Hawai'ian Nationalist Movement

Although several factions exist within the Hawai’ian Nationalist Movement, the overall goal is to maintain Hawai’ian sovereignty. Ka Lahui Hawai'i, a branch of this movement formed in 1987, fights to regain self-government for the benefit of all Native Hawai’ians. Resisting all efforts to conform Hawai’ians to speaking English exclusively, Pidgin and 'olelo Hawai'i are encouraged, along with all native dance and art forms. In addition to the controversy that the Nationalist Movement causes, current legislation in the form of the Akaka Bill, passed on March 9, 2005, is also being widely disputed. Politicians and Hawai’ians hold different views concerning the Akaka Bill which, among other things, is designed to promote Hawai’ian recognition on a federal level. A Democratic Senator for Hawai’i, Daniel Inouye claims that the bill upholds Hawai’ians as indigenous people entitled to their own lawfulness, while still sustaining their citizenship in the United States. Thereby, such legislation could be constructive in preserving the native language of Hawai’i, along with other rights.

Bibliography:

“Sovereignty in Hawaii.” Sovereign Stories. Jonathan Osorio, Ph.D.
http://www.sovereignstories.org/sovereignty/sovereigntyp.htm