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Burrows jburrows@halcyon.com :: :: C.W.I.S. :: :: P.O. Box 2574 Fido Net 1:352/333 :: :: Olympia, WA 206-786-9629 :: :: 98507-2574 USA The Quarto Mundista BBS :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DOCUMENT: HAWIQUES.TXT KA LAHUI HAWAI'I THE SOVEREIGN NATION OF HAWAI'I COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT KA LAHUI HAWAI'I HOW DOES LAHUI DEFINE SOVEREIGNTY? In general, sovereignty is the ability of a people to govern their own affairs. Ka Lahui has a more specific definition of sovereignty which includes the following five elements: A STRONG AND ABIDING FAITH IN THE AKUA, because a spiritually empty people do not make a strong nation. A PEOPLE WITH A COMMON CULTURE, language, tradition, and history, for example: Ka Po'e Hawai'i (the Hawaiian people). A LAND BASE so that Hawaiians are able to live and practice their cultural traditions. Ka Lahui is working to secure the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust, which includes approximately 200,000 acres; and the 5(f) Ceded Lands Trust, which includes approximately 1.4 million acres as the Hawaiian landbase. A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE to enable Hawaiians to be self- determining. Self-determination is the ability of a Nation of people, through their government structure, to manage their lands and natural resources and to create a plan for their future and that of their children. AN ECONOMIC BASE that will enable Hawaiians to become self- sufficient. Economic self-sufficiency is the goal of nationhood. SOVEREIGNTY is the ability of a people who share a common culture, religion, language, value system and land base, to exercise control over their lands and lives, independent of other nations. In order for Native Hawaiian people to exercise control over their lives and property, they must be self-determined. SELF-DETERMINATION is realized when the native people organize a mechanism for self-governance. Only when the Hawaiian people create a governmental structure that provides for their democratic representation, will they be able to relate effectively with the state and federal trustees who now control their lands. A governing structure will allow Hawaiians to gain control over their land trust assets and their future. SELF-SUFFICIENCY is the goal of nationhood. Self-sufficiency means the people are able to be self-supporting, capable of feeding, clothing, and sheltering themselves. WHAT IS KA LAHUI HAWAI'I? Ka Lahui Hawai'i is a native initiative, developed by grassroots Hawaiians. It is based on a democratic constitution, created by native Hawaiians, that identifies four branches of government: the Executive, the Legislative, the Judiciary, and the Ali'i Nui. Citizenship is open to all Hawaiians and honorary citizenship is offered to non- Hawaiians. Only full citizens can vote and hold office. Leadership is elected by the citizens, voting in 33 districts statewide. Initiative, referendum, and recall are included in the Constitution. Ka Lahui Hawai'i is a separate government and controls its own internal affairs -- Ka Lahui Hawai'i is not subject to state control. Ka Lahui Hawai'i is the evolutionary product of years of legal research and community input. Ka Lahui's 14,000 citizens are committed to regaining their native lands and reestablishing Hawaiians as a self-governing people. Ka Lahui's governing structure is democratic in nature, its political process is the elective process, and its cultural process is lokahi. HOW WAS KA LAHUI HAWAI'I CREATED? Ka Lahui Hawai'i was created in 1987 by a Constitutional Convention. Prior to this, eight years of intense legal and historical research, as well as many community meetings, were conducted to identify the best way for Hawaiians to reinstate their sovereign nation. This resulted in a draft Constitution which was submitted and ratified by 250 Hawaiian delegates at Ka Lahui's 1st Constitutional Convention convened in 1987 at Keaukaha, Hawai'i. The 2nd Constitutional Convention was held in August 1989, where 94 elected Hawaiian delegates from all islands, presented, debated, and voted on amendments to the Constitution. The 3rd Constitutional Convention was held in July 1992, where 100 elected Hawaiian delegates from all islands made further amendments to the Constitution. WHAT HAS KA LAHUI DONE SINCE IT WAS CREATED IN 1987? Ka Lahui Hawai'i doesn't only talk about sovereignty -- it asserts Hawaiian sovereignty in a legal and rational way. Ka Lahui Hawai'i is a Nation of citizens, not an organization with members. Ka Lahui is not a "model" of sovereignty, but is an operating sovereign government. Ka Lahui has devoted time and resources to further sovereignty education and citizen enrollment. Since 1987, Ka Lahui Hawai'i has conducted over 300 workshops statewide on the federal policy and Hawaiian sovereignty. It has sponsored and/or participated in many sovereignty conferences, panel discussions, and symposiums. Ka Lahui has published its positions and its Constitution for public review and input and has tried to work effectively with other Hawaiian sovereignty groups and organizations. In the last 5 years, Ka Lahui has: * Convened Three (3) Constitutional Conventions (1987,1989, and 1992). * Held Two (3) Elections for Con Con delegates (1989 and 1992). * Convened 14 Legislative Sessions (includes sessions of the Interim Legislature). * Held a General Election in 1990. * Created and maintains a Citizen Enrollment Database. * Created a non-profit organizational arm to receive grants and tax-deductible donations. * Published 6 issues of Ka Lahui's National Newsletter to keep citizens informed. * Ratified 14 Treaties of Mutual Recognition and Friendship with Inuit and Indian Nations. * Exchanged Diplomatic Notes with many Nations in Europe and the Pacific. * Sent Diplomatic Liaisons to the United Nations. * Sent two representatives to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. * Worked extensively with the Church organizations to educate their members and solicit support. In this effort, Ka Lahui received a $12,000 grant from the Catholic Churches to conduct sovereignty education workshops throughout the Catholic dioceses in Hawai'i. * Sent delegations to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress on behalf of Hawaiian entitlements and programs. * Received a $172,000 Federal grant for Self-Governance Training and to conduct educational workshops on sovereignty from the Administration for Native Americans. * Organized and co-sponsored the "Hawaiian Solidarity Rally" to stop the erosion of Hawaiian trust lands and to support Hawaiian language immersion funding. * Attended and testified at all significant public and legislative hearings held on Hawaiian issues * Conducted numerous fundraisers to support the activities of the Nation. * Conducted training workshops for officers and citizens on Natural Resource Management, Legislative Processes, Computer use, Land Use Planning, the State Water Code, and Registering Historic Sites. * Established a National computer network spanning all the major islands . * Designed and created Ka Lahui Hawai'i's Flag. WHAT IS KA LAHUI'S APPROACH TO GAIN SOVEREIGNTY? Many people think that sovereignty is a "radical" concept or that it is illegal. What Ka Lahui is proposing is not something new. In fact, the U.S. government already recognizes hundreds of self-governing native nations on the U.S. continent -- we're just saying to do it one more time in Hawai'i. It is not a question of whether or not there will be Hawaiian sovereignty, only a question of when and under what conditions. Most people are not aware of the U.S. federal policy supporting self-determination for America's native peoples. Under this policy, the U.S.: 1) rejects government wardship over natives; 2) supports federal recognition of the right of native nations to be self-governing; 3) allows native people to control their own lands, revenues, and natural resources; and 4) provides assistance for the creation of economic self-sufficiency. Under this policy, the U.S. recognizes 550 native nations within its borders. These are not state or federal agencies. This policy was established in 1970 by President Richard Nixon and reaffirmed on June 14, 1991 by President George Bush. Ka Lahui's approach to gain sovereignty is simple. It seeks inclusion for the Hawaiian people in the existing U.S. federal policy which affords all Native Americans the right to be self-governing and the right to access federal courts for judicial review. Once this is achieved, the sovereign nation can explore resolution of claims relating to the native trusts and other entitlements. Ka Lahui believes that the nation should be created before native entitlements are negotiated. It is the right of the Nation to advance the claims of its people and to explore ways to resolve conflicts with the State and the U.S. WHAT WILL SOVEREIGNTY MEAN FOR ME? WILL I LOSE MY PENSION, SOCIAL SECURITY, OR AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP? People are afraid of sovereignty because they don't know enough about it or because they think their privately-owed lands or their lifestyle will be "taken" or changed by the Hawaiian Nation. Although some sovereignty groups want to do this, Ka Lahui is interested in controlling the lands and assets which were set aside for Native Hawaiians and Hawaiians. At present, the Native Hawaiian trusts are controlled by 2 Boards, each with 9 members appointed by the Governor. Ka Lahui presents an alternative to this system and would ensure that Hawaiian interests and rights are duly represented and that trust assets be managed appropriately to benefit Native Hawaiians and their descendants. When Hawaiian sovereignty occurs, we will continue to live, work, and play as we do today. The primary change would be that Hawaiian lands and assets would be managed and controlled by laws passed by Ka Lahui's Legislature. Hawaiians would elect Hawaiians to represent Hawaiian interests and concerns. Ka Lahui citizenship will not change your U.S. or state citizenship, or affect your job, social security, retirement or pension from the U.S. or the state. All citizens of Hawai'i are now under two constitutions: the U.S. Constitution and the State Constitution. If you enroll as a citizen of Ka Lahui you will fall under an additional constitution, that of Ka Lahui Hawai'i. HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE SOVEREIGNTY WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES? The advantage of living in a democratic society is that people can embrace and fight for their own ideals. The Hawaiian community is moving ahead with sovereignty through its debates, discussions, and yes, even through its differences in opinions. Some people might call this "in- fighting," but keep in mind that disagreement occurs only when you have commitment to an issue -- people fight for things worth fighting for. No ethnic or native group agrees on everything -- Hawaiians are no different. Ka Lahui's governing process allows for debate where all ideas can be heard. In fact, we encourage people who don't like something in Ka Lahui's Constitution to join Ka Lahui and change it. Constitutions can be amended as any founding document of a nation must be dynamic and able to change as needs and times change. Ka Lahui respects differences of opinion and our governing process provides for it. Democracy allows many opinions to be expressed and for a majority consensus to prevail. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL YOUR ISLAND CONTACT Hawai'i Clarence Kauahi 885-7677 Maui Blossom Feiteira 242-1885 O'ahu O'ahu Office 808-521-3503 Moloka'i April Kealoha 558-8343 Kaua'i and Ni'ihau Nani Rogers 822-5613 Lana'i Sol Kaho'ohalahala 565-6583 Tax deductible donations can be made to: Pono Kaulike (Ka Lahui's non-profit arm) & mailed to P.O. 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