Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 4, 1 April 2016 — Federal Recognition or Independence? Whither Thou Goest? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Federal Recognition or Independence? Whither Thou Goest?

n a recent conversation with a beneficiary I asked if we could discuss the 'Aha (gathering) and she surprised me by asking "whieh 'Aha are you referring to?" 0f course, I meant the 'Aha that had convened in February in a 20-day session and emerged with a "Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation." She pointed out that there was another 'Aha being pursued by those who were not happy with the Constitution produced by the first 'Aha, apparently because they thought the

draft constitution leaned heavily toward federal recognition. While there is explicit language in the draft constitution that states the Nation has the right to selfdetermination, including but not limited to, the right to determine the poliheal status of the nation, meaning independence is not ruled out as an option - for the supporters of independence, federal recognition is not an option. Further, advocates of federal recognition are branded as traitors. Heavy duty stuff. They are right about one thing - there is no middle ground. Discussion is futile and the exchanges are volatile. It conjures up the epie Battle of Kuamo'o. King Kamehameha II (Liholiho) had ordered the old religion to be abolished. The edict was opposed by his cousin Kekuaokalani, who staged a revolt. The two armies met on the now historic battlefield of Kuamo'o. Lihiliho prevailed. The old temples were destroyed and religious rituals and laws were abolished. Hawaiian civilization was forever changed. The battle of federal recognition vs. independence will mark the same profoundly defining moment for Hawaiians as we move deeper into the 21st century. Whichever way it goes, it will change the socio-cul-tural-political standing for Hawaiians and the relationship between Hawaiians and the rest of Hawai'i. Back to the 'Aha that produced the Constitution of the Native Hawaiian Nation. What's next? Well, it's an irony that neither

the draft constitution nor the 'Aha and those who participated have any political standing - but - the constitution and its supporters have heeome the center of poliīieal gravity for the issue of federal recognition versus independence. I would agree with the Hawaiian Nationals that the language of the draft constitution does appear intentionally weighted toward pursuit of federal recognition. And the next step toward legitimizing that document is to stage a gov-ernment-free ratification vote of

eligible Native Hawaiian voters. If ratified, it would then sprout wings as the will of the Hawaiian people having been demonstrated and subjected to a verifiable democratic process. I don't believe it a stretch for me to assume that the Hawaiian Nationals, joined by a strange group of political bedfellows identified as the Grassroots Institute of Hawai'i, who are opposed to any form of political self-determination for Native Hawaiians, will pull out all the stops to stop any ratification effort. As the next chapter of Hawaiian Nationhood unfolds, I would think that the Hawaiian Nationals, besides launching an all-out attack on a ratification vote, would do something constructive like produce a constitution of its own for people to eonsider. That is, to better spend their time being for something than bogged down in being against everything they don't agree with. A constitution crafted to paint a picture as to what an Independent Hawaiian Nahon would look like in the 21 st Century would be a mueh more productive way to further their argument and perhaps lead to a movement to offset their constitution against the federal recognition friendly Proposal and therefore provide a clear ehoiee for Native Hawaiians. ■

a LEO 'ELELE v www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org S TRUSTEE MESSSAGES f NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS

PetEr Apo

TrustEE, O'ahu