WHEREAS, Hawaiian royalty, such as King Lunalilo, Queen Liliu'okalani, and Ali'i Bernice Pauahi Bishop created trusts designed to assist Hawaiians, such as the Lunalilo Home for elderly Hawaiians; Kamehameha Schools, to educate Hawaiian children; and the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, to provide outreach to Hawaiian families; and

WHEREAS, the federal government adopted the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920 in an attempt to assist the Hawaiian people by providing them with leasehold residence and agricultural lots; and

WHEREAS, in 1978 the people of Hawaii, by constitutional amendment, approved the creation of the office of Hawaiian affairs to assist in the welfare of the Hawaiian people, who have some of the poorest demographics in the State; and

WHEREAS, the people of Hawaii generally support the continuance of the institutions created to assist the Hawaiian people; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii wishes to show its strong support for the unique heritage of the Hawaiian people, and wishes to help enable them to achieve autonomy; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, that the State of Hawaii strongly urges federal recognition of the Hawaiian people as an indigenous group, with all the rights to which that status is entitled; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Hawaii strongly urges that the Hawaiian charitable organizations, including Kamehameha Schools, the Queen Liliu'okalani Children's Center, and Lunalilo Home, be recognized as unique institutions protected by law; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the federal government support the concept and process of some type of Hawaiian autonomy, as negotiated between the federal government and Hawaiian people; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.