HAWAIIANS PROTEST FEDERAL RECOGNITION!
Here's The Statement Read Before The Office Of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees July 7th By The Hui Pu.
If You Agree, Contact OHA Today And Let Them Know How You Feel -
http://www.oha.org/cat_content.asp?contentid=17&catid=26
The State Office of Hawaiian Affairs has spent millions of dollars over the last few years to promote the passage of federal recognition legislation in the US Congress.
Lobbyists were hired, offices were established in Washington DC, and extensive efforts were undertaken to persuade the Kanaka Maoli people of the attractiveness of this legislation.
These actions have been undertaken in contradiction to the successful protests of our kupuna in 1897 against the annexation of Hawai`i by the United States, and is a renegade action taken against future generations.
We come here today, as those who have not forgotten nor will ever surrender our indelible relationship to this 'aina and nation, to remember the words of our Queen Lili'uokalani. She wrote that "to ignore the voice of the people is to ignore the voice of God."
The unilateral, renegade actions undertaken by the State Office of Hawaiian Affairs have prevented the diverse voices of opposition, confusion, or support from being heard.
We demand that the silencing of our people be ended. The voices of our lahui must be heard.
We have two principal demands.
1) We demand balanced representation of diverse views. This Office, using state employees, on state time, and with state resources has solicited signatures for newspaper advertisements promoting the passage of the federal Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005 (NHGRA.)
We demand that a balanced statement opposing the NHGRA be published in the Hawai`i daily newspapers. The community is not united in support for the NHGRA; this State Office should, therefore, be balanced in its representations.
Moreover, the public website that this State Office is utilizing to manufacture consent for the NHGRA is one-sided, offering only the option of supporting the bill, but not its rejection.
This is reminiscent of the 1959 statehood vote, which offered our people two options of integration under U.S. rule, and nothing else.
Our people deserve the option of opposing the bill.
2) We demand that the people's voices be heard.
The Congressional Delegation has not complied with requests to hold hearings in Hawai`i on the NHGRA, in spite of the fact that the bill has changed significantly since hearings half a decade ago.
Likewise, the leadership of the Hawai`i State Legislature has also refused to provide a forum for public concerns to be aired. We the people have not had a clear presentation from the congressional offices on this bill, on our soil, nor have we had an opportunity to express our opinions.
As trust beneficiaries of this State Office, we call on the Trustees to immediately convene hearings, to be held throughout Hawai`i Nei, for the voices of our people to be heard at this critical time.
Moreover, the Trustees should notify the US Congress that no vote should be taken on this measure until such time as the people have had a chance to address the legislation at public hearings.
Mahalo and Aloha `Aina.
