H.R. 2314, Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009 passed the house (again), but does not become an issue unless the Senate decides to pass it this time around. This particular bill and the surrounding sovereignty issues are too great a can of worms to open in just one post, but I have included videos that might help explain what this bill means. The roll call vote is here.
Akaka bill passes House 245-164
The Akaka bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives this evening by a vote of 245-164.
The bill would give Hawaiians the right to form their own government, similar to American Indians and Native Alaskans, and negotiate with state and federal governments over land use and cultural preservation.
Hawaiians would have the inherent power to govern prior to any negotiations, and any new noncommercial government activities, services and programs run by Hawaiians would not be subject to state or county regulation.
It’s the third time the bill has passed the House since it was first introduced in 2000. The bill must still be passed by the Senate, where it has run into roadblocks twice previously, before it can go President Obama for his signature.
Obama’s press secretary yesterday reiterated that the president will sign the bill if it is brought to his desk.
Sen. Daniel Akaka, the bill’s author, issued this statement following the vote:
“The passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act is an important milestone for all the people of Hawaii. We have a moral obligation, unfulfilled since the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, that we are closer to meeting today. I thank and congratulate Representatives Abercrombie and Hirono for their leadership and work to bring about today’s successful vote. Neil’s unwavering support for federal recognition of Native Hawaiians over the past decade is greatly appreciated. I am optimistic about bringing the bill to the Senate floor this year.
Do not believe everything that comes out of Akaka’s mouth, he is a politician that is more concerned about his own pocketbook than his constituents.
“Though the Governor had some reservations, I am certain that the bill protects the interests of all the people in Hawaii. The bill passed today specifically says ‘members of the Native Hawaiian governing entity will continue to be subject to the civil and criminal jurisdiction of Federal and State courts.’ The native governing entity cannot regulate non-Hawaiians. The native governing entity will need to enter into negotiations with the State of Hawaii and the United States, and all three parties will want to be in good standing and comply with existing law. Any agreements on transfers of authority or land will require the approval of the state Legislature.”
This bill is a starter house for the native hawaiian governing entity in relation to non-hawaiians.
The bill moved out by the House contains an amendment made by Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai’i, which was made at the behest of the Obama administration. The language says Hawaiians have inherent power so they would be treated similarly to American Indians and Native Alaskans.
Gov. Linda Lingle and state Attorney General Mark Bennett, who historically have supported the Akaka bill, object to the latest version, arguing that it would essentially create two sets of rules for Hawaiians and other state residents.
Absolutely no surprise there.
Two other amendments offered by House Republicans failed. One would have required a vote of all of Hawai’i's electorate to support a Native Hawaiian entity. The other would have stated specifically that there would be no altering of federal or state laws as a result of the Akaka bill.
Of course the common sense ideas are defeated. Why should I, a non-hawaiian, who lives here year-round and pays taxes have any say in what happens in my state? Is it any wonder that I have been “state shopping” with the knowledge that this bill could pass and be signed by Bambi?
A 24 minute documentary about the Akaka bill from April, 2009. This series starts out very slowly until about 2:30, and then delivers relevant information about whether or not Hawaii was ceded or seized, and how this bill is a “starter home”.
The Akaka Bill:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Dr. Lynette Cruz (Hawaiian Studies) on Hawaiian Sovereignty:
I received an email today that is accurate and thorough:
February 23, 2010
Congress has returned from its Presidents’ Day recess, and the U.S. House of Representatives has wasted no time in resuming their assault on the U.S. Constitution. Apparently, congressional liberal leaders still haven’t gotten the 140 year-old memo that discrimination based on race is prohibited by the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For those of us who thought that modern American society viewed racial division and ethnic separation as offensive and a thing of the past, well, think again! The House has scheduled a vote TODAY on a bill that will create a Hawaiian race-based government by establishing a Native Hawaiian “tribe.”
Sponsored by Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009 (H.R. 2314) will create a Hawaiian race-based government for people with Native Hawaiian blood living anywhere in the United States. H.R. 2314 would create a racially separate government that would operate like an Indian tribe with its own laws and racial voting restrictions anywhere in the United States. This new “tribe” would include about 20 percent of Hawaii’s residents plus some 400,000 Americans nationwide, making it larger than any actual Indian tribe.
Although there have been reports of last-minute language changes made behind closed doors, H.R. 2314 has moral, economic, and constitutional problems galore:
* Native Americans are not and never have been members of a tribe. Whereas Indian tribes saw their land seized by the federal government, Hawaiians willfully and democratically exercised self-determination on June 27, 1959 when they voted by an 86 percent margin to make their archipelago the 50th state.
* Upon achieving statehood, Hawaiians agreed to accept the U.S. Constitution. There would be no more monarchy and no more separate government or sovereignty for Native Hawaiians.
* Congress does not possess the authority to extend tribal recognition to Native Hawaiians under the Indian Commerce Clause (Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution).
* The United States Commission on Civil Rights strongly opposes H.R. 2314. Yesterday, on February 22, 2010, members of the Commission sent this letter to House leadership, opposing the substance of the bill as well as the manner in which it’s being brought to a vote.
* The contrived “tribe” would be a fraud. According to the bill, a Native Hawaiian is anyone of the “indigenous, native people of Hawaii” who is a “direct lineal descendant of the aboriginal, indigenous, native people.” So, you don’t even have to live in Hawaii or ever had any affiliation with Native Hawaiian culture, language, or politics. All you need is one drop of the right kind of blood!
* It is unconstitutional and against the law to divide the American people solely on account of race or ethnicity, as stated by the 15th Amendment. In Rice v. Cayetano, the Supreme Court stated, “One of the reasons race is treated as a forbidden classification is that it demeans the dignity and worth of a person to be judged by ancestry instead of by his or her own merit and essential qualities.”
* This bill is inherently racially discriminatory. The people under the jurisdiction of this new government wouldn’t even be defined by geography, community or cultural cohesiveness, but by race alone.
* Increases federal bureaucracy by creating a 9-member panel to decide who qualifies as a “native” Hawaiian.
* H.R. 2314 Balkanizes U.S. citizens in all 50 states. Different laws would be enforced for different races within the same community. H.R. 2314 would exempt the new race-based government entity from state laws, allow them to set their own civil and possibly criminal jurisdictions apart from the state of Hawaii, and take ownership of lands currently own by the state.
* H.R. 2314 gives the new entity “inherent powers” and would remove state authority. This means that under H.R. 2314, a Native Hawaiian business owner could be exempt from a state sales tax while his non-Native Hawaiian competitor down the street is not and is required to pay.
* Sets a divisive precedent that could be used by other ethnic groups seeking similar recognition.
* Does not assure that the new race-based government will be democratic. This bill gives Native Hawaiians “self-determination” to choose total independence or any other form of government.
* Provides no procedure, avenue, or option to enable Hawaiians to decide if they even want to authorize this race-based government in our midst.
* Money appears to be the motivation for this legislation. The bill ensures that the new Native Hawaiian government can negotiate gambling rights with the state of Hawaii and the federal government.
Although the bill has only 9 co-sponsors in the House, two of whom are Republicans-Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4th) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK)-the liberal Democrat leadership promised Rep. Abercrombie that they would guarantee a vote on his legislation before he resigns his seat on February 28, 2010. The last time this bill received a vote in the House, it passed with flying colors by a vote of 261 to 153 (Roll Call 1000, 110th Congress-1st session). Thankfully, former President George W. Bush issued a veto threat and the legislation died after passing the House, but with a liberal controlled Congress and White House, we need to let our representatives know that both the grassroots and a vast majority of the Hawaiian population opposes H.R. 2314!
Native Hawaiians should not be treated as a separate racial group, but as American citizens, just like the rest of us! H.R. 2314 is nothing short of a giant step back to the stone age of race relations-it is wrong, racist, and offensive to our U.S. Constitution and to our national ideal of equal justice for all.
(H/T Dot)
Now, one more element to throw into the mix; the money and the Bishop Trust. Ever wonder why the native hawaiians complain about their standard of living? This trust might be the reason why. Emphasis from this point on is mine.
Hawaii’s Royal Land Trust is Violated
Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement & Political Manipulation at America’s Largest Charitable Trust
Who would have known that one of the best follow-the-money courtroom thrillers was not to be found on the fiction shelves, but rather in the non-fiction section? The true story of the modern plundering of Hawaii’s Bishop Estate Charitable Trust, described as “a world record for breaches of trust,” has elements most novelists couldn’t devise. Just when you think the only thing missing from this account of avarice, arrogance, corruption and deception is sex, we get lewd acts in a public rest room, no less, as well as strip clubs called Saigon Passion and suicide pacts.
Telling this drama with an admirable level of clarity, accuracy and deliberation are co-authors Samuel P. King, a retired U.S. District Court judge, and Randall W. Roth, a prior professor at the University of Hawai’i Law School. The authors provide historical background and financial conext for the machine that is at the center of the tempest, the Bishop Trust. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop was a descendant of the royal Kamehameha blood line in Hawaii. In the late 19th century, she inherited most of the consolidated royal land holdings in the islands, constituting hundreds of thousands of acres, and became the largest landowner and the richest woman in the kingdom. In 1884, nine years before the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, she died leaving instructions in her will for a trust to be established to build and maintain schools giving preference to Hawaiians “to make good and industrious men and women.” Bishop appointed five trustees by name, ironically all of them haole, or white.
In little more than three generations, due to wildly escalating land values and favorable leases, the Bishop Trust grew to be the nation’s wealthiest, according to the Wall Street Journal. The value in the neighborhood of $10 billion was greater than the endowments of Harvard and Yale universities combined. The trust owned a big chunk of Goldman Sachs, the investment banking goliath, in addition to multiple other corporations. The Kamehameha Schools created by the trust were among Hawaii’s elite.
Those who were fortunate enough to obtain a trustee position got a taste of royal treatment. They were the highest paid trustees in the country, their decisions received complete deference, they functioned without oversight, they made no public accountings and they were never removed from the board. “From time to time Mainland newspapers and magazines printed stories on Bishop Estate,” the authors tell us. “Reporters would come to Hawai’i for a few days, a week or two at most, and go away shaking their heads. Every article they wrote covered basically the same ground: the huge size of Bishop Estate, the concentration of land, money, and power it represented, its reach, its connections with other sources of power, its penchant for secrecy, and its disdain for outsiders. The articles all seemed to be reports of strange happenings in a faraway place… The tone was one of amazement that such an obvious and extreme situation had apparently been going on unchallenged in Hawai’i for a long time.” In contrast, local media coverage was submissive. “Anyone who wanted to get ahead in Hawai’i assiduously avoided being viewed as a critic, or even associating with the relatively few outsopken critics,” write King and Roth.
Traditionally, the trustees appointed were high ranking businessmen and descendants of missionaries who conformed to a decorous level of behavior. That all changed in 1993. The absolute power of trusteeship corrupted absolutely when the unregulated system of political pay-off allowed at least four new members to take the reins of trusteeship who were entirely lacking in qualifications, demeanor, ability and character. Their abuses ran the gamut from making under-informed high risk investments, rewarding cronies with no-bid contracts, hoarding trust assets, committing conflict of interest by speculating personal money in trust investments, paying themselves excessive compensation, to using trust staff for personal purposes and enjoying private travel on trust money. The Kamehameha Schools, the primary concern of the trust, began to suffer. One of the members, the first female trustee in Bishop history, meddled so intrusively and abusively in school operation that those staff members she didn’t reduce to tears resigned with heavy hearts.
Hawaiians are not naturally given to public protest, but by 1997 they were frustrated enough with the attitude and ineptitude of the board of trustees that they organized a massive march upon the Bishop Trust headquarters to show dissatisfaction. The local Star-Bulletin newspaper published an in-depth article that was the seedling sprout of this book, outlining the trustees’ failures. King and Roth build tension and suspense by describing how the trustees react to the tightening grip of at least four separate civil and criminal investigations. Subpoenas fly, surveillance photos are snapped, phones are bugged, tires are slashed, judges cry in court, suicide factors in. The IRS swoops in like a huge predatory bird and threatens to revoke the trust’s tax exempt status, which would cripple the schools. Is paradise lost?
The book does not contain a map of the acreage in Bishop Trust and such a visual aid would have been helpful in appreciating the vastness of the holdings. The authors do not provide figures on the number of students enrolled or the amount of faculty at the Kamehameha Schools, but general estimates can be extraplolated from other references. These criticisms are minor and outweighed by the intelligent placement of the numerous photographs and political cartoons utilized throughout at the corresponding passages of the text, rather than grouped together in a centralized gallery as in most books. This presentation is reader friendly. Kudos for the superior index, which is a necessary tool for keeping tabs on the hefty cast of characters here.
“Broken Trust” ends with such irony, it seems that even King and Roth can hardly believe it. If the measure of tragedy is how far the mighty can fall, then this story is enormous. It is important to remember that the catalyst of it all was the perception that Hawaiian children were being compromised through the gift of their royal family, the Kamehameha Schools. A quote from the book says, “You know, we Hawaiians are kind of funny. You can waste or even steal our money, that’s one thing. But when you hurt our children, that’s something altogether different.”
More From LogisticsMonster
- Obama NOT Born in Hawaii
- White House Ignores Israeli Intelligence
- Mr. pResident, Stop Whining! You Are Embarrassing America Again!!!
LogisticsMonster Recommends
- Amnesty for Illegal Aliens... Again! (faultlineusa)
- Obama’s House of Cards (WesternFront America)
- Pat Condell Condemns Cordoba House (WesternFront America)







The native Hawaiian’s could end up with a “glowing” reservation in Utah (were the Fed gov owns most of the land) or a picturesque parcel in northern Montana – they would get to learn about snow.
wrong, the land that hawaiians will get are throughly 130,000 acres of land that were promised to them but never given. For the people claiming this bill is racist . . . it was racism and greed that drove a few dozen white men with rifles and the backing of U.S. marines that overthrew the monarchy of the queen. And it was racism along the lines of what you people did to blacks with the passing of the grandfather clause that fixed the vote for annexation and state hood. How dare you steal you from us then call it racism when we ask for what is rightfully ares back. Pretty soon, we wont be asking anymore, we’ll just take it.
Interesting…. Must not be a truebornhawaiian.
People need to do more research on the history of the Hawaiian people before they make comments. The true ruler of the Hawaiian islands was illegally imprisoned by a group of white american missionary families that acted to protect their own interests in the islands. These white americans formed a makeshift government and this illegal government, which President Cleveland, ordered to disband and reinstate the Queen, Queen Liliuokalani, pushed for annexation on their own. They were supported by the US military, Navy to be precise. This military action by the US government led to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Government, which had international treaties, with many countries including the united states of america. We all know that Hawaii, and its natural harbors and mid-Pacific location, provide great military areas and this was the driving force for the movement that led to the state that the Hawaiian people are in now, think about the military activities of the u.s.a. at the time…hmmm coincidence I donʻt think so. Greed. If you donʻt believe me look it up, itʻs all there. This is not about being anti-american, itʻs about the history. And if you are looking for the truth make sure the author is not a bias one. I would give sources, like Mililani Trask, Kanalu Young, and Keanu Sai, but I feel that it is better for people to choose their own way to truth.