Feds Consider Reestablishing Government-to-Government Relationship
Dept. of Interior News Release
In response to requests from the Native Hawaiian community, Hawaii’s congressional delegation and state leaders, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced last week a first step to consider reestablishing a government-to-government relationship between the U.S. and the Native Hawaiian community.
The purpose of such a relationship would be to more effectively implement the special political and trust relationship that currently exists between the Federal government and the Native Hawaiian community. Last week’s action, known as an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), provides for an extensive series of public meetings and consultations in Hawaii and Indian Country to solicit comments that could help determine whether the Department develops a formal, administrative procedure for reestablishing an official government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian community and if so, what that procedure should be.
The Molokai meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 from 1 to 4:00 p.m. at
Kaunakakai Elementary School.
Over many decades, Congress has enacted more than 150 statutes that specifically recognize and implement this trust relationship with the Native Hawaiian community, including the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the Native Hawaiian Education Act, and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act. The Native Hawaiian community, however, has not had a formal governing entity since the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893. In 1993, Congress enacted the Apology Resolution which offered an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the United States for its role in the overthrow and committed the U.S. government to a process of reconciliation. In 2000, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice jointly issued a report on the reconciliation process that identified self-determination for Native Hawaiians under Federal law as their leading recommendation.
The ANPRM outlines the following five threshold questions that will be the subject of the forthcoming public meetings regarding whether the federal government should reestablish a government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian community:
(i) Should the Secretary propose an administrative rule that would facilitate the reestablishment of a government-to-government relationship with the Native Hawaiian community?
(ii) Should the Secretary assist the Native Hawaiian community in reorganizing its government, with which the U.S. could reestablish a government-to-government relationship?
(iii) If so, what process should be established for drafting and ratifying a reorganized Native Hawaiian government’s constitution or other governing document?
(iv) Should the Secretary instead rely on the reorganization of a Native Hawaiian government through a process established by the Native Hawaiian community and facilitated by the State of Hawaii, to the extent such a process is consistent with Federal law?
(v) If so, what conditions should the Secretary establish as prerequisites to Federal acknowledgment of a government-to-government relationship with the reorganized Native Hawaiian government?
The Department will hold a series of public meetings throughout the State of Hawaii to gather feedback.
1 Comment
This is an opportunity to open some serious discussion with the United States, especially about their claim to the ownership of the Hawaiian Islands The proposal that we talk government to government is interesting, as I would like to know who is the rightful government of Hawaii first; not the U.S. but by the disagreeing Hawaiian leadership. In the interim, we are part of the United States government, as we serve as a government official or representative, we do so as an American citizen. I see more opportunities for these dying islands, to be restored and maintained by the Hawaiian people, than by American corporations. But before that happens, we need to establish some important things. Will the Hawaiian people be the tenants or the landlord. Its like a marriage by shotgun and a struggle in the divorce because of the children. Not too late to stop corporate slaughter of the land. Restore the rightful owner of Hawaii, and U. S., you be the tenant and obey Hawaiian law when it comes to the our natural resources. We can be related by duel-citizenship. Hawaiians will be the ones to determine how the land and natural resources will be used, developed, protected, managed, and distributed to the citizenship.
Simple…Hawaii is the nation that own the islands, and U.S. is the corporation that maintains its business here under Hawaiian laws. Addressing a more current problem…those small aircrafts with advertising banners in Hawaii skies…like those crazy marching giant pillars across the land for rail trans…are you all crazy? AOLE!