21 Jan 2009

Hawaiians to take land challenge to Washington

4:01 pm on 21 January 2009

An indigenous Hawaiian academic says activists are now preparing to travel to Washington DC to push their land claims.

The activists are against the Governor of Hawaii's appeal of a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling which ordered the state to stop any sale or lease of ceded lands.

The case is over an act in the early 1990's allowing the state to sell ceded lands for native Hawaiians.

Governor Linda Lingle's administration asserts the land is for all people, including native Hawaiians.

University of Hawaii's Centre of Hawaii studies supervisor Pualani Kauila says land confiscated when the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown and annexed by the US in 1893 still belongs to indigenous people, with thousands recently marching to oppose the Governor.

"We oppose the Governor taking the case to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the nation, to get an OK to sell ceded lands that was taken from the Hawaiians illegally to start with. That's what the march was all about, was to bring awareness to everybody and to show the Governor that we don't appreciate her doing this. She is not the one who should be able to sell this land, it does not belong to her."

Pualani Kauila

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on February the 25th.