Hawaiians stake claim to nation-building

As the May 1 deadline to register with the Native Hawaiian Roll draws near, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is turning attention to what happens next.

We are invigorated by those in the Hawaiian community who tell us that they are ready to begin a process aimed at creating a nation where all Native Hawaiians have an opportunity to thrive.

This nation-building process will begin and end with Native Hawaiians who, for example, believe their children are entitled to an education that allows them to be competitive in the 21st century; believe their families should have access to safe and affordable housing that strengthens communities; and believe we as a people need to become healthier by stepping it up through exercise, a balanced diet and preventive medicine.

But this effort is also not only about improving conditions for Native Hawaiians. The expectation is that Hawaiian nation-building will help the local economy succeed by creating job opportunities that would benefit all people who live in Hawaii. Everyone would also benefit from improved land stewardship that Hawaiian governance would afford.

Ultimately, this nation-building process is about everyone and we mean everyone coming together to participate in a process that will be decided by the people for the people.

That means all Hawaiian Kingdom patriots independence trailblazers as well as federal and state recognition proponents all working together to provide diverse and dynamic perspectives to help shape our future nation for generations to come.

For this reason, Native Hawaiians, who are concerned about the challenges facing our community, should get involved with the nation-building process (see www.oha.org/nationbuilding). We are also committed to remaining neutral throughout the entire process, in which the desired outcome is for Native Hawaiians to come together to determine the structure of a governing entity that reflects their collective will.

Being registered on the Official Roll of Native Hawaiians qualifies Hawaiians to take part in this nation-building process. This is an open signup: no blood quantum cutoff, no residency requirement, and no demands to state your preference for what the Native Hawaiian government should do. Those who sign up will elect delegates to represent them at a governance convention.

At the convention, these delegates would draft a governing document that establishes the principles and framework of a Native Hawaiian governing entity. Hawaiians on the official roll would then vote in a referendum to approve or disapprove the draft governing document.

If approved, the governing document would determine the next steps in the process. Once that structure has been determined by Native Hawaiians, the governing entity will make its own choices about how and when to pursue rights and recognition on behalf of the Native Hawaiian people.

As a result, OHA is putting a lot of effort into encouraging Native Hawaiians to participate in the process to ensure that their voices are heard.

In fact, we have been canvassing communities and holding town-hall style meetings since early April, when our volunteers started knocking on doors and making phone calls in hopes of familiarizing more Hawaiians with this new opportunity to shape their future.

Already more than 120,000 names are published on the Official Roll of Native Hawaiians. It is our fierce belief that Hawaiian-nation building will succeed if all Native Hawaiians take part.

Ultimately, the choices would include state recognition, seeking federal recognition as a native nation within the United States, or gaining redress as a nation that once stood independently among the family of international nations.

The success of this effort will depend on as many Native Hawaiians as possible demonstrating a commitment that would send a strong and clear message about how our community is rising, uniting and engaging in a process to build a nation that will benefit future generations of Hawaiians and all of Hawaii.