Report Title:

Hawaiian Nation, Federal Recognition Of

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Hawaiian people, the indigenous people of the Hawaiian islands, lived in their own kingdom, one recognized by nations around the world, until the kingdom was overthrown in 1893 and eventually annexed by the United States in 1898; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed, and the President signed, Public Law 103-150 (the Apology Law), acknowledging the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the need for reconciliation between the United States and Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, the United States adopted the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1920 to recognize the special status of Hawaiian people; and

WHEREAS, there exists a trust relationship between the United States and Hawaiians through the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, which was enacted to provide Hawaiians of fifty per cent or more Hawaiian blood with long-term leases of residential, farm, and agricultural lots; and

WHEREAS, Congress has oversight of substantive amendments to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and is entitled to sue for its breach; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has long recognized the unique status of the Hawaiian people as the indigenous people of the State, whose lifestyle was disrupted by the influx of Western culture and whose public lands were taken over by the State; and

WHEREAS, in making reparations to the Hawaiian people, the State of Hawaii adopted, by constitutional amendment, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to benefit all Hawaiians and codified the traditional and customary rights of Hawaiian people traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural, and religious purposes; and

WHEREAS, recent federal lawsuits have challenged these rights; and

WHEREAS, the State believes that the Hawaiian people, as the indigenous people of Hawaii, should enjoy the same rights as the indigenous Native Americans recognized by the federal government, which would clarify the status of the Hawaiian people and shield them from further assault on their rights; and

WHEREAS, there is a need for Congress to effect a clear statement about the political status of Hawaiians and to recognize a Hawaiian nation; and

WHEREAS, current federal policies and laws allow greater autonomy and self-determination for native peoples, including direct contracting with recognized native governments to administer funds and programs designed to meet the trust obligation of the United States to those peoples; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the United States, the State of Hawaii, and the Hawaiian people for the United States Government to recognize a Hawaiian nation so as to enjoy a full government-to-government relationship with the United States; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii would benefit substantially from the recognition of a Hawaiian nation because it would mean less state responsibility, less burden on state resources, and a stimulated economy as Hawaiian businesses and programs become available; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature supports the sovereign rights of Native Hawaiians and recognizes an immediate need to develop a government-to-government relationship between a Hawaiian nation and the United States; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Interior meet with representatives of the Hawaiian people to initiate the process of articulating and implementing a federal policy of Hawaiian self-government with a distinct, unique, and special trust relationship; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congress support any legislation introduced for the purpose of achieving Hawaiian self-government; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the members of the Congress of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior, and the President of the United States.