Washington, D.C. - The Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Chaired by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), held a hearing this morning on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007 (S.310).  The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. 

"I am extremely pleased that the long plight of Native Hawaiians received a fair hearing in the Senate today," Senator Akaka said.  "We heard from supporters and opponents of the bill, and I hope their statements and our questions were educational for my colleagues and for observers in the islands and across the county.  I want to thank Chairman Dorgan for holding this hearing today and for his longstanding support of indigenous rights.  I want to thank my good friend and colleague, Senator Dan Inouye, for his tireless advocacy on behalf of the people of Hawaii and the original indigenous residents of the islands.  I also wish to thank Congresswoman Hirono for attending today's hearing in show of support, and Congressman Abercrombie for his successful work in explaining this bill and the history of Hawaii to his colleagues in the House, and moving the bill through his committee yesterday.  We will continue to build upon this momentus for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and all the people of Hawaii.

"Native Hawaiians have suffered for over a century as a direct result of the illegal overthrow of their sovereign government.  They were disenfranchised from their culture, land, and way of life at the hands of foreigners committed to western values and conventions.  Today, this loss of identity has left Native Hawaiians at the lowest levels of achievement by all social and economic measures.  This bill will, at long last, provide a way forward for Hawaii's original residents to rebuild their vibrant culture and determine their own future as a people," Akaka said.

"This bill is important to ALL the citizens of Hawaii," Senator Inouye said.  "We share a deep gratitude to the native people who first welcomed us to their shores and gave us the opportunity to live in their traditional homelands.  The United States has, for decades, recognized the rights of indigenous people to have self-determination and self-governance.  This bill will provide Native Hawaiians the same rights provided to other indigenous groups: the full restoration of the government-to-government relationship they had with the United States.  The time for reconciliation is long overdue, and the time for restoration is now."

"Native Hawaiians, just like the Indian Tribes, were the first Americans," said Senator Dorgan. "They deserve the opportunity for self-governance and self-determination. I support the efforts of my colleagues, Senators Inouye and Akaka, to provide them with a fair process to reorganize their own Native Hawaiian government."

Testifying at today's hearing were MR. GREGORY KATSAS, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice; THE HONORABLE MARK BENNETT, Attorney General, State of Hawaii, Accompanied by: MR. MICAH KANE, Chairman, Hawaiian Homes Commission; THE HONORABLE HAUNANI APOLIONA, Chair, Board of Trustees, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Accompanied by:  MR. WILLIAM MEHEULA, Legal Counsel to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; PROFESSOR VIET D. DINH, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center; and MR. H. WILLIAM BURGESS, Aloha for All.

There was no vote scheduled during today's Senate hearing to report the bill.  Chairman Dorgan is responsible for scheduling a markup at a later date, at which time a vote will be taken.  The House Natural Resources voted and passed the companion bill out of committee yesterday. 

Two mp3 audio news releases are available now.

Q&A session (in this order):

http://demradio.senate.gov/actualities/akaka/akaka070503_1.mp3

(trt 1:45) Akaka questions Hawaii AG Mark Bennett

(trt 1:20) Akaka questions OHA council William Meheula

(trt 1:00) Akaka questions Hawaiian Homes Commission Chair Micah Kane

(trt 0:20) Bennett says there is no possibility the bill could lead to succession from the U.S.

Opening statements (in this order)

http://demradio.senate.gov/actualities/akaka/akaka070503.mp3

-  The committee's Chairman, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND),

-  The bill's sponsor, Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI),

-  Hawaii's senior Senator and bill co-sponsor, Daniel K. Inouye (D),

-  Mark Bennett, Attorney General, State of Hawaii,

-  Haunani Apoliona, Chair, Office of Hawaiian Affairs. 

More information on the hearing can be found on the committee's website: http://indian.senate.gov/public/

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