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 [...]
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 [...]
Hawaii’s splendid isolation has contributed so much to the character of the islands. Our island paradise owes much to it, as does our culture of family and “aloha spirit.” On the other hand, those on the mainland have only the slightest acquaintance with the political and social issues we struggle with, and it’s easy for [...]
By Jere Krischel E pluribus unum. Present on the Great Seal of the United States since 1782, its meaning is both simple and profound – “Out of many, one.” Originally it may have been but a literal acknowledgement of the Union of the thirteen colonies, but as the years have gone by it has become a philosophical premise which [...]
Lest it be said that all I do is criticize the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, I will direct your attention today to a thought-provoking study they’ve just released on Native Hawaiians in Hawaii’s criminal justice system. I won’t give it my unqualified seal of approval–after all, the term “disparate treatment” in the title implies a [...]
So, what ever happened to the much-ballyhooed OHA petition to force money out of the Hawaii legislature? I remember when they filed it with the Hawaii Supreme Court. How could I forget? I got two separate press releases, a print newsletter article, an e-newsletter brief, and multiple links to the story as picked up (and [...]
Today’s entry in our ongoing series by Jim Marino on the development of tribal gaming in California deals with the immediate aftermath of the passage of Proposition 1A–the ballot measure that was a de facto legalization of tribal casino gambling in California. For Hawaiians, this is an interesting study in how special interests can lobby [...]
When you’re Hapa, you get used to people playing, “guess the ethnicity” with you. Especially on the mainland. (In Hawaii, the game is generally much shorter. In part because one of your cousins will inevitably walk by and put an end to things.) I actually don’t mind it though. I’ve always liked the way that [...]
The Heritage Foundation has released its 2010 Index of Dependence on Government, and you will be unsurprised to hear that American dependence on government programs continues to grow–especially in the health and welfare sectors. Now, I will be the first to admit that, when confronted by a bevy of charts and words like “index” and [...]
What Are the ‘Returned Lands’ of Hawaii?
By Jere Krischel In an article titled “What are the ‘Ceded Lands’ of Hawaii?” written for Honolulu Civil Beat on 11/08/2010, Professor Van Dyke makes some critical errors in his assessment of both the history and the law. While acknowledging the Supreme Court’s rejection of the “Apology Resolution,” he still relies on it for his [...]