As an intern at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Honolulu, I was given an opportunity to share Hawaiian culture with visitors from all over the world. Much to my shock, I found that a surprising amount of people are unaware of the existence of my culture and heritage. To them, “Hawaiian” is nothing but a label to mean anyone or anything from the Hawaiian Islands.

How, then, are Americans expected to know that Hawaiians exist as an indigenous people if the U.S. government refuse to acknowledge our existence?

When Hawai’i was annexed in 1898, there was no acknowledgment of the existing indigenous population of the islands. The land and the sovereignty of the people were illegally taken from the native Hawaiians by force of U.S. Marines who forced occupation of Honolulu, led by U.S. Minister John L. Stevens. Despite the heavy involvement of the American government, native Hawaiians never received any documentation for reciprocity for land loss.

For years, the rights of native Hawaiians diminished. Generations of native Hawaiians lost contact with our culture. The only thing that native Hawaiians saw from the side of the American government was Public Law 103-50, the apology bill delivered by Bill Clinton in 1993.

A basic apology was all that we got. This apology is offensive and a mere joke. Being culturally suppressed for more than a century and not getting recognition has the intensity of seeing a loved one run over with a car and then hearing, “Oops, sorry,” from the person who hit them. Words are just not enough.

The Hawaiian Federal Recognition Bill is currently before the U.S. Senate. This bill is authored to finally recognize native Hawaiians as an indigenous people of America. In Hawai’i, this is nicknamed “the Akaka Bill”, after its author, Sen. Daniel Akaka. Sen. Akaka is the first and only native Hawaiian Senator, and is a strong supporter of rights for all indigenous peoples.

There are endless amounts of concerns that people, both native Hawaiian and not, have about this bill.

I was disappointed to see this bill originally disappear from the tables in 2001. Now rewritten, many still are confused as to its purpose. To settle these concerns, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has set up a public relations campaign to help everyone understand this bill. These are addressed over the radio, on television, in print and online. Visiting their Web site at www.oha.org, several points are brought to attention.

One of the main goals of the Hawaiian Federal Recognition Bill is to protect the organizations and the rights that are currently set aside for native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians will be finally granted a trust with the United States, and will be allowed to establish an autonomous government.

Existing cultural practices, such as gathering fresh flowers and fauna for lei-making and accessing native spiritual sites, will be protected. Hawaiian people and Hawaiian agencies are not after American Indian funds or rights. The preservation of Hawaiian rights is of the utmost importance at this time.

While I am a personal supporter of this program, some people feel that the Hawaiian Federal Recognition Bill is not a big enough step. While there are levels of autonomy requested through this bill, there are some activists who would like to see full sovereignty returned to Hawai’i. Other people are against Hawaiian recognition because it may require native Hawaiians to carry cards that verify their Hawaiian ancestry. The Hawaiian Registry Program is similar in concept to Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood cards.

While personal preference can sway one’s opinion of the Hawaiian Federal Recognition Bill, it is more than we currently have. To finally be recognized among the ranks of indigenous peoples of America is only the beginning of many steps to be taken in the future. If passed, this program will help to increase cultural understanding and tolerance as there would be more understanding of the components of Hawaiian culture.

We are in the midst of a rich cultural renaissance, and we must take many small steps to achieve our ultimate goals. I am but an individual of a community of people, and must therefore not be identified as the voice of all Hawaiians, but I believe this is an exciting time for protecting and establishing rights of indigenous peoples.