A vote in the US Senate on allowing Native Hawaiians to form their own government could come this month following a deal between Hawai`i's Democratic senators and Republican Governor Linda Lingle.
When changes were made, Lingle withdrew her support of the so-called Akaka Bill, named after Senator Daniel Akaka, who introduced the measure.
Senator Daniel Inouye said yesterday that Lingle will support the Native Hawaiian recognition measure after changes are made to the bill clarifying that a Hawaiian government would not have sovereign authority until after negotiations are completed.
"After a thorough review of the State’s most recent proposal, I determined that the changes will not diminish the bill’s intent to establish a federally recognized government-to-government relationship with the United States.
"I believe these changes will help secure additional votes in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and receive an up-or-down vote on the bill. We need to act quickly to ensure the bill passes the Senate and is signed into law this year.
"I remain optimistic that the United States will finally extend federal recognition to Native Hawaiians and end over a century of inequality in its treatment of its indigenous peoples," Akaka said.
