Hawaiian convention signs nearly 100 delegates

Nearly 100 delegates have committed to attending the Native Hawaiian self-determination convention planned for February, the nonprofit sponsoring the event said Monday.

The deadline for any other candidates who intend to become convention delegates is tonight at 11:59, according to Na‘i Aupuni.

“We are gratified by the large number of persons who have already committed to participating in this conference for self-determination,” Na‘i Aupuni President Kuhio Asam said in a news release. “We encourage those who have not yet done so to seriously consider confirming their participation by the Dec. 22 deadline.”

Na‘i Aupuni will announce the names of the delegates Wednesday.

Initially, 196 Native Hawaiians from Oahu, neighbor islands and the mainland signed up to run for 40 delegate slots in a constitutional convention that aims to consider proposals for self-governance.

But last week the Na‘i Aupuni board decided to cancel the voting to avoid a potentially lengthy court delay caused by a lawsuit that accuses the election of being unconstitutionally race-based and view-based.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 2 granted an injunction blocking the election while the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers the lawsuit against it.

INSTEAD of finishing the election, the Na‘i Aupuni board Wednesday cut off the voting and offered all 196 candidates seats as delegates.

Also, the convention, or aha, to be held in Kailua, was reduced to four weeks from eight and is now scheduled to start Feb. 1.

The first week will be dedicated to presentations regarding constitution building, federal Indian law, international law regarding de-occupation, decolonization, the rights of indigenous people, U.S. constitutional issues that relate to self-governance, ceded lands and kingdom law.

Peter Adler and Linda Colburn of the Mediation Center of the Pacific will serve as facilitators to lead the first week’s informational sessions and help in organizing the group.

After that, what happens at the convention will be up to the delegates without interference by Na‘i Aupuni or any government entity, Asam said.

Walter Ritte, a Molokai activist who ran as a delegate and later renounced the election, was nevertheless invited to serve as a convention delegate, Na‘i Aupuni officials said.

But Ritte said he still wouldn’t participate because he contends the outcome is rigged in favor of a campaign to push federal recognition and essentially turn Hawaiians into an Indian tribe.