MANA - MOVEMENT FOR ALOHA NO KA `AINA ON OHA & FEDERAL RECOGNITION
July 16, 2014
Between June 23 and July 8, the US Department of Interior held 15 hearings in Hawai`i seeking input from Kanaka Maoli on a possible a rule change in federal law that would allow for a government to government relationship with Native Hawaiians. Throughout these packed hearings we witnessed an outpouring of love and patriotism as testimony after testimony rejecting the proposed rule change, rejecting federal recognition and re-affirming over and over that the Kingdom of Hawai`i still exists as a subject of international law. And it is through international law that we expect to move forward to restore justice to our people, lands and government. The passion, love and knowledge expressed at these hearings was awe inspiring and have launched a new era of unified dedication to justice amongst our people.
We call on the Department of Interior and the Obama administration to move forward under the principles of democracy, heed the voice of the people of Hawaii and cease any further support for US federal recognition of Native Hawaiians, despite what efforts particular individuals who claim to represent our people may say or pushing to the contrary.
The Department of Interior called for hearings in Hawai`i after a number of back door meetings with representatives from OHA and a few other politicians who were in Washington pushing for federal recognition in violation of their own commitment to the Hawaiian people to facilitate a neutral process toward self-governance. OHA tried to be sneaky but unfortunately for them, what they sparked was a unified, democratic Hawaiian voice who gave a resounding no, no, no, to federal recognition.
After weeks of oral and written testimony in nearly unanimous opposition to federal recognition the only moral action for OHA to take is to abandon Act 195, the Kana`iolowalu roll and the pursuit of a governing entity as a 'governing entity' is only relevant to federal or state recognition. But we have learned that OHA is indeed proceeding with the status quo, proving that they do not represent the concerns and hopes of the Hawaiian community. The question then remains, who is OHA working for? Who do they represent? Why have they turned a deaf ear to the many voices of the people? Why have they abandoned their own publicly announced commitment to an open and neutral process, their own commitment to be “hands off”.
OHA might state they are obliged to the 125,000 on the Native Hawaiian roll, also known as Kana`iolowalu. We would remind OHA that they are obliged to all beneficiaries, 3/4 of whom chose not to sign up for the roll. We must also emphasize that 3/4 of the so called 125,000 names on the roll did not chose to be on the roll but rather were hijacked by Kana`iolowalu from other Native Hawaiian databases. In addition, many have found the names of deceased relatives who passed away before the roll was ever created and who the roll commission will not allow living loved ones to disenroll, this being one of the most egregious and deceptive flaws of the roll.
OHA cannot move forward with the corrupted and offensive native hawaiian roll and cannot move toward a so called governing entity. Doing so without any mandate or consent of the people is unprincipled and undemocratic. And it promotes division and disunity among our people and will only result in calls for escalated resistance, disengagement and direct action. MANA calls for a process of fair and open dialogue where every voice is heard and all opportunities for education is encouraged and where open, free dialogue and debate is required. We have full faith in our community to truly speak for themselves in a clear, educated and unified voice. OHA disregard for such demonstrates their own fear of the wishes and concerns of an educated lahui.
In closing, we want to acknowledge and thank everyone in the community who came out to speak at the Department of Interior hearings, no matter what side of the issue you took. under international law. Today we stand here as MANA, movement for aloha no ka `aina. Our message to the lahui is to remain steadfast! Heed the call of the Queen and onipa`a! We call on the lāhui to organize your families, your neighborhoods and your mokus. To hold your own public dialogues and educational forums. Continue to have full faith in yourselves, and in your communities and in the lāhui. We will continue to speak for ourselves in a clear, educated and unified voice. We know who we are. We are kanaka maoli, we are Hawaiian nationals. We are not Americans! The US has no legal authority over our nation and we will continue to challenge them to prove otherwise.
But we challenge OHA to have the same faith in our community.
We challenge OHA to put resources toward education that will bring to light the full range of options for the restoration of our government and assets that are available to us under international law. Stop campaigning and start educating!
And we challenge OHA to a public debate with other members of the community over our pathway forward.
E ola ka `aina, e ola Papahanaumoku, e ola Mauna Kea, e ola Moananuiakea, e ola na kupuna, e ola ka lahui Hawai`i, e ola ke aupuni Hawai`i. E ola! Aloha `Aina.
