Scrap Yard: The Akaka Bill
This legislative session, Sen. Daniel Akaka has once again introduced the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, first proposed in 2000, which would grant Hawaiians the same federal recognition enjoyed by Native American tribes. In our first monthly Scrap Yard, we sought out two opposing viewpoints on the Akaka Bill.
Michael Keany
Jere Krischel
a senior fellow with the Grassroots Institute of Hawai‘i
There’s no historical basis for the Akaka Bill. It’s a fairly transparent attempt to preserve race-based programs in Hawai‘i by trying to fit Native Hawaiians into the Native American box, inappropriately.
Take a look at the Navajo nation. The Navajo nation was essentially a monoracial, tribal government that existed before the United States ever came along. After we did terrible things to the Native Americans and moved them around, the existing government over their people was recognized and has been perpetuated to this day as the Navajo nation.
The Hawaiian analogy is a little bit different. The very first unification of the Islands happened in 1810, with Kamehameha the Great finally getting Kaua‘i to surrender. The kingdom that he built spent nearly 100 years being multiracial, being pluralistic, inviting immigrants to participate in society and at all levels of government. If we wanted to go back to a point in time when indigenous islanders were self-governing, it would be essentially ignoring almost 100 years of progress that they made.
A compromise that would make the bill more acceptable would be if it was called the Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, and there was no racial limitation on membership into this entity. It’s like segregation in the South. Would it be OK, as long as all the schools had the same toilets, the same books, the same chairs? Not really. There’s still the basic problem of splitting people up by race.
We can all agree that there are people who need help in Hawai‘i. These people are of all races, not just one. The Akaka Bill, at its heart, fosters a culture of Native Hawaiian victimhood, and I think that’s bad for our society and for life in the Islands.
William Meheula
a lawyer representing the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in federal recognition issues
We believe that Native Hawaiians are like American Indians and Alaskan natives in that they are the indigenous people of this land, and therefore entitled to exception from equal protection challenges under the Indian Commerce Clause in Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
The Akaka Bill provides some language encouraging the Native Hawaiian people to form a government that could be recognized by the United States. It would close the loop, making sure that, in the future, equal-protection challenges could never be successful.
In talking about the analogy between Native Americans and Hawaiians, it seems ironic that the criticism of the Native Hawaiian situation is that it was inclusive and not exclusive. That’s just the Hawaiian way, to include others. It doesn’t make sense to say that Hawaiians programs are in violation of the equal protection clause because the Hawaiian government before the overthrow was an inclusive one. It’s a form-over-substance argument, particularly since many Native American tribes had non-aboriginal members.
Most of the people who object to the Akaka Bill are people who generally object to any type of indigenous group receiving federal funding. They also object to any type of affirmative action, and they’re just trying to find an angle to try and cut off people’s rights in that respect. Their philosophy is that everyone should sink or swim, and that’s how we’re all going to be a stronger America—that, by handing out these government benefits, we’re actually suppressing the growth of these weaker people. Fortunately, most people in the United States disagree. This country is strong enough to admit its historical errors and try to take steps in a fair way to address them.
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Source: Honolulu Magazine / March 2007 / Scrap Yard: The Akaka Bill
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This scarppy bill has been an going debate that has no wins for kanaka maoli. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FAKE STATE OF HAWAII DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU.
OHA WANTS THEIR MONEY AT THE EXPENSE OF WHAT?
DHHL HAS NOT DONE THEIR KULEANA TO PUT HAWAIIAN FAMILIES ON THE 'AINA! HAWAIIANS WILL DIE WHILE WAITING ON THE LIST!
You need to be a member of maoliworld to add comments!
IMHO that is shady. There is something inherently troubling when he posts HIS interpretation of the bill without a DIRECT hyperlink to the information and how he posts basically bragging and boasting that it's a great thing without posting the actual link to the information. I hope that other Hawaiians do not rely on other people's interpretation of the bill and instead read it for themselves. As expected Senator Akaka does not explain how to FIND IT or even WHERE to find it. How shady.
So I am reposting it here so that some other oiwi can see for it themselves:
A nation within a nation is called occupation. Since 1893 we live under the belligerent occupation of the U.S.A. For OHA to reorganize a governing entity is hewa; plain and simple. The Akaka Bill and its wording is just as hewa. This railrod to ramshod this bill into the throats of the Hawaiians into the U.S. WASP racist insidious box is the most hewa of all. They continually try to do unlawfully what they cannot do lawfully. They will have you believe that this is the only option available to the Hawaii nationals. Of course, we know this not to be the truth.
We understand that the U.S. Americans love their country as much as we love ours; but that doesn't mean we should surrender ourselves to save their face. Our relations with them can always be amicable as it was before the sneak attack, the first-ever in Hawai'i, and belligerent occupation that we are living under.
The U.S. needs to cast off their imbued doctrines of Manifest Destiny spawned by the Roman Catholic Church's papal bulls which the Europeans adopted even after they broke away from the Christian Church to start their own churches. That mentality is archaic and passe which doesn't work in this world. It's an extension of their warlords invading to expand their territory beyond their medieval territories; coveting the resources of others and empire-building for themselves.
There is a question of colonialism conducted in Hawai'i. Actually, it would be a form of neo-coloniaism since the doctrine of terra nulius doesn't apply to the Hawaiian Kingdom which evolved on its own to conform with the world nations of its time. Because of the racist attitudes, the U.S. couldn't accept that fact and began an assimilation process to make it appear that it was colonializing the Hawaiian Kingdom which was a more modern and progressive nation-state in the Pacific with peerage to them. They changed the complexion of the Hawaiian Kingdom to resemble their own country by sending white settlers from the U.S. which illegally immigrated into the islands to off-set the make-up of the islands.
They imposed their WASP mainstream society to usurp the Hawaiian Polynesian society and enforced their way into the islands and its culture. This form of genocide was created to empower them within the islands much like what Israel does to Palestine. Many Hawaiians were displaced as the land-grab for the premium lands were done even to this day.
It is imperative that we rebuke the Akaka Bill and pursue for our total independence and send the U.S. back to its home; military and all U.S. Americans. Those that remain must swear allegiance to the Hawaiian Kingdom and expatriate to our country and assimilate to our Hawaiian Polynesian society and cultural values.
It is best for all to not participate in the Akaka Bill or its governing entity it is trying to replace the already existing Hawaiian Kingdom. There is no excuse for the ignorance of the laws of the Kingdom nor international laws that preserve it.
It's time for everyone to write to the U.S. Congress and tell them to reject the Akaka Bill for we will not condone it. Now is the time to stand up as Hawaiian nationals and to speak up.
At what cost is our kanaka maoli willing to give up in order to see this true? At first, being that I am so young and only now opening my eyes to CORPORATE America, I thought the Akaka bill was a good way to steer our po'e into the right direction. But this is Hewa. A'ole au e pa'a ta waha or give up na aina no na tupuna! They are trying to assimilate our people just as they did with the Native Americans. My people we cannot and SHOULD not sell our selves out!...for what!? KALA!? Honestly that is why I think that people get the stereotype that Hawaiians are dumb, because we are! We need to STOP letting these people run us over a me e ho'i mai like!
Mahalo for the Post. It is my belief that the Akaka Bill is a step in a dangerous direction as it attempts to be conciliatory to the US in it's occupation of our homeland and tries to uphold raced based initiatives within the current Government. Neither aspect is particularly Hawaiian in concept or practice; as you pointed out the Hawaiian Monarchy and government was ethnically and culturally diverse, inclusive and more importantly autonomous.
The Akaka Bill was created from the minds of disenfranchised Hawaiians of a generation that was forbidden to chant, speak Hawaiian, dance the hula and name their children non Christian names, etc. Our future does not lie in the decrepit self perception of a subjugated generation but in our carefully cultured youth, whose proud heritage is celebrated not denigrated. How can we achieve this if we as a people are marginalized into a welfare state, begging for handouts. Give us back our land and autonomy without restriction, that should be our focus.
This bill will define our relationship with the US and as a nation within a nation. What does it say to the world when we prostate ourselves before the racism and bigotry of the US begging to be recognized as Human Beings forever giving up our right to self determination so that the good ol' boys in Congress won't be threatened by affirmative action and the law of reciprocity. It says we get what we deserve, If we do not comprehend our own self worth and right to self determination than how can we possible achieve it. The Akaka Bill will simply guarantee native Hawaiian's 3rd class citizenry nothing more. I have seen the reservations of our mainland brothers and the Akaka Bill aspires to the same destitution.
The Akaka Bill is an honest attempt to bring justice to the Hawaiian people but at what cost to our culture, future, and way of life? We deserve much more as a people than to settle for this tissue of concessions. We need to include all people of Hawaii in re-establishing the legitimate and lawful government and that lawful government is ours to determine not Congress. The Kanaka Maoli need allies not enemies in this process and we need to stop the association of racism in our quest for what is pono!
Replies
IMHO that is shady. There is something inherently troubling when he posts HIS interpretation of the bill without a DIRECT hyperlink to the information and how he posts basically bragging and boasting that it's a great thing without posting the actual link to the information. I hope that other Hawaiians do not rely on other people's interpretation of the bill and instead read it for themselves. As expected Senator Akaka does not explain how to FIND IT or even WHERE to find it. How shady.
So I am reposting it here so that some other oiwi can see for it themselves:
In Senate: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:9:./temp/~c1112OGCw4::
In House: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:4:./temp/~c1119cLaiE::
Or go here: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c111query.html
Choose "111th Congress" then enter "Native" Hawaiian but without the quotation marks ;)
Try look for H.R.1711 and S.1011.
A nation within a nation is called occupation. Since 1893 we live under the belligerent occupation of the U.S.A. For OHA to reorganize a governing entity is hewa; plain and simple. The Akaka Bill and its wording is just as hewa. This railrod to ramshod this bill into the throats of the Hawaiians into the U.S. WASP racist insidious box is the most hewa of all. They continually try to do unlawfully what they cannot do lawfully. They will have you believe that this is the only option available to the Hawaii nationals. Of course, we know this not to be the truth.
We understand that the U.S. Americans love their country as much as we love ours; but that doesn't mean we should surrender ourselves to save their face. Our relations with them can always be amicable as it was before the sneak attack, the first-ever in Hawai'i, and belligerent occupation that we are living under.
The U.S. needs to cast off their imbued doctrines of Manifest Destiny spawned by the Roman Catholic Church's papal bulls which the Europeans adopted even after they broke away from the Christian Church to start their own churches. That mentality is archaic and passe which doesn't work in this world. It's an extension of their warlords invading to expand their territory beyond their medieval territories; coveting the resources of others and empire-building for themselves.
There is a question of colonialism conducted in Hawai'i. Actually, it would be a form of neo-coloniaism since the doctrine of terra nulius doesn't apply to the Hawaiian Kingdom which evolved on its own to conform with the world nations of its time. Because of the racist attitudes, the U.S. couldn't accept that fact and began an assimilation process to make it appear that it was colonializing the Hawaiian Kingdom which was a more modern and progressive nation-state in the Pacific with peerage to them. They changed the complexion of the Hawaiian Kingdom to resemble their own country by sending white settlers from the U.S. which illegally immigrated into the islands to off-set the make-up of the islands.
They imposed their WASP mainstream society to usurp the Hawaiian Polynesian society and enforced their way into the islands and its culture. This form of genocide was created to empower them within the islands much like what Israel does to Palestine. Many Hawaiians were displaced as the land-grab for the premium lands were done even to this day.
It is imperative that we rebuke the Akaka Bill and pursue for our total independence and send the U.S. back to its home; military and all U.S. Americans. Those that remain must swear allegiance to the Hawaiian Kingdom and expatriate to our country and assimilate to our Hawaiian Polynesian society and cultural values.
It is best for all to not participate in the Akaka Bill or its governing entity it is trying to replace the already existing Hawaiian Kingdom. There is no excuse for the ignorance of the laws of the Kingdom nor international laws that preserve it.
It's time for everyone to write to the U.S. Congress and tell them to reject the Akaka Bill for we will not condone it. Now is the time to stand up as Hawaiian nationals and to speak up.
Tane
Mahalo for the Post. It is my belief that the Akaka Bill is a step in a dangerous direction as it attempts to be conciliatory to the US in it's occupation of our homeland and tries to uphold raced based initiatives within the current Government. Neither aspect is particularly Hawaiian in concept or practice; as you pointed out the Hawaiian Monarchy and government was ethnically and culturally diverse, inclusive and more importantly autonomous.
The Akaka Bill was created from the minds of disenfranchised Hawaiians of a generation that was forbidden to chant, speak Hawaiian, dance the hula and name their children non Christian names, etc. Our future does not lie in the decrepit self perception of a subjugated generation but in our carefully cultured youth, whose proud heritage is celebrated not denigrated. How can we achieve this if we as a people are marginalized into a welfare state, begging for handouts. Give us back our land and autonomy without restriction, that should be our focus.
This bill will define our relationship with the US and as a nation within a nation. What does it say to the world when we prostate ourselves before the racism and bigotry of the US begging to be recognized as Human Beings forever giving up our right to self determination so that the good ol' boys in Congress won't be threatened by affirmative action and the law of reciprocity. It says we get what we deserve, If we do not comprehend our own self worth and right to self determination than how can we possible achieve it. The Akaka Bill will simply guarantee native Hawaiian's 3rd class citizenry nothing more. I have seen the reservations of our mainland brothers and the Akaka Bill aspires to the same destitution.
The Akaka Bill is an honest attempt to bring justice to the Hawaiian people but at what cost to our culture, future, and way of life? We deserve much more as a people than to settle for this tissue of concessions. We need to include all people of Hawaii in re-establishing the legitimate and lawful government and that lawful government is ours to determine not Congress. The Kanaka Maoli need allies not enemies in this process and we need to stop the association of racism in our quest for what is pono!
He mea pau 'ole ke aloha