Aloha kakou apau! I want to commend the members of the Native Hawaiian Economic Alliance for hosting this reception and lunch. I applaud your goal of bringing federal resources to Hawaii to create economic opportunities and jobs for Hawaii residents and to build the capacity of Hawaii's local business economy. Over the past few months, I have watched your progress and I am extremely impressed by what you have accomplished. It was only a few months ago that we met to discuss the concept of an alliance between indigenous peoples ,and here we are today, with the coalition formed and your goal well on the way to becoming a reality.
I am especially impressed with NHEA's emphasis on community development through its 2 percent donation to non-profit organizations. It is imperative that we focus not only on bringing federal dollars to Hawaii, but also on empowering our communities as part of that process, in order to sustain the expansion in capacity that we seek.
Aloha and welcome all of you representing our armed forces. At the outset I'd like to thank you for all that you do to keep us safe in what is definitely the greatest country in the world, the United States. As the Chairman of the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, I am well-versed in the issue of encroachment, whether it's the community encroaching on military training ranges or the encroachment by the military on its surrounding community. In all cases, I underscore the importance of working with each other, and as an example to installations and communities across the nation, I often cite the efforts of the United States Army in Hawaii in dealing with the residents of the Waianae community regarding the use of the Makua Military reservation as a training range. The Pacific Command truly understands the importance of working with the people of Hawaii. For that reason we have established wonderful working relationships between the military, the surrounding communities, and local businesses.
I've been asked to discuss federal recognition and its impact on economic development and partnerships in Hawaii. As a Native Hawaiian, I firmly believe that it is important to understand the ways of our ancestors. We must embrace our culture and tradition. In this day and age, however, it is essential to understand and respect other cultures. The federal policy of self-determination and self-governance and the partnerships formed between the United States and native governments is the appropriate avenue to accomplish this goal. For that reason, I have worked with my colleagues on legislation which would extend the federal policy of self-determination and self-governance to Native Hawaiians.
The legislation does three things. It:
1) Constitutes an office within the Department of the Interior to focus on Native Hawaiian issues and continue to facilitate the political relationship between Native Hawaiians and the United States;
2) Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Group composed of federal officials from agencies with policies and programs impacting Native Hawaiians; and
3) Provides a process for a Native Hawaiian governing entity to submit organic governing documents to the Secretary of Interior for review for the purposes of gaining federal recognition to effect a government-to-government relationship.
I'd like to address one of the biggest obstacles to the enactment of the legislation, which is misinformation spread by those who do not understand the bill and those who oppose this legislation. Regrettably, some have chosen to distort the facts about our efforts. I start here because the type of misinformation being spread preys upon the fears of many who fail to understand both the legislation and the history of Hawaii. It is this type of misinformation which has the biggest impact on federal recognition, economic development, and the establishment of partnerships in Hawaii.
One of the concerns raised by my colleagues about our legislation, irresponsibly spread by those who oppose federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, is the mistaken belief that federal recognition will divide the people of Hawaii, thereby making non-indigenous residents "second-class" citizens in Hawaii. Let me be clear: federal recognition will not divide the people of Hawaii.
Instead, the bill will serve as a catalyst to move us forward as a state because it provides a structured process to address, at long last, many of the longstanding issues resulting from the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. These are issues that we have ignored for the past 109 years because the emotions tied to many of these matters are overwhelming and are difficult to resolve without a structured process that facilitates appropriate representation.
The bill authorizes the Native Hawaiian governing entity, once it has been federally recognized, to negotiate and enter into agreements with the State of Hawaii and the United States regarding the transfer of lands, resources, and assets. This is the structured process that I have been referring to. Native Hawaiian concerns would be represented by the Native Hawaiian governing entity. State concerns, on behalf of all citizens of the State of Hawaii, will be represented by the State, and the federal government's interests will be represented by federal officials.
The inability to resolve these longstanding issues has hindered progress for many, many years. In addition to the unwillingness to address and resolve these issues, we have lacked an approach where all parties have a voice. Our legislation provides a structured process for this purpose, thereby bringing us together as a people, rather than avoiding the underlying issues that have prevented us from coming to terms with our history and resolving such emotional issues for all citizens of Hawaii. While this process is one that will not be easy, it will not divide us. Indeed, it will bring us together.
Another misconception about the legislation is that it is based on race. The extension of the federal policy of self-governance and self-determination to Native Hawaiians is based on the political relationship between the United States and its indigenous peoples. The policy, established by President Nixon, is grounded in economic self-reliance and political self-determination, and has endured as the most successful policy of the United States in dealing with its indigenous peoples because it recognizes the integrity and right to continued existence of native governments. The United States has treated Native Hawaiians as indigenous peoples since Hawaii's establishment as a United States territory. The clarification of the existing political relationship between the United States and Native Hawaiians will provide parity in the federal policies towards Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Native Hawaiians. It is this parity that provides Native Hawaiians with the opportunity to progress economically and to enter into business partnerships which will benefit Hawaii's economy.
Over the years, a recurring concern expressed by businesses, organizations, and federal agencies and officials has been the lack of a central point of contact with the Native Hawaiian community. Who represents Native Hawaiians? How many organizations should I consult with to gain an understanding of the perspective of Native Hawaiians? How do I resolve the differences in views between Native Hawaiian organizations, entities, and businesses? These are questions I have been asked in many different situations over my tenure in Congress.
A Native Hawaiian governing entity--reorganized by the Native Hawaiian community and recognized by the United States for the purpose of a government-to-government relationship--will begin to address these concerns by providing people with one central point of contact for Native Hawaiians. While there may be those who disagree with the views of the governing entity, like any other government, the governing entity would represent, and be responsive to, its membership. This would greatly reduce the current obstacles that organizations and businesses face when trying to interface with Native Hawaiians.
Federal recognition is important, therefore, not only to Native Hawaiians, but to all of us in Hawaii, as a step forward in providing a better future for our children. In the interim, coalitions such as the Native Hawaiian Economic Alliance are important tools to empower our communities. I want to commend and thank our brothers and sisters, the three Alaska Native Corporations and two tribal firms, for their generosity. As many of you know, the coalition operates on a 80/20 split, with the Alaska Native Corporations and tribal firms taking 20 percent of the contract and subcontracting 80 percent to Hawaiian businesses. This is a wonderful opportunity for the people of Hawaii.
Again, I want to thank all of you from our military community in Hawaii for all that you do to contribute to our state and to defend our great nation. I want to express my gratitude to Li Garcia-Ballard, Paige Barber, and the members of NHEA for inviting me to participate in this event. I look forward to working with all of you.
A hui hou!
