Have you ever wondered where the “Native Hawaiian” term came from? What its LEGAL definition is?
Well, here it is:
From Sec 201 (Definition) of the Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920
http://hawaii.gov/dhhl/laws/Hawaiian%20Homes%20Commission%20Act%201920.pdf
"Native Hawaiian" means any descendant of not less than
one-half part of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian
Islands previous to 1778.
Aside from the fact foreigners have, in a “legal” context of their own, defined who we are and with this 50% blood quantum (one-half part) minimum, of itself a form of genocide, WHY is “….previous to 1778” a criteria to “qualify” descendants of the Hawaiian Islands a so-called “Native Hawaiian”….and not the years “prior to January 17 1893? A question many “think” of….but few actually search out the answer.
Earlier than the Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920 Hawaii was considered by the US a territory. During this period politics and social attitudes in Washington D.C., as in most parts of the US, were hostile to non-whites. Had voting seats then in the Senate and House been held by Hawaiians instead of Caucasian democrats and republicans; and had the President of the United States of America been Hawaiian than perhaps the Hawaiian people would actually own the US “political process” that passed a raced-based bill into law, e.g. Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920.
No Kenneth Conklin, the Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920 belongs to the United States of America, as does the War in Iraq, to the state of the Economy/Financial meltdown and those- now-bailed out corporate elites to the sellout of working class Americans.
Hmm....1778 to 1893; 115 years of our lahui (nation) has been omitted…..WHY?
When you consider the amount of documented facts such as, Hawaii’s Bill of Rights (Lahaina-1839); Laws and Constitution (1840); English-Franco Proclamation (November 28, 1843); Mahele (1845) etc.; politically speaking and in a historical context MISSING are our most important and significant achievements of any society on the planet for that time. Our rise and success from a tribal, pre-contact civilization to a government of literacy, laws, commerce and civility equal, if not greater to the so-called civilized societies of the world.
SUPPRESSING AN ENTIRE NATION:
Why omit specifically (1778-18983) these 115 years of accomplishments from the very language legally defining who we are; “Native Hawaiian”? The answer is simple and in plain sight. By suppressing these facts The United States Government intended and has in effect “denationalized” every kanaka maoli and non-kanaka maoli citizen of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government; and unlike the many tribes of first-people that inhabited the Americas when Europeans first arrived in the late 1300’s, who were slaughtered and forced off their lands by foreigners, the invaders to our land could not shoot, slaughter and steal our national independence without exposing themselves to the “legal liabilities’ now slowly being uncovered.
I strongly believe until we ALL DEMAND our history and accomplishments from 1778 to 1893 the 115 years omitted by the Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920 replaces the 50% blood quantum and “…previous to 1778” we Hawaii nationals will continue to be discriminated against by the United States Government and State of Hawaii based on our race….and our national origin!
If not….let’s sue them all!
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