On March 11, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs approved a modified
version of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, informally
known as the Akaka bill, which seeks to grant federal recognition for Native
Hawai’ians. The vote paved the way for a future vote to be heard on the
Senate floor. According to the Associated Press, amendments added to this version
will prevent Native Hawai’ians from applying for federal programs that
are offered to Native Americans. Senator Daniel Akaka, the bill’s sponsor,
said that Native Hawai’ians have already established federally funded health,
education, and housing programs and do not need further funding. Although the
original version of the Akaka Bill was written with Native input, it has been
redrafted three times over the past five years, with Native Hawai’ians
excluded from those negotiations.
