh other's back," he said. "That started with Senator Inouye's chairmanship of the Indian Affairs Committee and was continued with the Senator Akaka's chairmanship of the committee. Theirpremise was this: They're going to look out for the interest of native peoples everywhere not just Native Hawaiians. Whether they are Samoan, Micronesian, Native American Indian or Alaska Native, native peoples need the

protection, support, fairness andjustice that ean be provided through the federal government. It is important that we do the right thing, but it has a practical impact too. It means that when it comes to legislation, that Indian Country and Alaska Native organizations stand with Native Hawaiians." Schatz said that he is also very passionate about preserving and protecting Social Security, whieh he believes is the most effective anti-poverty program in American history. He explained how important he believes a college education is and that he will work to keep it affordable for future generations. Regarding federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, Schatz said a government-to-govern-ment relationship is overdue, but we do not have the votes. "And that is why we have asked the president of the United States for his assistance to treat Native Hawaiians fairly . . . with federal action to bring self-governance back to Native Hawaiians because it makes the Apology (bill) real. Our great country must do what is right to make the apology real," he said, referring to the 1993 Apology bill, signed by then-President Bill Clinton, apologizing for U.S. involvement in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. "The saddest day in our history was when the Hawaiian flag at 'Iolani Palaee was lowered and the United States occupied Hawai'i. Our ancestors were there crying," former Gov. John Waihe'e told convention attendees. "The Hawai'i newsII JEWELL ON PAGE 10

papers said, he o ea mau no kākou - we endure. Nobody gave up. And that's the reason why today we have Liliu'okalani's gift of a nation that still exists." Waihe'e, who is chairman of the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission - whieh is enrolling Hawaiians to participate in the formation of a governing entity - went on to explain that many of us have differing opinions of what a governing entity should be. Yet, unity does not mean agreement. Using Congress as an example, he said that if Congress could not agree and because of it the federal government were to shut down, the United States would still exist. "You ean have disagreement and still be a lāhui (nation)," said Waihe'e. "It does not require agreement but eommon ground, whieh we all share - our history, what our queen

gave to us, what we all stand for and the existence of our 'unrelinquished sovereignty' - a word I didn't make up. That word eame in 1993 when the United States Congress said: we had done wrong 100 years earlier, we have to admit that Native Hawaiians never relinquished their lands or their self-governance. The Hawai'i Supreme Court took that and said that's unrelinquished sovereignty." Waihe'e's keynote address was met with a standing ovation. The Native Hawaiian Convention - whose theme underscored the efforts of the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission - is one of the largest annual meetings of Hawaiian organizations, policymakers, leaders, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and community members. It is hosted by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and sponsored in part by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. ■

JEWELL Continued from page 5