Below are two recent commentaries I wrote pertaining to the demise of the Akaka bill.For those unfamiliar with this matter, the “Akaka Bill” was nicknamed after its chief sponsor Daniel K. Akaka, a US Senator from the “State of Hawaii.” The actual measure was titled, “The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of (insert year).” It was first introduced in 2000. The bill proposes to establish a process for indigenous Native Hawaiians to gain federal recognition similar to an (American) Indian tribe. Its purpose is to retroactively fix the legal faults inherent in the US claims of sovereign jurisdiction over the Hawaiian Islands.The major proponents of the Akaka Bill were: the State of Hawaii with all of its officials and agencies (including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Hawaiian Homes, etc.); US Congressional delegation; the US government; US President Barack Obama; the ethnic Hawaiian civic clubs; and Hawaiian-Americans (Hawaiians who consider themselves US citizens).The chief opponents have been: the Hawaiian independence movement (Hawaiian Nationals and sympathizers); progressive Americans; and conservative Americans. An odd, but effective combination. Motives? Hawaiian Nationals want their country back. Progressives want social justice and to embarrass the US establishment. Conservatives believe it is constitutionally repugnant to legislatively create a racial-based political sub-set to American society.Mele Kalikimaka!Malama pono,Leon----------Akaka Bill Is Dead AgainCommentary by Leon SiuDecember 18, 2010The Akaka bill is dead again. Ironically, the fatal blow was struck a year ago by the impatient meddling of its main sponsors: Sen. Akaka, Sen. Inouye and Rep. Abercrombie. But it took 12 months for the bill to die. Here’s what happened. By mid-December, 2009, with the looming “health care reform act” as a smokescreen, Inouye had maneuvered the Akaka Bill into position for final passage by the US Congress before it adjourned for the Christmas holidays. But in a classic case of jumping the gun, Akaka suddenly amended his bill, inadvertently revealing its sinister side — immediate assignment of Native Hawaiians into a limited-status racial group, to be governed like American Indian tribes. This confirmed some of the worst fears opponents and proponents had about the Akaka tribal scheme. The Hawaiian Independence Action Alliance immediately mobilized a downtown rush-hour demonstration to sound the alarm: “Akaka Bill Sneak Attack!” Exposure of the last minute tinkering took the State of Hawaii’s Governor and Attorney General by surprise, causing them to withdraw the State’s support of the bill. It also caught the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) off guard, causing their support for the bill to waver. Without these two crucial supporters, the bill stalled. It took two months to get OHA back on board so that Rep. Neal Abercrombie could get his version passed in the US House, claim victory, resign his US House seat and run for state governor. And it took an additional four months to get the State of Hawaii back on board. By then the US Congress was in a tumultuous, deadlocked summer session. Then came the Democrats’ election disaster in November, and now the lame-duck session. As it turned out, the Akaka bill’s window of opportunity from a year ago had closed. Akaka/Inouye’s cocky tinkering of the bill in December of 2009 was a self-inflicted injury that proved to be fatal. The blunder was Akaka-Inouye’s Humpty-Dumpty. As much as they tried, they couldn’t put it together again. Mahalo nui to the 11-year-long vigilant and staunch resistance of Hawaii independence activists…true patriots, who with meager material resources but a lot of mana and heart, refused to accept Akaka’s sell-out, Native-American-tribe ‘solution’ to settle the crimes of treason against and piracy of our sovereign, independent nation. Mahalo also to the conservative Americans in Hawaii and in the US Congress, who for reasons of their own, strongly opposed the Akaka bill and contributed greatly to its defeat. And Mahalo ke Akua for providing what was needed for us to prevail in this episode in our campaign to restore our nation.----------Hawaii ReporterTuesday, December 14th, 2010Akaka Bill: Dead Horse in a Dead Duck Sessionhttp://www.hawaiireporter.com/akaka-bill-dead-horse-in-a-dead-duck-sessionBY LEON SIU - With the meltdown Obama is experiencing on every front in this dead-duck session, what are his people (Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Interior Salazar) doing trying to resuscitate the Akaka Bill?Apparently they are not aware that this horse won’t run because this horse is dead. Somebody show them the memo from Judge Walter Heen saying, “I maintain that the (Akaka) bill has been dead for some time now.”On top of that, they apparently they are not aware that the new, amended Akaka bill no longer squares with the one version that then Congressman Neil Abercrombie, who is now Hawaii’s governor, frantically passed 10 months ago in the House. That means, even if by some miracle they were able to get Akaka passed in the US Senate in the next week, there is no time before the end of the year for the US House to reconcile it to their version and vote on it.But hold your horses! We just found out today that ol’ “earmarks” Inouye has put provisions for a “Native Hawaiian Study” (a.k.a. Akaka) into the ominous Omnibus Bill, which could be voted on this week.It seems, dead-ducks or dead-horses matter not to Inouye. You gotta admire the guy, one way or another, he intends to keep this horse in the race, even if he has to cheat by dragging it across the infield to sneak its rotting carcass over the finish line.Leon Siu is a Hawaiian Activist
Below are two recent commentaries I wrote pertaining to the demise of the Akaka bill.For those unfamiliar with this matter, the “Akaka Bill” was nicknamed after its chief sponsor Daniel K. Akaka, a US Senator from the “State of Hawaii.” The actual measure was titled, “The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of (insert year).” It was first introduced in 2000. The bill proposes to establish a process for indigenous Native Hawaiians to gain federal recognition similar to an (American) Indian tribe. Its purpose is to retroactively fix the legal faults inherent in the US claims of sovereign jurisdiction over the Hawaiian Islands.The major proponents of the Akaka Bill were: the State of Hawaii with all of its officials and agencies (including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Hawaiian Homes, etc.); US Congressional delegation; the US government; US President Barack Obama; the ethnic Hawaiian civic clubs; and Hawaiian-Americans (Hawaiians who consider themselves US citizens).The chief opponents have been: the Hawaiian independence movement (Hawaiian Nationals and sympathizers); progressive Americans; and conservative Americans. An odd, but effective combination. Motives? Hawaiian Nationals want their country back. Progressives want social justice and to embarrass the US establishment. Conservatives believe it is constitutionally repugnant to legislatively create a racial-based political sub-set to American society.Mele Kalikimaka!Malama pono,Leon----------Akaka Bill Is Dead AgainCommentary by Leon SiuDecember 18, 2010The Akaka bill is dead again. Ironically, the fatal blow was struck a year ago by the impatient meddling of its main sponsors: Sen. Akaka, Sen. Inouye and Rep. Abercrombie. But it took 12 months for the bill to die. Here’s what happened. By mid-December, 2009, with the looming “health care reform act” as a smokescreen, Inouye had maneuvered the Akaka Bill into position for final passage by the US Congress before it adjourned for the Christmas holidays. But in a classic case of jumping the gun, Akaka suddenly amended his bill, inadvertently revealing its sinister side — immediate assignment of Native Hawaiians into a limited-status racial group, to be governed like American Indian tribes. This confirmed some of the worst fears opponents and proponents had about the Akaka tribal scheme. The Hawaiian Independence Action Alliance immediately mobilized a downtown rush-hour demonstration to sound the alarm: “Akaka Bill Sneak Attack!” Exposure of the last minute tinkering took the State of Hawaii’s Governor and Attorney General by surprise, causing them to withdraw the State’s support of the bill. It also caught the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) off guard, causing their support for the bill to waver. Without these two crucial supporters, the bill stalled. It took two months to get OHA back on board so that Rep. Neal Abercrombie could get his version passed in the US House, claim victory, resign his US House seat and run for state governor. And it took an additional four months to get the State of Hawaii back on board. By then the US Congress was in a tumultuous, deadlocked summer session. Then came the Democrats’ election disaster in November, and now the lame-duck session. As it turned out, the Akaka bill’s window of opportunity from a year ago had closed. Akaka/Inouye’s cocky tinkering of the bill in December of 2009 was a self-inflicted injury that proved to be fatal. The blunder was Akaka-Inouye’s Humpty-Dumpty. As much as they tried, they couldn’t put it together again. Mahalo nui to the 11-year-long vigilant and staunch resistance of Hawaii independence activists…true patriots, who with meager material resources but a lot of mana and heart, refused to accept Akaka’s sell-out, Native-American-tribe ‘solution’ to settle the crimes of treason against and piracy of our sovereign, independent nation. Mahalo also to the conservative Americans in Hawaii and in the US Congress, who for reasons of their own, strongly opposed the Akaka bill and contributed greatly to its defeat. And Mahalo ke Akua for providing what was needed for us to prevail in this episode in our campaign to restore our nation.----------Hawaii ReporterTuesday, December 14th, 2010Akaka Bill: Dead Horse in a Dead Duck Sessionhttp://www.hawaiireporter.com/akaka-bill-dead-horse-in-a-dead-duck-sessionBY LEON SIU - With the meltdown Obama is experiencing on every front in this dead-duck session, what are his people (Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Interior Salazar) doing trying to resuscitate the Akaka Bill?Apparently they are not aware that this horse won’t run because this horse is dead. Somebody show them the memo from Judge Walter Heen saying, “I maintain that the (Akaka) bill has been dead for some time now.”On top of that, they apparently they are not aware that the new, amended Akaka bill no longer squares with the one version that then Congressman Neil Abercrombie, who is now Hawaii’s governor, frantically passed 10 months ago in the House. That means, even if by some miracle they were able to get Akaka passed in the US Senate in the next week, there is no time before the end of the year for the US House to reconcile it to their version and vote on it.But hold your horses! We just found out today that ol’ “earmarks” Inouye has put provisions for a “Native Hawaiian Study” (a.k.a. Akaka) into the ominous Omnibus Bill, which could be voted on this week.It seems, dead-ducks or dead-horses matter not to Inouye. You gotta admire the guy, one way or another, he intends to keep this horse in the race, even if he has to cheat by dragging it across the infield to sneak its rotting carcass over the finish line.Leon Siu is a Hawaiian Activist
Comments
O Happy Days, o Pomai
ALOHA Kakou, e Hawaii,
What a Wounderful Way to end 2010 with the DEATH of the AKaKa BILL.
Small in Numbers, but Mighty in Mana, o Pomai
Not only is the AKaKa BILL is DEAD, so is the United States. United States is like an Old Ship with many holes in it. Sinking with every elections of the President and members of Congress.
Like all Great Empires of the past that has fallen, so is United States is falling down. Falling down from all it's Lies and Hewa Actions.
Just like the AKaKa BILL is DEAD because of its Lies and Hewa Actions from Day One of the introduction of the AKaKa BILL.
Hawaiian Nationals have spoken, Loud and Clear. Kill The AKaKa BILL.
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomaikaiokalani, Hawaiian National Royalist 1993
The AKaKa BILL is DEAD,DEAD, DEAD, RIP.......................
ALOHA Kakou, e Hawaii,
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomai, Committee of Hawaiian Nationals
IMUA KEKAPUKAINOHEA, o Pomai, Committee of Hawaiian Nationals