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> > Aloha! > > > > PLEASE FORWARD FAR AND WIDE to ensure people have > > access to this important > > mana`o. The Kamehameha Schools newsletter "Imua" > > refuses to print this > > op-ed by one of their alums. It is especially > > important that KS graduates > > see this article. > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > The Trouble with Kamehameha's Support of Federal > > Recognition > > by Randall Kekoa Quinones Akee > > > > > > A recent Kamehameha Schools CEO alert dated Feb 3, > > 2004 by Dee Jay Mailer > > states that Kamehameha Schools fully supports > > federal recognition efforts > > for Native Hawaiians. This effort, undertaken by > > Hawai`i's Congressional > > delegation, governor, state agencies, and a small > > number of > > federally-funded non-profit agencies, has done > > little to foster input and > > dialogue with the average Native Hawaiian. Indeed, > > the process as of late > > has been primarily state-driven, with OHA, DHHL, and > > the governor taking > > the lead in these lobbying efforts. When has the > > will of the Hawaiian > > people, let alone the will of ke ali`i Pauahi, ever > > been well-represented > > by the State of Hawai`i? > > > > It is important to note that federal recognition > > will not safeguard any of > > Kamehameha School's assets, nor will federal > > recognition ensure the > > continuance of the institution or end the potential > > for other legal > > challenges. Federal recognition deals with the > > political status of Native > > Hawaiians as a whole in relation to the federal > > government of the United > > States; this legislation does nothing to solidify or > > establish a > > relationship between private Native Hawaiian trusts > > or any other > > privately-held Native Hawaiian organizations. > > > > Particularly disturbing is the fact that Kamehameha > > Schools, as a trust in > > perpetuity, is not taking the long-run view of this > > situation. Endorsing > > federal recognition, as the Akaka bill now stands, > > is clearly taking the > > short-run perspective on Native Hawaiian > > self-government. The bill > > neither guarantees a permanent revenue stream or > > resource base for a > > Native Hawaiian governing entity, nor does it > > establish explicit > > protection of Native Hawaiian rights. > > > > The current legislation really seeks to protect two > > state agencies and > > their public trust assets. While this is an > > important effort, the > > question still remains: what long-run benefits and > > opportunities are we > > giving up in exchange? The reality is we don't > > know. We haven't > > discussed the alternatives thoroughly enough to > > really get a sense of what > > could be or what is desired by the Native Hawaiian > > community. Instead, > > Native Hawaiians and other state residents have been > > told that federal > > recognition is the ultimate solution to the problems > > for Native Hawaiian > > programs, services, and funding. As a leading > > Hawai`i educational > > institution, Kamehameha Schools could have taken the > > lead in fostering > > community input and voice; instead, like the other > > institutions that are > > behind federal recognition, they have sought to > > endorse the Akaka Bill > > with no justification or sharing of their research > > and analysis of the > > bill. Why would a private, non-profit trust > > undertake such an obvious > > political stance on such a poorly-formed piece of > > legislation? > > > > The short-sighted view taken by Kamehameha Schools > > really stems from a > > misunderstanding about the funding of Native > > Hawaiian programs. The CEO > > alert cites the fact that federal recognition will > > serve to secure > > services and programs for Native Hawaiians. > > Unfortunately, this is not > > exactly true. An important distinction must be made > > between Native > > Hawaiian entitlements and Native Hawaiian > > appropriations. Most, if not > > all, of the federal programs and legislation > > established for Native > > Hawaiians are simply appropriations. This means > > that funding occurs at > > the will of Congress. An entitlement, on the other > > hand, refers to > > funding or programs that are immune to Congressional > > dictates -- a good > > example of this is Social Security. Individuals who > > have participated in > > the Social Security system are automatically > > entitled to receive their > > Social Security payments once they reach eligibility > > age. This program > > funding does not fluctuate according to political > > power plays or > > Congressional appropriations. Most Native Hawaiian > > programs do not enjoy > > this luxury. Hence, without a solid funding > > guarantee or resource base, a > > Native Hawaiian governing entity established under > > the current federal > > recognition legislation would be forced to seek > > federal appropriations on > > a continual basis. > > > > Kamehameha was founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi > > Bishop to foster > > industrious Native Hawaiian men and women. There's > > nothing industrious > > about begging for federal funds for a Native > > Hawaiian nation for the rest > > of eternity. > > > > > > Randall Kekoa Quinones Akee > > Kamehameha Schools Alumni Class of 1990 > > > > > > *************************************** > > Randall K. Q. Akee Doctoral Candidate > > Political Economy and Government > > Harvard University > > akee@fas.harvard.edu > > *************************************** > > Aloha nou, > Mahalo for post. I will send to whatever base I have. > Randall is tuned but there is some slack key in his > observation. If I may, Social Security is not > Security. > All entitlements are legislation of the federal trough > whose benefit is controlled by the pen handlers. If > one is runt in the herd or one is not in the federal > pen one does not eat much or anything. > > The problem with all of us is we are afraid of missing > a meal or going without for a time because we have > indoctrinated to think you can only exist in their pig > pen. Queen Lili'oukalanai said, I rather eat pohaku > (stones)than be hand fed by foreign control. > > A sovereign Nation of Hawaii can only exist by Treaty. > No Treaty, a'ole sovereignty. The kanaka maoli will > become what the Incas and Aztec nations have become, > extinct. Anything less than a Treaty doctrine is > serfdome for some and slavery for most. The "some" > deny it now while the "most" are already there. > > Hawaiians should wonder why the (5) Family of Nations > in 1841 wanted this nation of heathens to become part > of their Christian Family. No gold, no oil. What was > it that Great Britain, France, Prussia, Switzerland > and the new kid, the United States of America wanted? > > The first people came here from afar. Is there some > kind of secret passage or vortex?,or is just Hawaiians > do not deserve such a paradise and the Pacific pear, > as Minister Stevens "officially" claimed, is ready for > plucking. I'd like to drop the "pl" and add you know > what but we don't have to say it, we know it. > > Mahalo Randall. May Iesu Kristo keep you trucking. > Aloha ke Akua, > Pilipo Souza > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. > http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html |