Posted by Free Hawai`i on August 3, 2009 at 6:00am
HELP STOP THE AKAKA BILLHearings To Be Held This ThursdayHelp stop the Akaka bill today by submitting testimony to the US Senate Indian Affairs Committee.Cut and paste the example below. Email to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - comments@indian.senate.govHere's The Sample Letter To Use -August 2009Committee on Indian AffairsU.S. Senate838 Hart Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510RE - OPPOSITION TO S.1011 - Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009Dear Senators Dorgan, Barrasso and Members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,I thank you for allowing me to submit this testimony in OPPOSITION to S.1011, which seeks to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process of the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity.I OPPOSE S.1011: Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009 because -Lack of hearings held in Hawai`i that would allow the Hawaiian people to present testimony on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act.In 2000, only two (2) days of hearings were held on O`ahu Island. All other hearings were cancelled.The current and past bills addressing the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians to provide a process of the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity were subsequently redrafted and amendments were added with no input or testimony from the Hawaiian people.Therefore no hearings have ever been held in Hawai`i on the current legislation before the 2009 Congress.The Hawaiian people seek the right to a fair and democratic process that includes hearings on S.1011 throughout the islands that comprise the state of Hawai`i.For 9 years, Hawaiians have requested that the island wide hearings be rescheduled so that the hundreds of Hawaiians who want to testify can be included and their concerns heard.The effort being pursued in the US Congress violates the most fundamental principles of democracy and human rights.I call for the Congressional Committee to hold hearings on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act in Hawai`i to provide the Hawaiian peoples their right to participate in the process and to seek amendments to the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act.Therefore, I strongly urge you to OPPOSE S.1011 until Congressional hearings are scheduled and held in Hawai`i on all islands, and in all States on the US continent where a significant population of Hawaiians reside, in order to provide the Hawaiian peoples their right to a democratic fair, free, and impartial process of self-determination and to empower them with the ability to determine the culturally appropriate mechanism for their own self-governance.Mahalo nui loa,Your NameAddressThen Email Your Letter To All Committee Members -Just Click On The Names For the LinksDEMOCRATS -Byron Dorgan - Chairman - NDDaniel Inouye - HIKent Conrad - NDDaniel Akaka - HITim Johnson - SDMaria Cantwell - WAJohn Tester - MTTom Udall - NMAl Franken - MN -E-mail -info@franken.senate.govREPUBLICANS -John Barrasso - Vices Chair -WYJohn McCain - AZLisa Murkowski - AKTom Coburn - OKMike Crapo - IDMike Johanns - NE
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