Transcript
ANNELL AMARAL: This rule that has been announced is extremely significant because they have created a pathway now for the indigenous people of Hawaii to finally get government to government relationship with the federal government. The Native American tribes beforehand had a pathway simply because they had treaties with the United States, so what the department of interior has done is simply said we will recognise whatever governing entity native Hawaiians choose to create as long as it meets certain standards and some of the standards are participation by native Hawaiian peoples like I think there's a threshold of 150,000 have to participate in the ratification of the governing document and the election of their people. I think we have in total 300,000 so that's a participation rate of half, the indigenous people are being held to a pretty high standard but that's ok, we can do this.
JAMIE TAHANA: So rather a long complex process to reach this form of government whatever that may be?
AA: There has been some pushback from the community because there are some in the community who want independence and the response some of us have is quite frankly federal government is not determining the type of government we create that's up to us to make that determination. So if the majority of Hawaiians residing in Hawaii in fact want independence we can construct a constitution that says that. There have been four convenings in total over the years for the purpose of constructing a constitution. The leaders convening of which I was a participant, was in February of this year, and in the end we came up with a constitution where the majority of the members there voted in support of it now the challenge that we have is to get it ratified and to elect leaders, by then we would have constructed a government and if the majority of people agree then we would take that government to the United States and say recognise this.
JT: So the wheels are very much in motion towards this government that you need to form?
AA: I believe the wheels are very much in motion yes towards this government yes.
JT: If the government to government relationship is adopted what does that mean?
AA: It means that finally the indigenous people of Hawaii are recognised by the federal government. I will admit, federal government has enacted over 150 pieces of legislation dealing with native Hawaiians, health, education, all sorts of legislation to assist us but they have never formally recognised us as the people and the other thing it means is we will finally have sovereignty, we will finally a full throated voice to be able to speak as one group of people for all the people with the blood, all the native Hawaiians, so the status as a government allows us to be able to protect our sacred sites, to speak directly with federal government on those protections and to begin to advocate with federal government for the good and betterment of native Hawaiian people rather than always struggling for the last chair on the Titanic.
JT: Would it also allow you to take some programmes that a government would do such as health or social programmes or things like that?
AA: Absolutely, absolutely, with our own government rather then having the state running programmes dealing with the adoption of our children, or children that have been abused, or the housing programmes the Hawaiian homes, or the health programmes which come under different non-profits, those all instead would come under our government that is finally recognised so we could deliver services directly to our people and control
JT: So overall you're very happy with the announcement?
AA: I am so pleased and I will tell you that I don't think that this thing would have taken place except President Obama was born in Hawaii and grew up surrounded by Hawaiians so he knows we're not strange people, you know he saw us every day, he understands us and so when asked to help us, he certainly not only agreed but moved forward in the way that only the president can to ensure that his agencies would create a pathway for us.