Native Hawaiians were not constituted as tribes as most of us I think understand tribes, but they were a separate nation.

The legislature of the State of Hawaii, which represents all of the people of Hawaii has time and again passed resolutions in support of this legislation.

Aloha. Thank you for this opportunity to testify on H.R. 2314.

This decision does not stand for the proposition that Native Hawaiians are non-indigenous people.

I particularly appreciate the comments made by my colleagues, Abercrombie of course, Bordallo and Faleomavaega.

The legislature of the State of Hawaii...has time and again passed resolutions in support of this legislation.

The Native Hawaiian people are an indigenous people this is not race-based legislation.

Congress retains some jurisdiction because of the creation of the Hawaiian Homes Commissions Act.

That is not an accurate reflection of the support that this legislation of the Native Hawaiians have in Hawaii.

The thing that we should remember is the United States has a special relationship with native peoples, and Native Hawaiians are native peoples.

I cannot disagree more strongly with that statement because there was a Kingdom of Hawaii recognized by the United States.

the Native Hawaiian people are an indigenous people this is not race-based legislation.

They are wrong. As I said, there are appropriate lines of cases that apply to the special relationship that the United States has native peoples.

They do not belong to the State? No. It is held in trust, and, of course, one of the trust purposes is for the benefit of Native Hawaiians.

All of those kinds of issues, anything that would allow Native Hawaiians to not pay state taxes would have to be agreed to by the State of Hawaii.

Those of us who have addressed this issue, who have thought about it, who have read the various opinions, we have never viewed this as a race-based issue.

This bill sets up a process whereby the United States can recognize a constituted Native Hawaiian governing entity.

I would say that any kind of an argument that says that, that Native Hawaiians are not an indigenous people, is in my view very wrong.