HELP STOP THE AKAKA BILL
Hearings To Be Held This Thursday
Help stop the Akaka bill today by submitting testimony to the US Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
Cut and paste the example below. Email to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs - comments@indian.senate.gov testimony@indian.senate.gov
Here's The Sample Letter To Use -
August 2009
Committee on Indian Affairs
U.S. Senate
838 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
RE - OPPOSITION TO S.1011 - Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009
Dear Senators Dorgan, Barrasso and Members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,
I thank you for allowing me to submit this testimony in OPPOSITION to S.1011, which seeks to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process of the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity.
I OPPOSE S.1011: Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009 because -
Lack of hearings held in Hawai`i that would allow the Hawaiian people to present testimony on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act.
In 2000, only two (2) days of hearings were held on O`ahu Island. All other hearings were cancelled.
The current and past bills addressing the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians to provide a process of the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity were subsequently redrafted and amendments were added with no input or testimony from the Hawaiian people.
Therefore no hearings have ever been held in Hawai`i on the current legislation before the 2009 Congress.
The Hawaiian people seek the right to a fair and democratic process that includes hearings on S.1011 throughout the islands that comprise the state of Hawai`i.
For 9 years, Hawaiians have requested that the island wide hearings be rescheduled so that the hundreds of Hawaiians who want to testify can be included and their concerns heard.
The effort being pursued in the US Congress violates the most fundamental principles of democracy and human rights.
I call for the Congressional Committee to hold hearings on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act in Hawai`i to provide the Hawaiian peoples their right to participate in the process and to seek amendments to the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act.
Therefore, I strongly urge you to OPPOSE S.1011 until Congressional hearings are scheduled and held in Hawai`i on all islands, and in all States on the US continent where a significant population of Hawaiians reside, in order to provide the Hawaiian peoples their right to a democratic fair, free, and impartial process of self-determination and to empower them with the ability to determine the culturally appropriate mechanism for their own self-governance.
Mahalo nui loa,
Your Name
Address
Then Email Your Letter To All Committee Members -
Just Click On The Names For the Links
DEMOCRATS -
Byron Dorgan - Chairman - ND
Daniel Inouye - HI
Kent Conrad - ND
Daniel Akaka - HI
Tim Johnson - SD
Maria Cantwell - WA
John Tester - MT
Tom Udall - NM
Al Franken - MN - E-mail - info@franken.senate.gov
REPUBLICANS -
John Barrasso - Vices Chair -WY
John McCain - AZ
Lisa Murkowski - AK
Tom Coburn - OK
Mike Crapo - ID
Mike Johanns - NE
