Kamehameha Schools needs to pay closer attention to what is good for Hawaiians
> > 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