I sincerely hope that in the course of our hearings in the coming weeks that my good friend from Washington might have a change of heart.

This just blows my mind to hear from the highest authority of our country saying that Native Hawaiians don't exist anymore.

I sincerely hope that she will join us in appreciating what these native peoples have had to endure.

You cannot, in my opinion, turn off that political relationship when it is convenient to your argument.

To be a Native Hawaiian, you have to be 50 percent or more.

Wasn't one of the requirements of the Admissions Act that something had to be done for the Native Hawaiians?

Our position is we are native, aboriginal indigenous people to Hawaii.

the people of Hawaii who support this bill came out during the hearings and made it very clear that this was not something they wanted the Hawaii State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to do.

the Supreme Court purposely narrowly defined the whole race issue under the 14th and 15th Amendments requirement as being race-based but totally ignored anything having to do with the history in terms of how Native Hawaiians are being…

the Bush Administration for some eight years has always been against supporting this bill based on some of the Court cases that have come before the Supreme Court as it relates to the rights of Native Hawaiians.

It is crucial that we address the historical injustices faced by Native Hawaiians.

The sad story to say, that was the Hawaiians trail of many tears because they continue to suffer.

It was racism at its best, and it was not until 1954 that another Supreme Court decision came about.

The missionaries came to do good, and they did very well.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Wasn't Hawaii a U.S. Territory from 1900?

Congress punted. In its primary responsibility to give recognition to the tribes, by implied consent, it never bothered to do anything.

Then the next national policy that we tried to propound or even promote, assimilate the Indians.