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Home Front: Politix
Hawaiian Tribal Act
2005-06-23
Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) has introduced a bill called the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, S.147. Akaka wants to extend the government's policy of self-governance and self-determination to Native Hawaiians. He, and fellow Hawaiian Senator Inouye intend to do this by creating a race-based and racially separate government for Native Hawaiians. Under S. 147 Native Hawaiians would be under the federal Indian law system and would be designated as a "tribe." This new race-based government would have jurisdiction over 20 percent of Hawaii's citizens as well as 400,000 citizens nationwide...
The author is strongly opposed. However, while I wouldn't want to put anybody under the jurisdiction of the BIA, the Hawaiians have been in a legal black hole for far too long.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#12  Ward Churchill: Diamondhead is nasty. It's just an extinct and weathered deserty volcano. Sure, it's near Waikiki, but near isn't in. (Waikiki, BTW, is nasty in its own right, think Rodeo Drive but with a lower class of shoulder-to-shoulder Yuppie.)
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-06-23 20:48  

#11  No problem, as long as General Sheridan and the cavalry are also brought back.
Posted by: ed   2005-06-23 18:10  

#10  So, we Americans are now taking a crack at "devolution." Not to hard to guess where that's going to take us over the next 100 or so years, is it?
Posted by: Secret Master   2005-06-23 16:10  

#9  You be frickin' manini haole, kolohe.
Posted by: .Pele   2005-06-23 15:16  

#8  I self proclaim that I am a Native Hawaiian. Now Hand over Diamond Head, you oppressive white devil-thingy!
Posted by: Ward Churchill   2005-06-23 15:00  

#7  Bobby__ you're so naive. I had the dubious pleasure of listening to the head of the local "Re-instituted Hawaiian Government" (we want it all back now) mouthing off at a restaurant on 9/12/2001, saying how he was sorry the "Americans" had been hit but it wasn't any skin off their nose.

Posted by: Clavique Joque3590   2005-06-23 14:05  

#6  If Hawaii gets this, look for Puerto Rico to hold another vote on becoming a state with an eye towards claiming to be an "indian tribe".
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2005-06-23 13:10  

#5  Waitaminute! I thought the Hawaiian VOTED to join the US? I know the Native Americans were drafted.
Posted by: Bobby   2005-06-23 12:57  

#4  Given that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is so efficient and of enourmous benefit to American Indians, why not do the same for native Hawaiians?
Posted by: VRWconspiracy   2005-06-23 12:36  

#3  Indians still get tribal bennies when they are off the res. There are really three classes: permanent resident, permanent off-res, and back-and-forth. Things like going to school, joining the military, off-res employment too far to commute, etc. The law is distinctly different, too. Felonies on the res are federal court, lesser are tribal court, even for non-res non-indians. Civil disputes are based in mostly federal law, not State. What is in this for the Hawaiians, is first, that they get the equivalent of a tribal government, which should address purely native issues. Second, they should get some kind of reservation, possibly one on each of the islands, just for their own use (also, so they don't get priced out of their own homes.) This reservation can easily come out of federal lands on the islands, of which there is an abundance, especially on the Big Island and Kauai. Empty and isolated, but with fresh water, some arable land, and almost no people. If done properly, it would do the Hawaiians a world of good and wouldn't infringe on the non-native residents of the State.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-06-23 11:59  

#2  400,000 nationwide?

Even the uppity Plains tribes don't try and claim jurisdiction over their people when they're off the rez. What's this crap?
Posted by: mojo   2005-06-23 11:42  

#1  What about the rest of the country? Are we in a legal black hole too?
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-06-23 11:24  

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