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

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

If Congress had acted earlier, if this legislation as authored by Senator Akaka and Congressman Abercrombie had been in existence at the time, I submit there would have been a completely different analysis of it.

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.

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

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

This is not a new issue as if it was made up a couple of years ago before the Supreme Court decision.

I think it would be a travesty in justice and fairness to our whole system if this bill is not passed.

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.

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 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…

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

Our first national policy was to kill all the Indians. That was our national policy. Get rid of them. Then the next national policy was to assimilate them, make them as part of America. Then the third policy was to terminate them.

I want to associate myself with the most eloquent statement presented by Ms. Hirono before our Committee.

The 200,000 acres were the worst portions of the land given to the Native Hawaiians supposedly to get them back to agriculture.

But one of the great attributes of America has always been the ability to look objectively at our history, learn from it, and when possible, to make amends.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I urge your support of H.R. 2314.

They just want to be treated fairly as other indigenous native peoples.

American Indians and the Native Alaskans fully support this.