HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

56

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

supporting passage of the NATIVE HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION ACT (THE "AKAKA BILL").

 

 

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii was once the Kingdom of Hawaii, with a monarchy that was afforded full diplomatic recognition by the United States; and

WHEREAS, on January 17, 1893, the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown by a group of American citizens, who acted with the support of United States Minister John Stephens and a contingent of United States Marines from the U.S.S. Boston; and

WHEREAS, despite the overthrow of their kingdom, the Native Hawaiian people never willingly relinquished their inherent claims to sovereignty and, to this day, retain their unique identity through their distinct cultural, social, and political traditions and institutions; and

WHEREAS, following the annexation, the conditions of Native Hawaiians in the Territory of Hawaii declined to such an extent that the United States Congress passed a law to set aside more than 200,000 acres of land to address these problems; and

WHEREAS, these lands were not given back to the Native Hawaiian people; rather, the federal government held the title and administered these lands for Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, when Hawaii achieved statehood, these lands were included in a public trust, and the federal government transferred administrative responsibility for the public trust to the government of the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, to this day, Native Hawaiians remain subject to the final authority of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, Native Hawaiians are a distinct indigenous population with their own culture, identity, and assets set aside for their benefit; and

WHEREAS, however, unlike other indigenous populations, Native Hawaiians do not have control over their own land, resources, and other assets; and

WHEREAS, on January 25, 2005, Hawaii's congressional delegation introduced legislation that would clarify the legal and political relationship between Native Hawaiians and the United States; and

WHEREAS, United States Senators Daniel K. Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye introduced the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, S. 147, in the Senate while United States Representatives Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case introduced the companion measure, H.R. No. 309, in the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, the measure, otherwise known as the "Akaka Bill", aims to extend the federal policy of self-determination and self-governance to Hawaii's indigenous, native people - Native Hawaiians, thereby establishing parity in federal policies towards Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and American Indians; and

WHEREAS, the Akaka Bill would:

(1) Authorize the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations in the Department of the Interior to serve as a liaison between Native Hawaiians and the federal government;

(2) Establish the Native Hawaiian Interagency Coordinating Group - an interagency group to be composed of federal officials from agencies that administer Native Hawaiian programs and services; and

(3) Establish a process for the reorganization of the Native Hawaiian governing entity; and

WHEREAS, while the United States Congress has traditionally treated Native Hawaiians in a manner parallel to American Indians and Alaska Natives, the federal policy of self-governance and self-determination has not been formally extended to Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, the Akaka Bill would remedy this discrepancy and extend to Native Hawaiians the policy of self-governance and self-determination currently practiced by American Indians and Alaska Natives; and

WHEREAS, the Akaka Bill establishes a process for the reorganization of the Native Hawaiian governing entity for the purposes of federal recognition; and

WHEREAS, the Akaka Bill itself does not extend federal recognition; rather, it simply authorizes the process for federal recognition; and

WHEREAS, the federal government already treats Native Hawaiians as an indigenous population in many respects; and

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has enacted over one hundred sixty laws designed to address the conditions of native populations including Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, these federal laws mandate the provision of health care, education, job training, the preservation of native languages, the protection of Native American graves and the repatriation of Native American human remains; and

WHEREAS, consequently, recognition would not necessitate new programs nor would it impact existing programs for American Indians and Alaska Natives; it would simply give Native Hawaiians a seat at the table and a voice in matters affecting their destiny; and

WHEREAS, the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii believes that the United States Congress and the President of the United States should favorably consider the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005 to facilitate Native Hawaiians formal federal recognition as indigenous people, self-governance, and redress; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the United States Congress and the President of the United States are urged to support the passage of S. 147, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, otherwise known as the Akaka Bill; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, upon passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, the United States Congress and the President of the United States are urged to expeditiously facilitate Native Hawaiians formal federal recognition as indigenous people, self-governance, and redress; and

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

Report Title:

Akaka Bill; Hawaiian Sovereignty; Congressional Support