Statement regarding today’s release by the Dept. of Interior’s Final rule for reestablishing govt-to-govt relationship with the Native Hawaiian Community (43 CFR Part 50)

Sept 23, 2016

The U.S. has admitted to the crime of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, and stealing the Hawaiian National lands, in the 1993 Apology Law. (US Public Law 103-150).

When the U.S. signed on to the United Nations Charter in 1945, it agreed in Article 73(a). “to ensure, with due respect for the culture of the peoples concerned, their political, economic, social, and educational advancement, their just treatment, and their protection against abuses;”

As Hawaiians, without our National government, our National Sovereignty and right to self-determination resides in us, the “peoples concerned”. It is completely within our rights as Hawaiian Nationals under international law to unite in our sovereign Hawaiian nation.

The U.S. government knows this, but continues to suppress our nationality. They failed their sacred trust obligation to ensure respect for the culture of the peoples concerned – Hawaiian Nationals. Instead, they are proposing Hawaiians accept to a “domestic dependent nation” status, under this final rule to create a Native Hawaiian Governing Entity, under the management of the Department of Interior. In return, Hawaiians would receive none of our stolen lands, no additional benefits.

The DOI rule issued today states on Pg. 117 explains “re-establish govt to govt relations”.

The United States relationship with a Native Hawaiian Governing Entity would be “reestablished” in the sense that the United States previously maintained a formal relationship with a Native Hawaiian government, not that the former relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Hawaii would resume or be resurrected.

This is the revisionism, bait-and-switch, getting us to accept their defining the Kingdom down from a co-equal Hawaiian National government to a Native Hawaiian government. Clearly, this is a means to settle reconciliation to the crimes admitted in the Apology Law.

Our kupuna rejected annexation in 1897 with the Ku’e petitions. There is no treaty of annexation. The U.S. has illegal status, but are attempting to legalize their status.

As a Kanaka Maoli living and working on the American continent, i reject the offer to go under the management of the DOI – an agency whose historical and current missions have been to dispossess Native peoples from their lands, subject them to genocidal oppression, and hand their resources over to be extracted for private benefit. Hawaiians stand in solidarity with our Native brothers and sisters on the continent. We know the pain they have endured and must find a better way.

I call on Hawaiians everywhere to unite in an Independent government, but NOT according to the criteria outlined in this final rule from the dept. of Interior.

Aloha,
Raul Nohea Goodness