Native Hawaiian Sovereignty | INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAIʻI

To date, no sovereignty effort has managed to truly galvanize the Native Hawaiian population. Now armed with the state's approval, the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission has high hopes that will change. Is an independent Native Hawaiian government within reach?

Moderator:
Dan Boylan

Scheduled Guests:
Sen. Clayton Hee, Chairman, State Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee
Dexter Kaiama, Honolulu Native Hawaiian rights attorney
Esther Kiaaina, Deputy Director, Department of Land and Natural Resources
Former Gov. John Waihee, Chairman, Native Hawaiian Roll Commission

INSIGHTS Episode 1402
Original Airdate: July 18, 2013

[thickmeatbulliez]

Keep Hawaiian Lands In Hawaiian Hands...

[mhpan]

Hawaiians will reach self-government and independence

[MrToastedtoad]

My wife and I visited Kauai last week. We have visited Hawaii 4 times since 1988. 

We will never visit again. 

We witnessed repeated anger from Hawaiians, declaring their desire for independence. 

I tried to better understand this, watched a PBS interview of 4 people expressing their desire for independence, with an ultimate goal of returning all land to the native peoples.

I felt very guilty about the way the US Government stole control of the Islands. The guilt was so extreme that my vacation was far from relaxing. I will never return, and in-fact, I would vote YES tomorrow for a vote to remove Hawaii from US Statehood.

I wish I could do more to help the Hawaiians regain their lands. For now, the best I can do is to no-longer support the Mega Corporations that have grabbed land from the native peoples, my family and I will look for other destinations for family vacations in places that have not so unfairly treated people. Honestly, these days that is getting harder and harder to achieve.

[Kalepherion]

Hawaii, where I was born, has been close to my heart always. The culture of Hawaii, has been Disneyfied by the media, making it cute, but not serious in any way, a shame. I find Hawaiian culture to be as rich as the Greeks, as beautiful as Celtic Culture and as spiritual as the Native Cultures of the Americas. I Love Hawaii and it's people, and hope that Hawaii never quits it's strides toward a revitalization of it's unique and rich culture.

[nromk]

I like the idea of a free Hawaii whether it is a republic or a monarchy but what I'd like to see before that is a flourishing of Hawaiian language in everything from folk culture to pop culture; that's something they could take from us Latinos in the US. Use your mother tongue tell folk stories, write rocks songs, publish books, think it all and do it all in Hawaiian also dub anything from the State of the Union to any and all English shows. 

[vikafunaki]

As a Polynesian I must say it's very sad to see how Hawaii is now. As a Tongan from the only remaining island kingdom in the South Pacific I hope Tonga never becomes what Hawaii has become.

[PBSHawaii]

This is the administrator. Please keep your comments clean, and try to be respectful. If you cannot do this, you risk being banned. Mahalo for your interest and cooperation.

[myohana]

Aloha... the part that i like is when Dexter says... peoples mind change when they realize there is no treaty of annexation... to me that's the whole ball game... everything else is unlawful... great job Dexter... mahalo

[missfetisha]

wonderful discussion. thank you so much.

[sandramorey]

Hawaii has no treaty of annexation and therefore doesn't need to justify their sovereignty. There are still treaties in existence that were signed with Britain, France and Japan recognizing the sovereignty of Hawaii as a nation in 1843. I am not a Hawaiian citizen. I am American, but I recognize the legality of the treaty process and I respect it.

[kananz]

I would love to see current discussions like this!

[veik]

Based on the 1993 Apology to Hawaiians, what is legal should be recognized as the Hawaiian Kingdom Law. Who should the acting judge be then, in this case when the US government has also high jacked the judges seats in our courthouses?

[nohanahananokaukau]

Why should we get federal recongnition from the USA. We are not the USA, we are the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. We need to move forward in getting the USA out of our lands. We were way better without the USA. All our people will come together, because we will have our lands back for our people. Our kanaka people want our lands back.

[knopasi]

Does no one know who Dr. Keanu Sai is?

[Kulou]

I don’t get it?? If they all recognize and acknowledge the illegality of the annexation of Hawai’i, how is there still opposing sides? Why are we still abiding by U.S. national law? Federal recognition does nothing but prove to the U.S. that we are/were a state/territory needing “their” permission to become independent. Plus we already are internationally acknowledged as an independent state/nation.

[lunafringe]

why dont the hawaiians take this matter to the UN? And expose this predator state US once more for the world to see . we also want the US out, and weave new alliance with Russia. We dont need military and economic colonialism.

[ethanwagh]

Hawaii's flag should have eight of something to represent the eight islands

[FUtube-hy]

Whats so hard to understand Hawaii needs their independence and anyone against it should sleep outside their home.

[azandally]

You hit it right on the nose...Truely is the The fact that the program isnt spoken in the Hawaiian Language..

[azandally]

the western culture that is FORCED upon them. I do stress the point FORCED because that is what the western way (if i can call it that) automatically produces.