This site is a tool intended to assist in the path towards unity for kanaka maoli and Hawaiian people.

More specifically, I am compelled to look for a path toward Hawaiian unity, good governance, and preservation and growth of our shared assets, in order to reassert our independent control of our culture, lands, and our people’s future.

The issues at hand today in August 2015:

• Act 195 and Kana’iolowalu
• Na’i Aupuni and organizing an ‘Aha
• US Dept. of Interior proposed rule-making for federal recognition

These are the recent formal steps taken by the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Federal government. Their desired outcome is to declare Native Hawaiians as indigenous people, and create an explicit “trust” relationship over us, but implicitly it ignores the more significant history of the relationship between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the U.S. as equals. These forces are going forward and are now getting ready to “check the box” of the consent of Native Hawaiians. It will go forward unless we are engaged to stop it, from inside and out. I am just a regular working guy until now, but I find myself “in” now because Na’i Apupuni emailed me to nominate delegates (with no info or tools on organizing around anything).

I do believe Hawaiians must find a way to work together and re-form our nation. That nation should be pono  – representing all hawaiians who should be a part of it. In that spirit, i signed up for Kana’iolowalu in good faith, knowing the process was imperfect. As it became more evident that only a fraction of eligible Hawaiians were participating, my concerns over a truly representative process grew. Further, the push by OHA to go forward with electing delegates for the ‘Aha caused me to understand there could be a new calamity approaching our people. Having signed up, i cannot let the the process go forward without participating to a better outcome.

I once learned practices are based on principles, and principles are based on values. We share the same values. Let’s take this as an opportunity to have a true dialogue, instead of talking at each other. But let’s not skip ahead to any “solution” without a true consensus.

The OHA-driven process is moving towards its initial desired outcome: federal recognition of Native Hawaiians as indigenous peoples, with a government-to-government relationship (within a nation). Putting aside the multiple reasons why a pre-cooked DOI solution is undesirable, the more significant point is that the process is not representative. Hawaiians who disagree (asserting the Kingdom of Hawaii’s continued independence) have largely chosen not to participate. Most have not. However, with the process going forward (with not much transparency), it becomes far more likely that a few people close to OHA will be forming a governing entity that would fast-track federal recognition and even transfer the Crown lands to this new entity. This is not a recipe for good outcomes, in any country. Maybe I’m wrong, but trust in each other is extremely low right now, and we need a path toward rebuilding it. 

We were once united in a common culture, language, territory, and set of values, and that is the desired outcome. No one can be better stewards of our interests than ourselves. Let us unite first, and only later negotiate from a position of strength.

This is what i am calling for today, for the sake of unity:

• A Hawaiian government must represent the majority of its people (kanaka maoli or descendants of Kingdom of Hawaii citizens)
• If it represents only a fraction of Native Hawaiians, it shall not make any irreversible agreements regarding federal recognition or control of the trust lands.
• If delegates at this ‘Aha try to create a government with powers to give up our claims as an independent nation, or control of lands, they will cause a permanent division in our people.
• We need “guarantors” at this ‘Aha – people who will stand for representing the will of the majority of Hawaiians, for creating the best process, instead of skipping directly to an outcome (federal recognition or otherwise). If they cannot, they should only do more efforts to get the participation, or else disband with no agreement.

How do we achieve trust while preserving our unity? Follow this tactical steps:

• If you are kanaka maoli on the Kana’iolowalu list and can participate in Na’i Aupuni, run as a delegate, or nominate a “guarantor” delegate (each needs 10 nominations before Sept 15). After then, vote for a guarantor delegate– someone committed to fixing the process instead of skipping straight to a “solution”.
• If you are Hawaiian not on Kana’iolowalu by choice or by that list’s definition, but have ohana who are on the roll, please share this information with them, so that we have some inside this con-con while you protest outside the process.
• If anyone else want to use this site as a public means to become a Na’i Aupuni delegate and get the 10 nominations, please submit a comment and i will use this site to do so.
• if you are fighting this whole Kana’iolowalu process from outside, keep it up. But please respect those who find themselves in the flawed process but still want to do what is right.

Even if i get no other nominations, i will provide a step-by-step guide of the nomination process on this web site shortly. I invite others to use this guide in the next weeks before the Sept 15 closing.

I am not part of any Native Hawaiian political organization, nor any US or State of Hawaii group. My career for the past 20 years had been as a Internet/Web Software Developer in NYC (resident of Brooklyn, NY, so i will be in the out-of-state group). I was raised on Maui until i was 18 and went to school in Massachusetts. I own and maintain my family home in Wailuku, Maui, and am a part-time resident. I just find myself in this place and want to do my part for the “true” Au puni.

If this approach speaks to your manaʻo, puʻuwai, or naʻau, please share with them.

Me Ke Aloha,

– Raul Nohea Goodness