Native Hawaiians. Ever think of them?

coffeebean216 says:

Whenever I think of Hawaii I think of amazing beaches, volcanoes, palm trees, pina coladas, scuba diving, surfing, etc. I have seen the images of Hawaii in pictures from friends who have gone there on vacation, in films about surfing and images in magazines. I honestly had never thought, actually even knew, that there were native Hawaiians who had been kicked off their land when the foreign explorers came.

I was very surprised to read that the native Hawaiians “earn less money, live shorter lives, get sent to prison more often and are more likely to end up homeless than other ethnicities” according to Cylde Namuo, CEO of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. I think I was so surprised to read this is because when I think of Hawaii, I automatically think of the United States. These people are Americans too, so I just assumed that they were treated the same as anyone else. It is very interesting to see another group kicked off their land, and treated poorly. In classes we avoid talking about the Native American’s getting pushed away from their homes, and now I find out that it is the same for the Hawaiian people, and this is just in the United States! Where else could this being going on? Why can’t people be respective towards others, stop being greedy and let others live on the land that belongs to them? I think part of why we never talk about it is because it is the generations are somewhat “removed.” This happened in the late 19th century. Yes, I feel a little bad about it, but am I supposed to be responsible for how these people lived when I was born over 100 years later? It’s a strange idea.

I think it’s really great though that President Obama, who was born in Hawaii is standing up for those people and trying to get them back on their feet. Especially after the passing of the Health Care reform bill, it will be interesting to see if he can get these bills passed for these people as well. The statistic that native Hawaiians make up about 20% of the entire population is staggering. Yet, so are the statistics about how much it will cost to get these people, somewhat on their feet.

What I don’t understand is why the Native Hawaiians do not earn federal recognition now? Is it because they do not want to be part of the United States? Is it a similar feeling that the native Americans feel? That foreigners came, stole their homeland and have put them in a bad situation? I was not aware that this was an issue until after reading this article. I have always wanted to go to Hawaii on vacation, to really get to see the white, perfect beaches, find a coconut and see volcanoes in person. I think eventually I will take a trip there, and I hope that these issues stay in my mind, but like anything else, people in America are ignorant sometimes. Although, now I know that this is an issues and I will keep my eyes open for more information on the bill by Obama to come.

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amd5442 Reply:
March 25th, 2010 at 4:21 am

To be honest, I have only recently thought about the true origins of who we call Hawaiians. Taking History of the Human Race last semester really made me question where all these people originally came from. The people who settled Australia did so during a period of lower ocean levels, so once the oceans started to rise, they became isolated from the world for a long period of time. This isolation led to some of the most unique cultures on the planet. Likewise, the Hawaiian Islands have been isolated from the modern world for a long time- leaving a rich cultural history that we must preserve and appreciate.

I think your argument comparing Native Hawaiians to Native Americans is in concordance with my beliefs on the issue. These native people were driven off their homeland just for more greedy white businessmen to extract profits from their breathtaking islands, continuing the theme of extremely gross and pervasive exploitation of every square inch of this magnificent planet for the past 300 years.
Likewise, the fact that native Hawaiians earn less money, live shorter lives, get sent to prison more often and are more likely to end up homeless than other ethnicities is quite similar to the argument Sam presented in class about how blacks face institutional racism in the juvenile, state, and federal court system.

I am elated to hear about the pending legislation which will enable Native Hawaiians the same rights and privileges given to the other people white people have downright robbed when we set out and created this "Land of the Free." Native Hawaiians are the last remaining indigenous group in the United States that hasn't been allowed to establish their own government, a right already extended to Alaska Natives and 564 Native American tribes. I believe that all those native peoples who really should own “OUR” land should have the right to create and enforce their own government on land that is truly theirs and not under control or influence of the US government. We should not impose our constitution on people whose ancestors were here well before our ancestors left Europe for the New World.
These Hawaiians have been suppressed and exploited since we first arrived on their native land, so its about time that we gave these people a fighting chance. Like you pointed out, the Native Hawaiians make up 20% of the entire population, yet account for a staggering 28% of the state's homeless who received outreach service. It is an absolute injustice to the Hawaiian people that we come to their land, kick them off it so we can turn a quick profit, and now the natives are the ones without a HOME. We kicked the natives off their land and now they are homeless, ever wonder who is at fault for that?

This article reminds me of the blog post concerning the last surviving person of a particular tribe of indigenous peoples-the last person who could speak the native language and how someone set out and recorded it. It reminds me that we need to allow them to preserve their history and proliferate the Hawaiian culture for the sake of their peoples. I really liked the part of the article that focused on trying to reinvigorate the native culture and history of the native Hawaiians. This legislation would allow Native Hawaiians to eventually get greater access to affordable housing, their own culturally focused education system, health centers and full-time jobs that would include teaching hula or Hawaiian language.

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sna5022 Reply:
March 25th, 2010 at 7:37 pm

I agree with what you said about being shocked after reading this. Like you, I had no idea that these kind of issues existed in Hawaii. I would love to take a vacation there myself, but I wish I would have been more aware of these issues. I think this is something that we should have learned about in grade school because Hawaii is a part of the United States and I do not understand how we can’t address that in our schools. I had no idea that native people of Hawaii had such a hard time and were still facing more issues of homelessness than many other cultures.

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bos5127 Reply:
March 27th, 2010 at 3:57 am

I agree with this. If I was too look at a history book right now Hawaii is made to look like this beautiful place. Beautiful water, nice beaches, and rich in culture when it's really not. Seeing and reading that article made me not only want to study Hawaii but made me want to learn beyond what I'm being taught.

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JHudak Reply:
March 26th, 2010 at 5:49 pm

Giving native Hawaiians the same rights as the Native Americans and native Alaskans just makes sense. Honestly I just assumed they were considered the same as Native Americans and therefore obtained the same rights. But now I can see why they have been overlooked for so long. They are in a very similar place as the Native Americans of the mainland. They are the most likely group to go to jail, to die at a much younger age, and be the bottom of the financial spectrum. And also like the Native Americans they were forced out of their land by the intruding Europeans. Who ultimately spread disease killing thousands of their fellow tribesmen. According to the article there are still four hundred thousand natives that live in Hawaii, who can gain aid from the federal government if this law is passed. They will gain their land and along with that the money and power that they so desperately need.
On the other hand is it the job of the government to make up for what was done to these people hundreds of years ago? This could cost millions of tax payers’ dollars if only a small percentage of land is given back. And there are many people who do not want this to happen. But after reading this article and being in this class I feel it is the job of the government to help these people because if they do not do it no one will. We can not just forget about what happened or say it was not us who did it. Something needs to be done now or else everything will go back to the way it was and we will try to just forget about it, while the native Hawaiians suffer.
After reading the article I am optimistic that this will pass and the Native Hawaiians will get the help they deserve and the recognition from the federal government. The main idea that keeps running through my head is why have they not been recognized just like all the other mainland natives? They have endured the same problems and hardships. They need the help of the government and the support of the American people as well. We need to recognize what they went through and act accordingly, because if it had not been for our ancestors taking their land none of this would have been happening to them.

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Tubby says:

It’s hard to understand why Native Hawaiians have been disregarded for so long, but considering what we did with the Native American people in this country, I can believe it. Native Hawaiians have no reason not to have their own form of government if 564 Native American tribes and Native Alaskans have already developed their own form of government. We seem to be excluding these people but there is no good reason too. Avoiding the Native Hawaiians has lead to several problems within their state, such as homelessness. Many Native Hawaiians are homeless, and live in shelters with their families. What took the Unites States this long to decide to grant them permission to obtain their own government?
It is ridiculous how the United States waited until we got a Hawaiian born president to address these issues. Action should have been taken before. We are not giving everyone within our country an equal change to live if they are not even permitted to govern themselves and build up their nation. The CEO of the office of Hawaiian affairs even stated, "When you look very closely at the numbers – prison, health, wealth, education – we are not at the level that our colonizers are at”. He also stated, “They earn less money, live shorter lives, get sent to prison more often and are more likely to end up homeless than other ethnicities”. Allowing these people to have a form of government will not completely eliminate this problem, that the US has most likely caused, but it will allow them to rise up as a nation and make changes for the better.
These people are very connected and take care of their people, which is why it is likely that they would help each other build up their government and change their nation. Jade Danner, vice president for the Counsel for Native Hawaiian Advancement, stated, “When Native Hawaiians are truly empowered to make their own decisions, it's not that we'll make better decisions than anybody else. It's that we know our communities and we know what will work”. This shows that these people are willing and ready to take the risk of forming their own government; all they need is the permission.
Judging by the way these people make their decisions I think the money and land they receive will be used wisely. Their main focus right now is just to get the approval, but I am sure they will find a profitable way to deal with these new resources. The real question right now is, Can the Native Hawaiian government become a reality? It’s America! Doesn’t everyone deserve a chance to rise up in society? These people have been waiting a long time for this to happen and if it does I feel as though they are prepared to handle it.

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igg5003 says:

I agree that I think of Hawaii as a vacation spot; a place with beautiful beaches, weather, land, and people. I always think of the citizens of Hawaii as people that are “live the good life”. I was very intrigued by Sam’s comment that many of us believe Hawaii is a beautiful place for relaxation, when really the people that live there do not live the life we all think they do. I never knew that Native Hawaiians earn less money, live shorter lives, get sent to prison more often, and are more likely to end up homeless than other ethnicities.

The lives of Native Hawaiians can greatly be compared to the lives of Native Americans; their kingdom was overthrown. Like we discussed in class, Native Americans have the highest unemployment rate, receive less loan product information from banks, have higher interest rate quotes, and are more likely than any other race to be a victim of a violent crime. While this may not be exactly in tune with the lives of Native Hawaiians, it seems pretty relevant. The article states “A disproportionate share of Native Hawaiians find themselves homeless, huddled beneath plastic tarps in beach camps or living shelters”. Native Hawaiians are treated very unfairly and do not have the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

It is clear that there is an unjust system of rights in Hawaii. Although I do agree that it is not the role of the government to make up for past wrongs, I feel that it is the government’s responsibility to help citizens of the state who are in need. It says in the article “‘It’s about correcting the injustice’ Namuo said. ‘When you look very closely at the numbers-prison, health, wealth, education-we are not at the level that our colonizers are at’”. I am not exactly sure what laws should be passed or if they even should receive a new Hawaiian government like Alaska, but something does need to be done. I think our system of Affirmative Action is a precedent that should be followed by Native Hawaiians. They should be able to receive jobs, loans, and shelters to raise their family.

Although I do agree that laws need to be passed within the state of Hawaii to help the indigenous Hawaiians, I am not sure if I fully agree that a new Hawaiian government needs to be set up. It seems as if the only people who need help are the Native Hawaiians, so I am confused as to why a government would be set up for all of the citizens of Hawaii. That would be like setting up a new legislature in the United States to only benefit Native Americans, which does not make too much sense. Instead, laws should be passed by the State of Hawaii to help Native Hawaiians.

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ajn156 says:

This is a very interesting and intriguing story. When I think of Hawaii, I think of sunshine, beaches, honeymoons, and hula dancing. Not for one second do I think of the injustice done to indigenous peoples. It is so easy to forget the rich cultural heritage that Hawaiian natives have and that should be recognized and celebrated. It is incredible to me that although so many Native American and Alaskan native tribes that have been allowed to establish their own governments, this right has not been extended to Native Hawaiians. Just because Hawaii is not connected to the North American continent, Hawaii is still a state in the United States of America. The people who live there pay taxes, abide by laws and are citizens of this nation. I just do not understand why these people have been left out for so long. We need to respect the people who lived on this land before we did. The least we can do is to give their ancestors respect and acknowledgement by extending them the rights that they deserve. The article made mention of the dire straits that the descendants of these native peoples are in today. I am going to assume that their situation is much like that of some modern day Native Americans. The article states that “A disproportionate share of Native Hawaiians find themselves homeless, huddled beneath plastic tarps in beach camps or living in shelters. Native Hawaiians make up 28 percent of the state's homeless who received outreach services, while accounting for about 20 percent of the population, according to last year's report by the University of Hawaii Center on the Family.” This is a considerable number of people living in extreme poverty in “the greatest nation in the world where every man is equal.” This really makes you think. How equal are we? Really though, like how can this many people be so disintegrated. How could we have let this happen? How could we have let our collective ambitions get in the way of common human decency and respect for our fellow human beings? I mean, its bad enough that we pushed them off of land that was originally theirs, but we had to keep pushing, we wanted more than their land, we wanted their pride. I think that this recognition of the Native Hawaiians is the first step in the positive direction for the relationship between this nation, this government, and these people. I think that if we show them respect and decency that one day maybe, we could all be on equal footing. But as long as prejudice and selfish ambitions are allowed to get in the way we will never ever be equal.

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flippyfloppies Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:06 pm

Wow, very well said ajn156! You brought up stuff that I hadn't considered really. I think it's true, but very sad, that Hawaiian natives are forgotten simply because they're not connected to the mainland. It seems like their story gets lost over the Pacific, and I think it's a good idea that they will finally be able to be officially recognized and have their stories heard.

And I find it very ironic that 'the greatest nation in the world' has a large number of its population living in extreme poverty. I'm sure that the Sioux pushing their car to the gas station or the Hawaiian natives forced to live under a tarp don't feel they live in the greatest nation in the world. If that were me I'd feel abandoned and pissed off to say the least. I'd want all the people vacationing on the beach to know that Hawaii isn't the paradise most people mistake it for. So I think it's a good idea that this bill will get sent to the Senate!

I disagree with the argument stated in the article, “Opponents of the legislation say it would give Native Hawaiians special treatment at the expense of other taxpayers”. …Weren’t the early European settlers given benefits and privileges, or rather they took them, at the expense of the natives? I’m sure that while funding may be expensive it won't break the non-native Hawaiians’ pockets. They’re not going to be homeless as a result of their taxation, so I really don’t see what the big fuss is all about. It just seems that they're being greedy about their money. I also hope that the government doesn’t devote some shitty little uninhabited island for the natives to live on, much like how Native Americans were pushed off of their homeland into tiny little reservations. It would be a shame if the situation turned out that way, that the natives would be shoved into a corner so white people wouldn't have to worry about them…haha seems I'm going through a bit of the revisioning stage myself aren't I? Anger at the white man! Grr!

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cnixy910 says:

This blog post really stuck out to me when Sam mentioned that maybe we should consider this information if we someday end up visiting the beautiful beaches for a trip. What an interesting topic. I have visited Hawaii for a family vacation but just thought of it as a nice place to get away and enjoy some relaxation and sunshine. It never even caught my mind that the indigenous looking people we constantly passed while there were not always Americans, and were not necessarily being treated the way they deserved.

I myself, just as many others I’m sure, had failed to even consider the fact that Hawaiians were once their own indigenous group. You just assume that they have always been considered a part of the United States of America. Who would have thought, Hawaii maybe did not want to become the 50th state. But after looking up some information, it becomes known that their fate started out when the Kingdom was overthrown by American (and some European) businessmen in 1893. From there it became an independent republic but eventually was annexed by the United States as a territory in 1898. Hawaii then finally became considered a state in 1959.

This all happened far before my lifetime, and unfortunately as Sam mentioned it gets talked about even less then the unjust put upon Native Americans. As the article stated Native Hawaiians face constants struggles. On average Native Hawaiians earn less money, live shorter lives, and go to jail more often. Does this sound familiar? It sounds a lot to me like what we hear about Native Americans in class lecture. But at least Native Americans have received small amounts of help from the United States government. After hearing this I cannot understand why the Native Hawaiians would not receive recognition as the Native Americans and Native Alaskans. Although it does not completely take back what happened, they at least deserve some compensation, including land and money.

At first I thought, why now is there an article talking about the Native Hawaiians struggles, when I have almost never heard about this topic previously. Then as I read on it mentioned a final vote occurring, as well as mentioning Obama. It interesting that it took a Hawaiian born president to take office for this issue to finally gain some progress. One thing that hit me hard was some of the statistics found in Niesse’s article. The numbers in the article don’t lie, and it appears that this group is in need of serious help. They account for almost 28% of homelessness in Hawaii, why only accounting for 20% the total population. Giving them land and money could help the members of this group who are struggling have a chance at improving their lives.

So as for the question mentioned, "ever think of them?"
I guess the answer for me would unfortunately have to be: before this article and post, not really.

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sna5022 Reply:
March 25th, 2010 at 7:41 pm

I think you made a really interesting point about whether or not Hawaii had even wanted to become part of the United States. This was also an issue that I was completely unaware of before reading this article. As you said, I think it is great that President Obama is taking action to help the Native Hawaiians have a better life, but why wasn’t something done before this? Hawaii is a part of the United States, yet somehow it seems that no one wants to take an initiative and help them in their own time of need. Or at least give them some recognition, like so many other native groups receive. I thought that was a really interesting point as well.

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McLovin8293 says:

This article is very interesting and eye opening which resembles the situation going on here on the homeland of America with our Native Americans. Native Hawaiians are obviously experiencing the same injustices that other Native Americans are feeling, with the colonizers reaping the benefits. Like Native Americans here, they were pushed out of our land, killed of with diseases, and are now living under the control of others who don't rightfully own the land. It is relieving to see an effort being put into restoring order to the Natives, something we should consider extending outside of Hawaii. I think many people would be surprised at the reality of the situation of the Native Hawaiians, much like people being educated of the injustices against Native Americans. More education should be put forth towards this country to make this common knowledge so we can put effort into making a beneficial change for the natives. They are people who have been ignored for centuries and deserve recognition. Hawaiians are very peaceful and humble people and it is nice to see a change come for the natives of a land, which will hopefully spread into more recognition for other natives in this country.

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JJR11 says:

I find this article really interesting for a couple main reasons. First is that when we talk about race relations we never seem to talk about the Native Hawaiians. I honestly think that most people are not really aware of this fact and that is the main problem. I definitaly think it is something that needs to be discussed because after reading this article it seems like there is a problem somewhere in the government and something needs to be done about it. I mean I do not really know the whole story but it seems like some injustice has been committed that needs to be corrected by someone. I think that we may focus to much on other groups of people such as African Americans or Native Americans that we tend to lose touch with other minorities who have been evenly discriminated against or wronged in the past. Most people probably think of Hawaii as this beautiful place that is just perfect and there is never anything wrong over there with the exception of a few volcanos going off or a case of sharks in the water. That is why we may not think that something such as a take over a long time ago had ever occurred. I think stories such as this one need to be out in the open much more often so people become aware that there are more than just a few causes of wrong doings in the past of the United States. I feel that the Hawaiians deserve to have back what was rightfully theirs in terms of land and also should be compensated with some amount of money to help all the homeless Native Hawaiians get back on their feet and become a part of the local community again and get out of the situations they are currently in. It was very shocking to hear that a majority of the people who were homeless were Native Hawaiians. I think the reason for this is because I did not expect their to be that many homeless people in Hawaii in general. I think the image we have of Hawaii as a nation is the reason for this. I know when I think Hawaii i think nice beaches on a chain of islands with warm weather that I would not mind taking a nice vacations to. I would not even think for a minute that many of the Native Hawaiians have been displaced from their land a long time ago and are now suffering because of it. I think this view may be shared with any others in the world. If we can change this it would go long ways in making people everywhere more aware of situations occurring all across the country. When it comes down to it we just need to be more proactive toward situations like these that are happening in places we may not expect them to.

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laur701 says:

I never even heard of this! I think it is great for the Hawaiian people, but i also feel that there are drawbacks as well. It wasn't fair for us to take over Hawaii like the greedy people we are, but if that is the case why doesn't France give back Saint Martin. They speak French just like Hawaiians speak English. I don't know I think it could have great perks for the Hawaiians but they are a part of the US and i feel like its separating. I don't know what the exact terms of agreement are but are they should not be completely taken away from the states. I think that the education and getting jobs for the natives are very necessary for a fully functional country. It is very sad to see those people who were there in the first place to be the ones struggling the most. It is just unnecessary especially since that is probably the most visited state. Tourism is a major income for them, and i do not think it is necessary for there to be unemployment when there are many things they could be employed doing. They could do tours, help in hotels, and other things that are part of the tourism. I'm not saying they should be stuck doing the dirty jobs but there could at least be work made for them. I think it is a good idea they are taking initiative to educate the citizens and others about Hawaii and their past and their culture and language. It is a part of who they are. It should be a part of the curriculum there. It should also be a part of the school work here in the continental United States and in Alaska. All of the states should be required to put their history in the textbooks. Native Americans should be given back land too I feel if we are giving back what is rightful. I could be wrong in this statement, but I think that Native Americans are just as injusticed if not more than the Hawaiians. They have endured it for longer than the Hawaiians and they face many of the same struggles. They are the poorest people here and we need to not overlook them as well. I'm not good at knowing what the annual budget is but I don't see how the American people can take another tax increase. With the health care bill and giving money to the people of Hawaii how are we the people supposed to live here. That might be selfish, but I feel there are other options to explore when it comes to the subject at hand. Regardless, I just think that we shouldn't jump to anything just because Obama was born there. Obama needs to work on other things first, I mean we are in a war, fix that first Obama.

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Durden_ says:

When most people in the continental United States think about Hawaii, they see only the glamorous side. There's the beaches, the climate and of course, beautiful vistas. The advertisements that draw newly weds and families looking for a nice vacation never show the real Hawaii. Or at least the whole story of Hawaii. Tourists are only given the veneer of the true Hawaii, consisting of fancy hotel complexes, pristine beaches, and "traditional" pig roasts. Very few of these tourists ever see the tragedies and injustices that are described in this article. I am sure most people were not aware of the conditions that many of the native Hawaiians were living in, unless they had lived in Hawaii for an extended period of time themselves. I had worked with a native Hawaiian in a past job and since then I have had a different perspective about that "paradise". She had explained how life really was living there. It is about time for our government to recognize the indigenous peoples of this state. It is hard to believe that it has taken so long for our government to take note of a native people living in the United States. All the other Native American tribes residing in the United States were offered some say about their people and given "their own" land to use. Granted, it was not very much considering all that the government has taken from them. But to not give anything back to these people seems an even worse crime. However, either way it can be seen as insulting. By giving the Hawaiian people a small fraction their own land back then the question is why doesn't the United States government just give them back all their land. By not giving anything back, the United States government is seen as cruel and inhuman. Of course the first option is not very practical, however It is a very touchy situation that our government has not had to deal with for many years. The vast majority of Native American issues were dealt with before most of us were even born. The reservations were established and brushed under the carpet. Now the United States is forced to open an old wound that has not and may never fully heal. Something about the article really jumped out at me. It was in regard to the U.S. apologizing for its actions. I do not approve of the United States government giving a formal apology to the native peoples of Hawaii. I am pretty confident they already know that the government left them out in the cold. The last thing they need is for the U.S. to apologize and then not do anything to make the situation any better. The damage is done and giving them back a small fraction of their own land will unlikely improve their living conditions. All we have to do is look to the Native Americans for an example. We gave them a "government" and land. Has their society greatly benefited from that?

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kamanakapu says:

Although the U.S. has apologized for the overthrow of our queen the U.S. refuses to admit that that overthrow was part of a crimenal conspiracy by the US and its agents to steal our governance, sovereignty, independence and land.
In my opinion, that overthrow was just one of several criminal actions the U.S. has been implicated in, the first being in 1887 in what is now known as the ‘bayonet constitution’ in which white men with rifels threatened the then-king with execution if he did not sign the whitemans constitution which enabled the white men to gain powerful positions within the hawaiian government. It was from these unlawfully-gained positions that the white men overthrew the queen in 1893. Subsequent to that criminal act the U.S. instituted another unlawful act by illegaly annexing Hawaii despite the written protests of thousands of native hawaiians. (A native is defined here as a decendant of those who were FIRST! to settle the land in dispute. All others are alians, foreigners, interlopers, invaders, colonists and, in the case of the white men, gun-totting terrorists and thieves). The white men also tried to cement their hold on the islands by running a scam I might call the “The Fiftieth State” fraud in which mostly non-native persons from elsewhere (including the military) were encouraged to vote for the measure. The native hawaiians, however,
protested that that ballot should also include a vote for independence but the white men refused to include that alternative. In addition, the white man spuriously disqualified many hawaiians from voting so that the result of that referendum was overwhelmingly in favor of statehood. Of course the white power structure called it a convincing vote by “native hawaiians” when, in fact, most of those who voted were alians, foreigners, colonizers, military men and their families, and the
the decendants of those who stole our islands.

We hawaiians are not seeking money or raparations from the US at this time. We
cannot do that until we can accurately assess how much damage the US has done to our islands enviroment. For example, we have every reason to belive that the US Military has dumped a hugh amount of toxic and radioactive material on and about our islands that will require a large amount of money to clean up. The US Military, of course, will try every deceitful trick they can to hide the evidence which will make it that much more expensive for us to conduct our investigation to ascertain the truth.
What we are seeking at this time is the RESTORATION of our government, our sovereignty, our independence and our land. Judging from the First Victims experiences with the white man. however, I seriously doubt we will do any better. We will be getting the same thing they got: lie’s, lie’s, and ever more treacherous lie’s.

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atal216 says:

The Native Hawaiians have a lot in common with the Native Americans. In fact the same people ruined their lives… us. No it was not directly our actions that lead to this but our ancestors and relatives have all played a part in stripping the Hawaiians of their land, dignity, and pride. It is funny because the Hawaiian natives really have had almost the exact same experience that the American Indians went through yet it is never really mentioned. They have in a way taken a back seat to the American Indians. Is it because the American Indians actually live on the mainland of the United States? Or is it because they were attacked and stripped of their dignity before the Native Hawaiians and in larger numbers? I feel that the American Indian's situation has been much more highly publicized in the media and in history. Growing up I do not believe that I read or did any activity involving the history of Hawaii and its natives. However, I have learned a fair amount about the Native Americans and their origins growing up. Including doing multiple projects and reading various books about them. To think that their situations are nearly identical it is almost ironic that it is never brought up. The Hawaiian's story is almost like a younger brother who can not out-do his older brother's (Native American's) feats. I do not mean to call these situations, "feats", rather they should be called tragedies. It seems that Americans live their lives and keep the Hawaiian displacement out of their minds. It is almost an unspoken mistake that never is mentioned, but everyone knows is true. Pretending to forget about something never works out. This situation will haunt America until it is righted. Giving the Hawaiians their land back in a way and giving them government control can work wonders. Either way we will be spending money and at this point in our economy I am sure that millions of dollars do not even matter. We need to make this right, lets act now and try to alleviate this problem that has haunted us for over one-hundred years. Spending the money now can mean less poverty, more land, and finally equity for these people who have done nothing wrong to anyone but have received the harshest punishment. People who love the land they live on should not be forced to sleep on their beaches because they have no shelter. Living under a plastic tarp on the beach may sound like fun to visitors, but I am sure that these people do not have much fun in their lives. Drug and alcohol abuse, poverty, and crime are sure reasons that we should want to end this situation. The bill has passed the House vote, so it is on it's way. With a president from Hawaii I am sure that we can step up and pass this thing.

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Yushi says:

Talking about Hawaii I can only think about the beautiful beaches, surfers, volcanoes, scenery,Japanese, and maybe bikinis… but I will never think about the Native Hawaiians. Just like many other races and ethnics in the world, they belong to the forgotten group. Actually on of my high school teachers' wife is half Hawaiian and half Asian. They both grew up in hawaii and got to know each other at the age of 20. There is nothing wrong with that I would say.Hawaiians are forgotten not because the majority group (say, the white people) intentionally forget them, but because compare to other groups, they are so small, both in population size and cultural impact to the world. These features make them hard to be wide recognized by the public. At some point, say, some hawaiian native just showed on TV for his or her great achievement on something, we may remember this group of people for one day, and that's everything about it. We might think "oh there is ANOTHER group of people living in Hawaii. But wait, they are in no way ANOTHER group, they are THE group of hawaii. With time goes on, they are tend to be more and more blurred. The group on edge– this might be suitable for them. I don't know why, but all the native groups are tend to be on edge– no matter if they are the Native Americans, the native Inuits, the native tibetans, nor the native Hawaiians… They all tend to be "pushed" off the cliff. I don't understand it. If you see their history, they are not as blank as you might imagine– some of them did create very glorious past. For some reason they are not culturally strong enough to make some sound to the world. I think that might be the main reason for why they are always ignored by the majority. Productivity is a group's basic skill to keep alive. Then culture is its basic skill to live longer. Only when you created a great amount of cultural system, you can let your people's thought pass on and on. These minority groups are very proud of themselves. They have their own value to pursue. The problem emerges: how do we find the balance between protecting the minority's own culture and pushing our own value to them? Or do we just do whatever we want to do? This is a really tough question. When we are able to find out which way is the best for both people, we then are able to deal with this problem correctly. Anyways, there are always people gonna be forgotten, and there are always people who are on top of the others. If we can care about the others a little bit more, the world will become much more beautiful! "Embrace the difference!"

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klh383 says:

Most Americans have a certain and probably unrealistic view of Hawaii. We only think of the state as a vacation spot that is mainly made of the tourists that come and go. When we visit we rarely leave the resort. Sure, I realized that there were Hawaiian natives, but I naively assumed that they were just integrated in with others who live there. It’s sad to see a group go years without any recognition. I think they have every right to govern themselves. There is no reason that other natives of this country have rights while the Hawaiians are still struggling to gain them.

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sicbeach82 says:

Hawaii has always been one of the many places I want to travel to before I die. The beautiful landscapes, warm temperatures, and island atmosphere intrigue me, and I would love to go there someday. However, I never knew behind all the beauty of this state that so many Native Hawaiians were being oppressed and didn’t have complete rights. It is quite interesting how we always hear about the Native Americans whose land we took over, and we never really hear anything about the Native Hawaiians. I didn’t even know that this kind of injustice went on in Hawaii, and it is pretty crazy to think about. I never really thought about the Native Hawaiians whose land we took over and kicked them out of when we conquered the state over 100 years ago.

The part of this article that stood out to me the most was how the Native Hawaiians are the last remaining indigenous group in the United States that haven’t been allowed to establish their own government. I don’t understand how the right to government can be granted to everyone else except this one group of people. It’s interesting how the government has tried to help pretty much every other group in the country whose land they took over, besides the Native Hawaiians. America is supposed to be the land of the free. People have come to this country escaping the oppression in their homelands for over a hundred years now. It just doesn’t seem fair that people come here to escape oppression, but yet are still being treated inhumanely in this country. The whole idea seems absolutely absurd, and I still don’t understand that if this great country we live in has been around for over 200 years now, and still not everyone is treated the same.

The Native Hawaiians seem to suffer very similar injustices like Native Americans. Both groups earn less money, live shorter lives, and are more likely to be incarcerated than other ethnicities. However, I think that even if this bill is passed, the lives of the Native Hawaiians will probably not even improve that much. I think that if their lives do improve it will be a very slow process. The Native Hawaiians will need a large amount of land and money in order to recover. I also disagree with Jamie Story’s quote in the article that it is not the government’s job to make up for what has happened in the past. I think that the government should play a large role, if not complete role, in fixing what has happened in the past. So many people look to the government for guidance, and if the government isn’t doing anything to correct the injustices, not as many people will care.

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cmaverick says:

I never knew that native Hawaiians still existed and actually petitioned for rights. I guess I overlooked the fact that when Americans took over the islands of Hawaii, they took land from people that already lived there. I had no idea about the native Hawaiian kingdom and how it was overthrown by the Americans when they decided to annex the archipelago into a state/American territory. The whole thing about “hundreds of thousands who died from diseases spread by foreign explorers” seems so familiar with how the European explorers came to the Americas and mostly eradicated the existence and “species” of Native Americans.

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Drewbob59 says:

This report of downright harassment is completely unacceptable to me as an American. How would you feel if people at Penn State started yelling racial slurs at someone in power at Penn State or even someone that just represent Penn State. I would be offended that my university acted in that way without even thinking about what party it is for. The party doesn’t matter for that I realize as a Democrat I would feel embarrassed and upset with my fellow party members if I were a Republican and honestly I would feel the same when in the reverse roll. However since this sort of actions are still happening in America “We” as Americans need to do something about it. I understand that it is a freedom to protest and that’s something that makes America amazing however people seem to abuse these freedoms way too often. It is great that these people are using one of their rights which many neglect to use which is freedom of speech however we need to be careful on how we use this freedom. I honestly believe people there if they heard the word being yelled should have turned around and asked the person “what the hell are you thinking?” I have always believed that you may not necessarily like someone but that is no reason to disrespect them even to get a point across.
Even as a Democrat, if I were protesting and yelling things to get the opposition or even my own side to change their mind there is no excuse for this type of behavior. There should be legal action taken because this is downright harassment and for arguments sake I believe it is next to shooting at someone. We allow people to get this close and we abuse these rights and freedoms. I always believe if you don’t like something you better have a reason for it and not just dislike it. When protesting you need to have an opinion and not just hate the opposing party. For example I am for Health care reform and I honestly don’t know who isn’t for providing health care to all and lowering the cost of Health Care. However with our party ties we say and do other things. I currently have friends who are without health care because their parents would not cover them when they entered college and it is too expensive to pay for it. This is scary to me because if something were to happen to one of them they would be in a lot of trouble. I know there are many oppositions to health care I just don’t know who would want someone close to be unprotected like this. We all as American deserve this and we need to respect one another.

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NLFT5048 says:

I'm from Hawaii, so I actually emailed Sam asking him about the Native Hawaiian dilemma and whether or not they should be considered in a way similar to how we consider Native Americans.
Native Hawaiians were never "kicked off" of their land like the Native Americans were, but their traditional way of life was taken from them much like the Native Americans.
Missionaries came to Hawaii shortly after Captain Cook's "discovery" of "The Sandwich Isles," where they "refined" the "savages," bringing Christianity to take the place of their traditional polytheistic religion. They taught the Hawaiians to speak English and learn to read and write the language. They destroyed the Hawaiians' institution of polygamous marriage and replaced it with their own "ordained" monogamous marriages. They clothed them in Western European clothes.
Shortly thereafter, Americans (and some Western Europeans) began to use the fertile land for one of the most precious crops of the time— sugar. The lands were exploited for corporate profit, increasing the power of five major companies, also known as the Big 5.
In the end, the oligarchy created by the Big 5 spelled the end to the monarchy that governed Hawaii with the overthrow of our last monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. Hawaii was annexed by the United States immediately thereafter, gaining official statehood in 1959.

My point is that there are many, many, many parallels between the plight of the Native Hawaiians and that of the Native Americans.
The Native Hawaiians weren't forced off of their land, because, understandably, there's no where else to go when you're an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. However, they were just as equally forcibly subjucated to a government and nation that they did not necessarily want to be a part of.

Here's a question:
There was a bill in the legislature deemed The Akaka Bill (after our Senator Daniel Akaka, also known as the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009) that would give Native Hawaiians the same rights as Native Americans. Should Native Hawaiians receive the same sort of priviledges as those afforded to Native Americans?

Anyway, it'd be great if people realized that, in order to make the tropical paradise that is my home and vacation spot for many people worldwide a part of the United States, there was a whole nation with it's own society and monarchy to displace first.
It didn't just magically become "ours," you know.

PS, Thanks, Sam, for bringing this up!

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swimmer87 says:

This was a very interesting topic to read about. During my childhood, I went to Hawaii almost every year during Christmas break. It is my favorite place to be in the world. Now, the only parts of Hawaii I have seen is what we have all seen on the postcards- white sand beaches, clear water, Hula dancers, etc. I guess whenever I thought about the Native Hawaiians, I just thought about how lucky they were to be able to live in such a beautiful place. Little did I know that they do not have many rights. I hope in the future this can be fixed. While I do not live in a place as warm or beautiful as Hawaii, I am lucky to have certain rights that the Native Hawaiians do not have.

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psupupil says:

The Native Hawaiian culture has fallen casualty to the most common episode of the American landscape. Just the same as the native peoples of the lower 48, the European expansion and domination of the Americas has become the common root of American settlement. In a nutshell, the Europeans came to America and calmed the land as their own, eliminating the competing indigenous population through disease and gunpowder. What population managed to survived has been forced onto reservations managed by the Federal Government, that at one time was the deciding body of their genocide. This same Federal Government that governs all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii has now been challenged to grant the same “rights and privileges” of Native Americans in the lower 48 (and Alaska) to the Native Americans of Hawaii, allowing them to establish their own government on their native soil of the Hawaiian Islands.

With the legislative act all but law, the establishment of a Native Hawaiian government will be reality not soon before long. Based on the premise of the establishment of Native American governments for the Native Americans of the lower 48 states and Alaska combined with the current liberal Congress and Presidential positions, establishment of a Native Hawaiian Government seems very likely. The only hindrance that would contribute to the abolishment of the bill becoming law would be the cost of funding for the newly established government. Even in the midst of a national recession, most likely enough pork will be added to the bill to convince the needed conservative vote.

One part of this story that I don’t like is the emphasis that the Native Hawaiians deserve some type of restitution for the overthrowing of their empire in 1893. The establishment of the Native Hawaiian government itself is a throwback to the “wrong” that has been committed by the government in the natural history of the nation. We know the state of affairs the American Indians live in the lower 48, and I hardly doubt that the conditions for Native Alaskans are any better than that of Native Hawaiians. So by establishing a government for the Native Hawaiian people some advancement is being made to fortify the existence of the Native Hawaiian population, however this “advancement” will find the Native Hawaiians in the same position as all other lower 48 and Alaskan Native Americans. – Placing them at the lowest position in our American society today.

So now we find ourselves asking the same questions that we had when discussing how to solve the problem of white guilt for the taking of red land, that is all Native American land from the native peoples of all 50 states, Alaska and Hawaii included. Establishing a Government for the native peoples of Hawaii is a step in the right direction, but as will all US Government actions for Native Americans, more like a band-aid on a broken leg.

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sna5022 says:

I was completely shocked when I read this article. I think it is so strange that we do not learn any history about Hawaii when they are a part of our own nation. Considering that this is a place that I would love to visit some day, I was very disappointed that I really do not know much about the history. I did not even realize that I did not know anything about the state until I read this article. Also, I would like to know who this guy named Dole is and why he made so many decisions about Native Hawaiians fate, and why his policies are still in place today. There have been a lot of decisions made over the past hundreds of years, and many of these decisions have been overturned. For example, every time we have a new President, they are free to change laws so my question is: why didn’t anyone ever change the policies to help those people who are Native Hawaiians? I was also very surprised to read that they are the only remaining indigenous group who does not have its own government. This was unbelievable to me as I feel that any group of people should be able to establish its own government, especially as members of the United States. This was even more surprising to me because Alaskan Natives have been allowed to establish their own government, and in a way, I feel that these two states should be more related than many others. This is something that definitely needs to happen in the near future and I think it is great that President Obama was born in Hawaii so hopefully he will be more inclined to help them out. I feel that no other President has had such a personal connection to Hawaii, which is a shame because the President should be equally willing to help out any and every state in America. I also was not aware that Native Hawaiians are more likely to be homeless than many other races. I do not think that any culture should be more prone to be thrown in jail or to not receive an education, and frankly, these people have not done anything to receive that type of treatment. I do not understand why there are even opponents to this idea. One person in the article stated that it is not the government’s responsibility to make up for past wrongs. Well if the government does not do anything about it, then who will? Obviously these people of Hawaii have been dug into a hole and really do not have much control over their own destinies. In my opinion, the government should be doing everything they can to help the cultures who do not have as much privilege.

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ilovesoc says:

I am very surprised that we have not talked about Native Hawaiians yet in class, considering how much we talk about Native Americans and the inequality they face today still. It amazes me that these Native Hawaiians are the LAST indigenous tribe to receive their own government. I think a lot probably has to do with the fact that we do not see Hawaii as needing any more rights because they pull in so much money through tourism and vacationing because of their beautiful and secluded beaches and islands. It is easy to see now how this underlying issue could be so overlooked for so long. The fact that President Obama was born in Hawaii seems like it will really help the Native's desire to have their own government. He has more empathy for the situation because it hits him more directly than others.

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ilovesoc says:

This is a very interesting topic to discuss because it is not one that many know a lot about. I know that before I read this article, I would have just assumed that the Native Hawaiians have their own government, especially after hearing that the Native Alaskans do! However, I do understand that Alaska is not nearly as common to vacation in than Hawaii, but that does not mean they do not deserve the same rights. I am a little torn on this issue because while I agree that the Native Hawaiians should have their own government, I think the monetary amount to do so is too high and could be used for better things.

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Dekontee01 says:

Wow, well isn't this interesting another story of a country taken over and controlled by White Americans. This story sounds quite similar to that of the native Americans. What is it about these early either Europeans exploring the world thinking and taking over peoples land? they act as if these native people do not exist, better yet they just simply do not care. What is it about the color of their skin or that they think they are so much better than others.

the people of Hawaii deserve better treatment, a good government, etc. i remember hearing a guy speak about the country's problems before. he stated how a majority of their land it used by the United States army , as a training base. where stray bullets are shot into the air. it is sad how their independence as a country was stolen from them and now they must suffer in their own land.

there are many factors that must be taken into consideration as the article states, but i think that these people should establish their own government and go far away from America's selfish, discriminative ruling power.

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cityofchamps says:

I am very surprised to find out that Native Hawaiians haven’t been given their land back like Native Americans have. Some of the delay may come from the fact that Hawaii was only added as a state 50 years ago. But Sam is definitely right, we as Americans rarely if ever discuss given land back to Native Hawaiians. In fact, I would assume the state’s politicians are reluctant to hand the land over because of the large loss of revenue. Also, the land could become vacations resorts and tourist destinations in some places just like casinos on Native American reservation. Clearly the best interest in the minds of the government is not to turn over any land.

But a moral person would definitely think that the land should be returned, especially since there are so many natives who are homeless. It will take some time for the natives to be reintegrated to a more civilized life and all their problems won’t simply disappear overnight. That is clearly demonstrated today with the many problems that Native Americans continue to face.

I think the decision that should be made is to return some of the land to the Native Hawaiians. In theory, all land should be returned to the natives, but it just seems like such an unrealistic resolution. However, I think the U.S. government should be careful when they make their decision though. Some financial aid should be given to the natives in either an annuity or lump sum to help establish a new functioning nation. The U.S. should also study past experience with Native Americans to help the process. Also, I believe the U.S. has a duty to always protect the Native Hawaiians when the land is returned. In the event of another Pearl Harbor like attack, the natives shouldn’t be left defenseless for the decisions of the U.S.

However, no decision should be made without first consulting the Native Hawaiians themselves. It is originally their land and their opinions should count the most since they will be affected more than anyone else. I think too often the government or society just does what it feels would be best, when in reality, maybe the natives would like a different resolution. Who knows, maybe everyone would be happier with the decision in the end. Just as Sam has been discussing in class lately, it is difficult to put yourself in the shoes of another person or group and truly see what they see on a day to day basis. Listening to the party that will be most affected is probably the best decision. Also, like any other issue that our country faces, the more awareness there is the more likely we will have a more informed and equitable decision made.

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jzr141 says:

When you think of Hawaii, what usually comes to mind is some locals chilling on a beach a la Forgetting Sarah Marshall or 50 First Dates. Everyone seems so laid back there that it’s weird to think that anything really bothers the natives. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that they once had a kingdom, their last princess ending her reign in 1893.

However, this article was very eye opening. Many Native Hawaiians face the same struggles that Native Americans face on the mainland, yet I feel like it could be way worse for them. They’re struggling right next to some of the most decadent resorts that host the richest of vacationers. The tourists’ freedom to make wonderful memories on the same land that has treated the natives like dirt gets thrown in their faces, and almost mocks them and the lives they could have had.

I believe that this money granted to the Native Hawaiians and give them a boost in reclaiming their own government back, however, it can only take them so far to get them back on their feet. This article makes a very good point when it claims, “Native Hawaiians are truly empowered to make their own decisions, it's not that we'll make better decisions than anybody else. It's that we know our communities and we know what will work.” Native Hawaiians have been in a state of destitution for so long, that I wonder if they did even get the power to govern themselves back, would they even know what to do with it? They’re going to literally have to work themselves back from the ground up, which is definitely no easy feat.

What would Native Hawaiians even do with the proposed $338 million and 1 million acres? If they were to reestablish a monarchy, surely the American government would have to intervene, which just goes against the whole point of this legislation. Hopefully, the money can go towards something useful, like healthcare or housing projects, to help Native Hawaiians take charge of their lives again.

I think this issue sheds light on the very important issues that face the people who first lived in our country. After reading this article, and comparing Native Hawaiian’s struggles with the struggles of other Native Americans, it makes me wonder about the paradoxes of the United States. We claim to welcome people from all over the world and promise a life of opportunity, yet to the actual people who were here before us and who were forced aside, our nation pretty much leaves them for dead and leaves them off in the poorest conditions. It’s sad to see that some native groups are just now regaining the power to govern themselves and revert back to the ways they used to live, but I think too much damage has been done for their efforts to truly be successful. It will be interesting to see how Native Hawaiians fare with this new opportunity.

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