Aloha kakou. It is a pleasure to join you this afternoon to honor the life and legacy of Ka Moi Kamehameha, unifier of the Hawaiian Islands. More than two centuries since his birth, Kamehameha is a legendary, indeed, mythical figure renown worldwide for his bravery and martial brilliance. He commands the respect of Hawaii's people for his wise and just leadership, and his accomplishments continue to influence and govern Hawaii today.
Mahalo nui loa to the Hawaii State Society for perpetuating this wonderful tradition in our Nation's Capitol for over three decades. Your kokua underscores the fact that kamaaina and malihini carry Hawaii with them forever in their hearts, even when they are thousands of miles from home.
It is also nice to welcome trustees from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and commissioners from the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission who are visiting our Nation's Capital to today's celebration.
No matter where you are in the world, you can always tell if someone is from Hawaii. I've often attributed this experience to the way we live in Hawaii and the way we are brought up to reflect the "aloha spirit." We tend to do things in a positive and open manner and often with a willingness to share.
It is this aloha spirit that makes Hawaii so special and so unique. This reflection of "lokahi" is rooted in Native Hawaiian culture and tradition, which we as a state have embraced with pride. In fact, many in Hawaii, no matter what ethnic background, have great pride in the Native Hawaiian culture, traditions, and customs shared with us through the generations.
We must preserve this special and unique quality - the aloha spirit, the desire to lokahi, to be in harmony with oneself, others, and nature. The aloha spirit reflects our great pride in the culture and tradition that exemplify Hawaii both nationally and internationally. In order to preserve this culture and tradition, we must continue to support programs and opportunities to preserve Native Hawaiian language, culture, customs, and traditions.
As you know, in the 107th Congress I introduced legislation in the United States Senate to extend the federal policy of self-determination and self-governance to Native Hawaiians. Over the last three years, I've been working on this legislation with my colleagues, Dan Inouye, Patsy Mink, and Neil Abercrombie – the sponsor of identical legislation in the House.
For far too long we have ignored, postponed, and deferred attempts to address some of the longstanding concerns of Native Hawaiians resulting from the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii: Issues such as political status, ceded lands, claims, and many more.
Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians have been hesitant to address these issues because of the emotions they raise. Let me be clear, while this legislation is very significant for Native Hawaiians, this bill is critical for all people in Hawaii.
Some may ask, why is this beneficial to the entire state? It is beneficial because it provides a structured process to begin to address these longstanding issues. We can no longer ignore or dismiss them. In order for us to move forward as a State, we need to deal with them head on. The Native Hawaiian interests would be represented by its governing entity, the interests of everyone in Hawaii would be represented by the State, and the interests of the United States would be represented by the federal government.
I reject any attempts to use this legislation to divide Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians. Critics who unfairly disparage federal recognition for Native Hawaiians as race-based and divisive are themselves kindling discord with their inaccurate characterizations of this bill. This is truly unfortunate, and I firmly believe that unless we encourage a process to begin to address these issues, the divisions that have begun to form within our state will just get deeper.
Our responsibility is to preserve our culture, honor our traditions, provide a better future for the children of Hawaii, and share the aloha spirit beyond Hawaii's shores. We can gain insight and inspiration from Kamehameha's ingenuity in utilizing the best new ideas and technologies available to him to bring political unity, harmony, and prosperity to the Hawaiian people.
Historically, Kamehameha is notable because of his brilliance as a military strategist and political leader. Kamehameha adapted Western innovation, weaponry, and science to gain a decisive advantage in his drive to unify the Hawaiian Islands.
For Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawaii, Kamehameha is beloved for his aloha for his subjects and for his commitment to do what was just and right for the people. Kamehameha's wisdom, even more than his strength, stature, and daring, is his greatest and most enduring gift to us and future generations. Mamalahoe, the Law of the Splintered Paddle, is the most prominent example of Kamehameha as a wise and just leader. Mamalahoe is Hawaii's first Bill of Rights protecting the common people from assault, and it is still part of our State's constitution.
One hundred and ninety years ago, in the summer of 1812, Kamehameha returned to the Kona Coast. Having unified the islands and established peace and stability, Kamehameha worked to build prosperity for his people by increasing agricultural production and foreign trade.
As we celebrate Kamehameha Day, let us embrace the king's legacy of unification. Let us join together and work together to address the challenges facing the people of Hawaii.
E `ala kakou! Let us rise to meet this challenge.
Mahalo nui loa.
Malama pono.
Ahui hou!
