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

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.

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

We must ensure that the voices of Native Hawaiians are heard in Congress.

They were a kingdom. We had treaties. The Kingdom of Hawaii had treaties with the United States.

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

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

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

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

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

They are still members of the United States. They are still citizens of the United States with all the rights and privileges of citizens of the United States.