Hawaii-Nation Sovereignty: Out of sight, not out of mind

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>hawaii-nation >[hawaii-nation] Sovereignty: Out of

sight, not out of mind >Wed, 12 Jun 2002 21:50:26 -1000 > >

>http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jun/09/op/op06a.html > >

>Posted on: Sunday, June 9, 2002 > >COMMENTARY >Sovereignty: Out of sight, not

out of mind > >By John Griffin > > >Hawaiian sovereignty has been almost a

stealth issue in recent >months. It may emerge bigger this election year, but

so far, it has >been off the hot-button list. > >Various reasons are advanced.

Among them: > >* Sovereignty was at least a temporary casualty of the Sept. 11

>attacks and subsequent war on terrorism. "With Americans caught in a >wave of

patriotism, it's hard to get a focus on our claims," said one >sovereignty

advocate. > >* Court action by anti-sovereignty groups has been so successful

that >some fear that present entitlements, such as the Office of Hawaiian

>Affairs, homestead lands and special social programs, could be >endangered

along with any further rights. A new court case will be >heard in coming

months. > >* The Akaka bill, which many hope will protect present entitlements

>as well as allow more, is stalled in Congress, with fading hope for >passage.

It is opposed by those against sovereignty and attacked by >some Hawaiians, who

feel U.S. rule of the Islands remains as illegal >as the 1893 overthrow of the

monarchy. > >* In this political year, candidates have focused more on pressing

>issues such as education, the economy and personality politics. Last >weekend's

state Democratic Party convention seemed preoccupied with >pep talks and what to

do after Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris' >withdrawal from the governor's race. >

>* Political bickering among Hawaiians, in OHA and elsewhere, has >turned off

many people. Not only is there no clear consensus on the >future, there's no

agreement on how to look for it. "We need a strong >leader with a clear,

acceptable vision," one activist said. > >Still, in talking to a dozen or so

people on various sides of the >sovereignty issue, I was impressed that more is

going on than meets >the general public's eye. > >For example, independence

advocate Poka Laenui points to quiet >meetings on related social issues and how

younger Hawaiians are >getting involved in politics and government to work from

within. He >calls it "peaceful infiltration." He and others also are active in

>bringing the case for Hawaiian self-determination before the United >Nations

and other world bodies. > >Others talked of Hawaiians moving toward the

Republican Party and >maybe becoming a swing vote in November's election. Some

leaders say >they will urge favored candidates to take a stand on Hawaiian

rights. > >OHA Chairwoman Haunani Apoliona says the 2-year-old Council for

>Native Hawaiian Advancement i modeled after an Alaska organization i >will

hold a broad conference in September. OHA, which has >"nationhood" as one of

its goals, has five seats vacant in the coming >election in which non-Hawaiians

are now allowed to vote. > >A group concerned with promoting more dialogue

between Hawaiians and >non-Hawaiians is planning a new "open space" approach.

That will >involve larger numbers of people and encouraging new groups to form

>around specific issues. > >Hawaiian education is getting more attention,

including at the >University of Hawai'i. There, Hawaiian studies professor Jon

> >Osorio says the various arguments on sovereignty are interesting and

>important, "but most important is for Hawaiians to know why the >arguments are

made, and what the choices are." > >Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele - known as a

militant for urging Waikiki >tourists to go home and occupying beach land at

Makapu'u in the early >1990s - now sees economic independence and education as

more >immediately important than politics for Hawaiians. > >Kanahele's Nation

of Hawai'i group still has 100 people living in >modest homes on 45 orderly

acres of state-leased land in Waimanalo. >But his emphasis is on broader-based

programs for economic >realignment, including plans for two banks (51 percent

>Hawaiian-owned) on Maui and O'ahu. > >So much goes on. You can get some idea

by typing in "Hawaiian >sovereignty" on any Web search site such as or

Google. That >brings an array of Web sites, including those of anti-sovereignty

>organizations. > >And yet vital decisions remain on form and approach. Among

the possibilities: > >* Full independence, with or without restoration of the

monarchy. >This could be exclusive, meaning for Hawaiians only, or inclusive of

>non-Hawaiians, with or without dual citizenship. Independence as a >long-term

goal does not rule out another status first. > >* Nation within a nation. This

could give Hawaiians limited >self-government, more land to control, and status

akin to American >Indian tribes or Alaska's Inuit. The Akaka bill would move in

this >direction. > >* Free Association. This would be similar to the status of

some parts >of Micronesia, which govern themselves but let Washington control

>defense and other foreign affairs in return for financial and other >benefits.

Few advocate this now. > >* Anti-sovereignty groups would have Hawaiians treated

like any other >Americans in what some call a color-blind approach. This issue

will >play out in court cases, possibly in passage of the Akaka bill in >some

form, and in Hawai'i public opinion. > >* Nobody I talked with advocated

violence, and most said it was not >in the collective Hawaiian character today.

But one said, "There >could be bloodshed if Hawaiian land is threatened." > >And

a woman activist mentioned that "in the early 1990s, there was a >group training

with guns." > >I asked Kanahele about the possibility of violence back then. He

said >several men approached him. "They thought I was headed in that >direction

and were pissed off when I didn't approve ... I'm for 100 >percent aloha." >

>There it sits, then, an issue that has been subdued yet won't go away. > >My

own feelings go like this: > >I think it's wrong to screw people out of their

independent >nation-state, which is what happened with the 1893 overthrow by a

>small group of non-Hawaiian residents with the aid of the U.S. >minister and

American troops. The 1993 apology bill enacted by >Congress has it right. >

>Some form of redress is in order. It's now up to Hawaiians to decide >what

they want. But that has to be something acceptable to most of >the other people

in Hawai'i. Independence as a distant possibility >doesn't bother me, if that is

what all the people want. With >globalization and possible confederations, our

nation and world may >look much different before this century is over. > >I

have respect for the intentions, emotions and legal skills of some >sovereignty

opponents. They have won some important court battles. >But I don't share the

view that sovereignty demands are essentially >racist (even though some

Hawaiians have race-based attitudes). > >This is not like a minority issue,

giving special rights to African >Americans, Latinos or Asian Americans. It's

about a nation taken >away, and also about a culture smashed. Hawaiians may not

be exactly >the same as American Indians with their various tribes, but

Hawaiians >are akin to other Native Americans Washington has recognized amid

>hundreds of treaties. > >Whether then-independent Hawai'i could have remained

uncolonized in >the jingoistic 19th century is an open question. Looking ahead,

I >honestly don't know if sovereignty would unite the Hawaiian people, >giving

them a purpose and strength many now see as lacking. There's >also a need for

something I would call "inner sovereignty," a drive >from within. Some

Hawaiians are working on that. > >But that's also beside the main point. The

point is that, while it >won't come soon or easy, Hawaiian sovereignty in some

acceptable form >should be a goal and should emerge as a matter of essential

justice. > >© COPYRIGHT 2002 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co.

Inc. > > > Note: the content of forwarded

messages reflects the opinion of > the authors, not necessarily that of the

list maintainers. >

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