As we’ve mentioned here more times than I can count, it’s important that we stay apprised of developments and impact of Native American law, as the Akaka Bill seeks to bring those precedents to Hawaii. With that said, here are some of the more significant decisions of late. (Note that two of the cases have [...]
When you picture special interest groups and government lobbyists, you probably imagine corporate fat cats hiring sleazy lawyers to get them favors and interests from legislators. (This also indicates that you’ve heard too many John Edwards speeches.) Putting aside whether the unfairness of this image (unfairness to the business owners, that is–I wouldn’t dream of [...]
There is a tendency among state legislatures with short annual sessions, to pass a glut of questionable bills right before they adjourn for the year. This is similar to the human instinct to try to camouflage embarrassing or problematic revelations by mixing them with many other questionable items in the hopes that they will somehow [...]
It should be of interest to those affected by the Akaka Bill (in other words, pretty much everyone in Hawaii) to know that Native Hawaiians are not the only ones encountering controversy over the question of federal recognition of tribal status. Columnist and investigative reporter John Stossel writes of the Lumbees of North Carolina, who [...]
There are plenty of reasons to feel vaguely annoyed and Senator Inouye’s recent interview in Honolulu Civil Beat. I, for one, particularly loathed the implication that people in the middle class are a tad selfish for feeling that they pay enough in taxes. But for sheer muddling of a situation, it’s hard to beat his [...]
From time to time, we like to look at the state of law, policy, and economics regarding the many federally-recognized Indian tribes. What does this have to do with Hawaii? Simple–one of the functions of this project is to explore the full story behind the implications of and motivations for the Akaka Bill. Mostly, we [...]
It’s baaaack! Call it the Frankenstein of bad legislation. The Akaka Bill is back in the Senate. And while some pundits don’t give it much of a future in the House of Representatives, the Senate gave it a hearing this past Thursday. In truth, there is far too much riding on this bill for opponents [...]
If you know your way around this site, you know that there are two ways of perusing the many, many grants we’ve recorded. Many. Many, many, many. It’s overwhelming actually. And overwhelming is kind of the point. No matter where you stand on the issue of Native Hawaiian sovereignty or the Akaka Bill, if you’ve [...]
Senator Akaka has announced that he will not be running for reelection at the end of his current term. For his years of service to the Islands, we thank him and bid him a fond farewell. However (and you knew this was coming, didn’t you?), the fact that Senator Akaka is a nice old guy [...]
For those who thought that the change in Congress meant a respite from the imminent threat of the Akaka Bill, think again. In what might be something of a desperation move, the legislature has introduced a bill that purports to recognize a Native Hawaiian tribe through the state. (Essentially, a state version of the Akaka [...]
