Eni Faleomavaega: “There's also been a reference made, I ask my colleague, that the idea of comparing Native Hawaiians to American Indians…”

“There's also been a reference made, I ask my colleague, that the idea of comparing Native Hawaiians to American Indians is somewhat absurd. I would like to ask the gentleman if such a description, as our friends on the other side have suggested, is totally irrelevant. The fact of the matter is, there are only three truly indigenous aboriginal groupings under the sovereignty of the United States. The American Indians in the 48 continental States that we lived in with some 565 tribes fully recognized; there were some 100 other tribes not recognized, by the way.”