Issue Position: Native Hawaiian Issues

Issue Position

Promoting Justice for Native Hawaiians

Among the diverse population of Hawai"i is a sizable Native Hawaiian community. Congresswoman Hirono is a champion for the rights and needs of Native Hawaiians and is working to make sure the government honors its obligations to Native Hawaiians.

Native Hawaiians are descendants of Polynesian settlers who arrived in the Hawaiian Islands hundreds of years before Europeans and Americans reached the islands.

The Kingdom of Hawai"i was established almost 200 years ago and was recognized as a sovereign government by the United States. In 1893, American businessmen, with the support of U.S. troops, overthrew the Kingdom of Hawai"i and deposed Queen Lili"uokalani. The U.S. annexed Hawai"i in 1898 despite opposition from the people of Hawai"i as expressed in petitions signed by approximately 2/3 of the Native Hawaiian population.

The overthrow of the sovereign Native Hawaiian government and the loss of Native Hawaiian lands led to the decline of Hawaiian culture. The Hawaiian language was prohibited in Hawai"i schools and its usage in daily life diminished greatly to the point that it was in danger of dying out. Hula, the traditional dance that was used in important ceremonies, was also at risk. With Hawaiians under pressure to assimilate much of their culture was lost.

In 1993, 100 years after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai"i, Congress extended an apology on behalf of the U.S. government and expressed support for reconciliation efforts between the U.S and Native Hawaiians. Congress has also passed legislation to assist Native Hawaiians in areas such as housing, health care and education.

Congresswoman Hirono co-sponsored the Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act (H.R. 505) and worked to gain Congressional support for it. Currently, Native Hawaiians are the only indigenous group of people in the U.S. without its own governing entity (in contrast to Native Americans and Alaska Natives).

The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act will set up a process by which Native Hawaiians can create their own governing body which will represent them in negotiations with the State of Hawai"i and the federal government.

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 505 in October 2007 by a margin of 261 to 153. However, before the bill can become a law, it must also pass through the Senate and be approved by the president.

Congresswoman Hirono has spoken on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and voted to defend various federal programs that provide assistance to Native Hawaiians. These programs have been challenged this year by those who claim that they are race-based, rather than based on the fact that Native Hawaiians are an indigenous people who deserve the same right to self-determination enjoyed by other native peoples of the United States.

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