Posted by Uncle Charlie on January 15, 1998 at 20:55:53:
This Press Release was sent to Gov. Ben Cayetano and all the members of the House of Representitive and Senate.
REP. ED CASE, A "NEW MISSIONARY"
I would like to submit this as an open letter to the Speaker of the House, Mr. Joe Souki and the members of the House of Representatives. The 'Autonomy bill' that will be introduced in the upcoming legislature has all the 'fixings' of a bill, which was introduced in the 1840's called the "Great Mahele". This bill alienated the Native Hawaiians from their land and allowed the missionaries and their families to "acquire" vast land holdings. That Act, eventually set the stage for the 'Illegal Overthrow, Annexation, and Statehood Act.
There are many of you in the house of Representative that are intelligent and can see the implications this bill will have. It does not only try to rewrite a federal mandate enacted in 1920 (The Hawaiian Homes Act.), but distributes the lands while ignoring the intent of the bill. It is an affront to the memory of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, the author of the Hawaiian Homes Act. Prince Kuhio who was a personal friend of my father, admitted that he was very dissatisfied with the outcome of the Bill, because the "Sugar" and Pineapple people lobbied congress to include the worst lands for the act that was unfit for agricultural purposes. Now with Ed Case's bill, its adding insult to injury.
The blood quantum issue is a very divisive issue and a product of the U.S. Congress. Being Kanaka Maoli is in the koko (blood). Either you have the koko (blood), or your koko-ole (no blood). This is the true Hawaiian way and because these issues involve Kanaka Maoli, their intent should be honored.
What Mr. Case is creating by his bill is actually a "reservation for Hawaiians", controlled by the legislature and the Governor of Hawaii. It is a sad interpretation of the word "Autonomy". This bill intends to "strip" all semblance of self-determination and completely abolishes our right to the 1.8 million acres of trust lands. It attempts to negate all our past & future rights we have against the Federal and State governments. It tries to ignore the recommendations of a report that, the Hawaii Advisory Committee to the U.S Civil Rights commission authored called "Broken Trust", 70 years of mismanagement by the State and Federal Government.
If this bill were to set up a Sovereign entity, giving the Hawaiians the power to own and manage the natural resources of Hawaii, it would make sense. The State of Hawaii would release to this "enti