Posted on 08/17/2005 4:29:00 PM PDT by kaehurowing
Native Hawaiians Seek Self-governing Body
NPR Transcript, Aug. 16, 2005
By National Public Radio, 8/17/2005 8:22:38 AM
Editor's Note: Here is the complete National Public Radio transcript from Aug. 16, 2005 with Anchor Steve Inskeep, Reporter Martin Kaste and various guests.
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
Congress is considering legislation that would give native Hawaiians their own government. It would essentially grant them political status similar to that of Native American tribes. Here's NPR's Martin Kaste.
(Soundbite of surf; birds)
MARTIN KASTE reporting:
You'll find no more potent symbol of Hawaiian independence than 'Iolani Palace, a Victorian-style mansion in downtown Honolulu.
Ms. ZETA KUPCHOY(ph) (Tour Guide): 'Iolani Palace is the last official residence of the monarchs who ruled Hawaii.
KASTE: When Zeta Kupchoy gives tours of the palace, she points out the corner suite where Hawaii's last monarch, Queen Lilioukalani, was imprisoned after her overthrow in 1893. The coup against the queen was organized by American businessmen backed by the US Marines. Kupchoy says the palace is a reminder of what was lost.
Ms. KUPCHOY: We were an independent nation, recognized internationally by over 70 different nations, and that's the symbolism, that we were a proud country all our own. We were our own country.
KASTE: Today, the old Hawaiian national flag, which is now the state flag, flies again from the palace roof. The US flag is conspicuous by its absence, and the palace grounds have become a rallying place for native Hawaiians.
(Soundbite of man chanting)
KASTE: Earlier this month, thousands came out to protest a recent appeals court decision striking down the Hawaiians-only admissions policy at a prominent private school. Illegal racial bias, the judges said. The problem is favoring natives is the whole point of the Kamehameha Schools, which are funded by the estate of a 19th-century princess who wanted to help her fellow natives.
And she wasn't the only one. After the overthrow, the old Hawaiian royalty often used its lands to set up institutions to benefit natives, but in 21st century America, this ethnic exclusivity has come under attack in the courts. Natives, who are now only about 20 percent of the state population, worry that their special institutions are in danger of being swallowed up, and that's where the Akaka Bill comes in.
Senator DANIEL AKAKA (Democrat, Hawaii): It creates a government-to-government relationship with the United States. KASTE: Democratic Senator Dan Akaka, himself a native, wants Congress to let Hawaiians re-establish their national identity. He says his bill would give them a kind of legal parity with tribal governments on the mainland, but he says this sovereignty could eventually go further, perhaps even leading to outright independence.
Sen. AKAKA: That could be. As far as what's going to happen at the other end, I'm leaving it up to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
KASTE: The native Hawaiian bill leaves many important details unresolved. Once established, the new governing entity is supposed to negotiate with the U.S. to settle major issues such as legal jurisdiction and land ownership. It even puts off defining who would qualify as a citizen of the native nation. The bill's vagueness alarms some non-natives such as Dick Roland.
Mr. DICK ROWLAND (The Grassroot Institute): It's empty, and it's got an enormous sucking machine in it that is going to suck in there all these people and all this land and so forth.
KASTE: Rowland, who moved to Hawaii three decades ago, is the president of a local public policy group called The Grassroot Institute which has opposed the bill. One of his collaborators is attorney Bill Burgess, who's argued in court against the preferences for natives.
Mr. BILL BURGESS (Attorney): Creating a new nation and giving the citizens of that nation political privilege that other citizens don't have, not to mention assets and all kinds of other privileges, that's all about inequality.
(Soundbite of birds)
KASTE: But for some native Hawaiians, the Akaka Bill doesn't go far enough.
Mr. BUMPY KANAHELE (Native Hawaiian): My Hawaiian name is U'u Koanoa(ph). Of course, the American name I've got, it's Bumpy Kanahele.
KASTE: Kanahele is a burly man who calls himself the head of the Nation of Hawaii. At the moment, his domain consists of a small village nestled in the shadow of green mountains on Oahu. The village also flies the flag of Hawaii, but it flies upside down as a sign of distress over what residents see as the illegal occupation by the United States. Kanahele is a prominent figure in the independence movement, which received a boost in 1993 when Congress formally apologized for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Kanahele says that apology opened what he calls a can of worms for the United States.
Mr. KANAHELE: They never thought that Hawaiians would take the road to restoring their independence. Well, what do you expect? You just admitted to a crime -- Right? -- the crime of the overthrow. KASTE: After the congressional apology, Kanahele says, native Hawaiians started to think seriously about independence, and he says the Akaka Bill is an attempt to divert natives toward more tribal-style sovereignty.
In Washington, the bill's prospects are unclear. The House passed a version back in 2000, but in the Senate, the bill has been stuck in an open-ended debate. Leaders say they'll try to get a vote on the legislation in September. The Justice Department has recommended a few changes, such as a safeguard for the U.S. military presence on the island, something the bill's supporters see as a positive step. They believe it means the White House is willing to accept some version of native Hawaiian self-government.
"Senator admits that his bill may eventually lead to independence for state..."
The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma may want to re-write the terms of soveregnty as well. A good portion of Oklahoma would have to secede of course. And as a separate nation would NOT be obliged to pay property or income tax to the US. Thank you.
Senator DANIEL AKAKA (Democrat, Hawaii): It creates a government-to-government relationship with the United States. KASTE: Democratic Senator Dan Akaka, himself a native, wants Congress to let Hawaiians re-establish their national identity. He says his bill would give them a kind of legal parity with tribal governments on the mainland, but he says this sovereignty could eventually go further, perhaps even leading to outright independence.
What about the other 80 percent of the citizenry and other minorities like the Japanese? Would the "country" end up like Puerto Rico or some Indian Reservation dependent on the other US taxpayers for goods and services? Questions that need answers.
Having said that, they are seeing what the hammer of the Federal government can do when they get involved with every aspect of everyday life, such as education of your children.
Okay, if they want to take their star off my flag, who's going to replace it? Canada? Mexico?
Darn! These choices suck!
When does the casino open? That's the real issue, I'm sure.
In the case of Hawaii, some group of them will probably demand one of the islands.
When the ChiComs come sailing within range of the Hawaiian Islands, and the flashbacks of another Oriental fleet attacking at dawn begins to haunt the natives, they'll be flying the Stars & Stripes and screaming for military assistance from Washington so fast, it will all become a blur. The economic and political "advantages" that a few seperatists may believe will blossom if Hawaii secedes will be far outweighed when they suddenly realize that all of Uncle Sam's cash and handouts go bye-bye, as does the U.S. military presence.
Ain't gonna happen. Not in our lifetimes, and probably not in the next.
Hawaii is a crime-ridden blue state. No big loss, except maybe for the Democrats. We can replace it with one of the Canadian provinces where the residents are still sane.
bumping "Bumpy" along..
Great so they can then be taken over by China who then won't need to build a carrier will they?
The Apology Resolution was another great piece of liberal legislation drawn up while Democrats were still in control of Congress, and 9/11 Bill was in the W.H. Its the same blindingly ignorant solution to a problem as what Sharon just did in Israel today. All it did was embolden the natives to want more, more, more. The WSJ article sets the record straight. Below is an excerpt.
http://opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007117
The Apology Resolution distorted historical truths. It falsely claimed that the U.S. participated in the wrongful overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani in 1893. The U.S. remained strictly neutral. It provided neither arms, nor economic assistance, nor diplomatic support to a band of Hawaiian insurgents, who prevailed without firing a single shot, largely because neither the Native Hawaiian numerical majority nor the queen's own government resisted the end of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The queen authored her own ouster by planning a coup against the Hawaii Constitution to recapture monarchical powers that had been lost in a strong democratic current. She later confided to Sen. George Hoar that annexation to the U.S. was the best thing that could have happened to Native Hawaiians.
Yep, there's nothing more "Hawaiian" than a Victorian Mansion.
"Yep, there's nothing more "Hawaiian" than a Victorian Mansion."
Except of course, the Hawaiian flag dating from the days of the Kingdom, which imitates both the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes. (The reason was to give other countries pause before attacking Hawaiian Kingdom vessels or refusing them entry in their ports, not knowing whether they were in fact British or American ships.)
I think China may be behind this.
The Weekly World News recently reported that Bush was considering selling Hawaii to Japan or China (can't remember which) to balance the trade deficit.
You can't get any more reliable than the Weekly World News.
Secession is fine. Less pork to spend and fewer votes for liberals. The problem is they would stop short of total independence so they could continue to receive tax dollars and influence federal elections.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.