A Native Hawaiian congressional delegation has introduced a bill to the United States Congress calling for recognition of Native Hawaiians as an indigenous people, akin to the federal recognition accorded to some Native American nations. This is the third time the bill has come before Congress since the year 2000; it was stalled last year by skeptical conservative legislators. The bill would recognize Native Hawaiians’ right to self-determination, to form a separate sovereign government. Hawaii senator Daniel Akaka fully supports the bill and believes that it would speed up the process of reconciliation between the U.S. and Native Hawaiians.
