Senate to Vote on Hawaiian Self-Rule Bill

[Judi Lynn]

Senate to Vote on Hawaiian Self-Rule Bill
By RON STATON, Associated Press Writer

Sunday, July 17, 2005

(07-17) 12:05 PDT Honolulu (AP) --
After six years of trying, Sen. Daniel Akaka hopes to finally see a vote in the Senate this week on one of the hardest-fought measures of his congressional career — his bill to grant his fellow Native Hawaiians federal recognition.

"It will have a historical impact," said Akaka, D-Hawaii. "It affects Hawaii, the Pacific, the nation."

The measure is tentatively scheduled for debate Monday night and Tuesday, with a vote on Wednesday. Akaka and Hawaii's other Democratic senator, Daniel Inouye, say there are enough votes for approval.

It would grant Native Hawaiians the same rights of self-government enjoyed by American Indians and Native Alaskans, and would lead to U.S. recognition of a native governing entity.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/07/17/national/a120553D04.DTL

[Jara sang]

1. This is horrible, the native Hawai'ians don't want it.

Also another reason why ANWR got sold out. Fuck you Akaka!

[anotherdrew]

2. why don't they want it? Sounds good at first glance...

[Jara sang]

11. There are a lot of issues at stake here.

It basically lumps Hawai'ians in with Native Americans. Hawaiians don't won't that. They were a sovreign kingdom until an illegal coup headed by rich U.S. businessmen took the Island nation over.

http://stopakaka.com/2005/whyopposed.html

[TankLV]

21. OK, maybe in the context of the illegal overthrow of the Hawai'ian

government by amerikkkan businesmen, your first post makes sense.

The issue of Hawai'ian sovereignty is paramount to any discussions such as these.

Maybe in that regard it IS apples and oranges.

[Zhade]

4. Can you explain why? I'm not too knowledgeable about this.

All I know is that we once seized Hawaii, imperialist-style, and we're never going to return it to those from whom we stole it. What does this bill (which likely won't pass, I'm guessing) do that's so bad?

[Cha]

7. Why don't the "Native Hawaiians"

want it, Jara Sang?

That's the Saddest picture in your sig line! :(

[Jara sang]

12. Hi zidzi!

There is more here:

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2004/articles6/bad_bill_for_hawaii_and_all_stat.htm

[Cha]

14. So, not is as it seems..

What a surprise with politicians. And if lingle wants it..that's a Red Flag right there.

All I can do is wish the best for the Native Hawaiians. And hope they don't get screwed, again.

Thanks, Jara :hi:

[TankLV]

20. Self deleted.

Due to reading more in this thread.

[roguevalley]

3. what's the downside to self determination? Are there clauses here

that aren't up to snuff?

[OKthatsIT]

5. I believe it is their RIGHT, too.

But not exactly the best time to bring it up...considering it will fall on deaf ears in DC.

Strategically speaking, I hear the Navy is virtually obsolete, considering how easy it is to destroy aircraft carriers with small nuke missles.

[suneel112]

6. What will happen...

...to Hawaii's four electoral votes? Will they be gone too? Hopefully not, because that means that in 2008, we will need to win BOTH Ohio and Florida.

Now if Texas votes for Self-Rule, I will have no problem :smoke:

[Pirate Smile]

8. Native Hawaiians as in Native Americans, NOT the state of Hawaii.

They want to be recognized as an "Indian" nation like the Cherokees, Apaches, etc.

edit to add - Maybe they want to open some casinos.

[Jara sang]

13. You are wrong the Native Hawaiian DO NOT want to be classified as N.A.

[whatelseisnew]

9. Another take on it from HawaiiNation.org

http://www.hawaii-nation.org/abaj.html

The Search for Unanimity
...
More than anything, Hawaiian sovereignty leaders say, their movement is about land--or rather the effort to regain land that they believe was taken away when the monarchy was overthrown.
The immediate issue is over rights to some portion of revenue or control of some 1.8 million acres of public lands--about half the total land on all the islands--ceded to the United States at the time of annexation, then returned to Hawaii when it became a state.
...
Considering that some of those lands have been leased for shopping malls, hotels and the Honolulu International Airport, OHA almost immediately became one of the potentially most lucrative agencies in the state; it has been fighting with the state to gain full access to those funds ever since.
...
But the bond between Native Hawaiians and the land goes much deeper than revenues. Many believe that ancient practices, such as gathering ti leaves, tending fish ponds and maintaining religious ceremonial sites, are part of the essence of their cultural heritage.
...
Commercial interests could not agree more, and developers and the business community contend that the sovereignty movement has thrown questions of land ownership and development rights into chaos.
...
Even Trask, a leading advocate of "nation within a nation" approach that many compare to tribal status, insists she does not favor seeking status equivalent to that granted to American Indians.
"The government can't shove us into a mold for continental Native Americans," she says. "We do not want to be placed under the Bureau of Indian Affairs."
The main problem, she says, is that federal law does not convey the level of political and economic self-reliance to Indian tribes that Native Hawaiians are seeking.
Moreover, it is questionable whether Indian law can be applied to Hawaiians, says Stuart Minor Benjamin, an associate of Tribes's at Harvard who is joining the law school faculty at the University of San Diego.
In an article in the December 1996 issue of the Yale Law Journal, he argues that federal laws giving American Indians preferential treatment have passed equal protection muster under rational basis review, rather than strict scrutiny, because they treated the tribes as political entities rather than racial groups. ...

[whatelseisnew]

10. Some interesting links on Hawaii's history & efforts towards independence

http://www.hawaii-nation.org/

Articles and Events
The links below provide highlights of current and past activities related to Hawaii's independence and history. They are collected from a variety of sources, in order to support education, awareness and action, with aloha.
Transcript of Address by Prof. Francis A. Boyle
Honolulu, 28 December 2004

Attorney: U.S. must leave
International law expert says America has a duty to set Hawaii Islands free
Hawaii Tribune-Herald, December 30, 2004

Law expert Francis Boyle urges natives to take back Hawaii
West Hawaii Today, December 30, 2004

Law professor advises Hawaiians against Akaka Bill
The Maui News, January 1, 2005

Hawaiian Society of Law and Politics (HSLP)

OHA trying to eliminate options
Commentary by Anne Keala Kelly
Honolulu Advertiser, Sunday, January 18, 2004

Hawaiians hand out sovereignty leaflets in Waikiki
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Wednesday, January 14, 2004

CNHA Exposed
The real agenda behind the
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

School lets non-Hawaiian stay
In exchange, the student will drop his suit against Kamehameha Schools
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Saturday, November 29, 2003

Kamehameha settles Kaua'i boy's lawsuit
The Honolulu Advertiser, Saturday, November 29, 2003

(much more)

[krkaufman]

15. Sounds familiar

Regarding this excerpt...

Also opposed to the bill is a group of mostly Caucasians who say it is race-based.

"It would destroy the basic reason I chose to make Hawaii my home 50 years ago — we don't have racial discrimination," said Honolulu attorney H. William Burgess, who has challenged the constitutionality of Hawaiians-only programs.

Sounds like a West Bank/Gaza settler. They may want to take care of this before other parallels with the Israeli occupation crop up.

[Cascadian]

16. Hawaii was an independent nation until 1898.

The U.S. had no business taking over the Hawaiian nation. Then again, we seem to have no trouble taking over sovereign nations anyway. Hawaii should be an independent country again. I will also boldly say this. The U.S. has absolutely no business in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and Samoa as much as it has no business in Iraq or Afghanistan. Colonialization and domination smacks counter to what the forefathers had in mind.


John

[dArKeR]

17. Why is there so much evil in the world?

I watched Waimea Falls, the most sacred place on Ohau, sold to white men who made it into a tourist trap park. Fee for all to enter.

I watched the most sacred Ohau heiau razed over and a white man's home build on it. The most beautiful bay in the world, Waimea, now has a McMansion on it.

Is there no hope for morality in this world? Terrorism in the name of the Father.

[nolabels]

19. People and even groups of people often become like...........

the things and other people they oppose. If the human population spent half the time used for conflict figuring out better ways to do things the world could be a much more adorable functioning place

Hawaiian bread makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches :9

[dArKeR]

18. THE LIGHT THE LIGHT DIES DOWN ON BROADWAY LYRICS

He follows a small path running along the top, and watches the tube bobbing up and down in the water as the fast current carries it away. however, as he walks around a corner rael sees a sky-lig
Ove him, apparently built into the bank. through it he can see the green grass of home, well not exactly; he can see broadway.

As he walks along the gorge’s edge,
He meets a sense of yesteryear.
A window in the bank above his head
Reveals his home amidst the streets.

Subway sounds, the sounds of complaint
The smell of acid on his gun of paint.
As it carves out anger in a blood-red band,
Destroyed tomorrow by an unknown hand;
- my home.
Is this the way out from the endless scene?
Or just an entrance to another dream?
And the light dies down on broadway.

His heart, now a little bristly, is shaken by a surge of joy and he starts to run, arms wide open, to the way out. at this precise point in time his ears pick up a voice screaming for help. some
S struggling in the rapids below. it’s john.

But as the skylight beckons him to leave,
He hears a scream from far below.
Within the raging water, writhes the form
Of brother john, he cries for help.

He pauses for a moment remembering how his brother had abandoned him. then the window begins to fade - it’s time for action.

The gate is fading now, but open wide.
But john is drowning, I must decide
Between the freedom I had in the rat-race,
Or to stay forever in this forsaken place;
Hey john!
He makes for the river and the gate is gone,
Back to the void where it came from.
And the light dies down on broadway.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/genesis/58866.html