Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 04, 1 April 2003 — National civil liberties group supports Hawaiian recognition bill [ARTICLE]

National civil liberties group supports Hawaiian recognition bill

Members urged to contact Congress to support the rights of Native Hawaiians The Japanese Amenean Citizens League (JACL), the nation's oldest and largest Asian Pacific American civil rights organization, reaffirmed its support for Native Hawaiian self-determination by submitting testimony to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on March 20. Both the national organization and the Honolulu chapter provided testimony in support of S. 344, as introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), and urged Congress to act on the legislation. "The JACL recognizes Native Hawaiians as an aboriginal, indigenous and native people with a unique history and trust relationship with the

United States," stressed the national organization in its testimony. "Accordingly, we urge the United States Congress and President to recognize the political status of Hawaiians as a native people, and provide for the implementation of reconciliation efforts between the federal government and Native Hawaiians in accordance with Public Law 103-150." Commented JACL Honolulu Chapter President, Susan Kitsu, "This issue deserves the attention of Congress because it has been neglected for far too long. Although our nation apologized to Native Hawaiians ten years ago for the terrible wrong that they suffered, we must now provide further assistance by establishing a process and mechanism through whieh the indigenous people of these islands ean exercise their right to selfdetermination."

The National Council of the JACL has long supported the rights of Native Hawaiians, having adopted several major resolutions over the past 20 years during national conventions in 1984, 1986, 1992 and 2000. During the 1984 National Convention, delegates representing members throughout the country adopted a resolution urging Congress to acknowledge the illegal and immoral actions of the United States and to provide restitution for losses and damages suffered by Native Hawaiians as a result of these wrongful actions, and most recently during the 2000 National Convention, the National Council called for legislation formally recognizing the political relationship between Native Hawaiians and the U.S. government in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Rice v. Cayetano. ■