U.S. officials get earful on
By Rod Thompson
how to help Hawaiians
Star-BulletinHILO -- Federal officials want to know what the U.S. government can do within the framework of federal laws to promote the interests of Hawaiians, Mark Van Norman of the U.S. Office of Tribal Justice says.
Van Norman made his statement at the start of a Hilo meeting yesterday, part of a series of hearings on reconciliation of Hawaiians with the federal government 106 years after the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown.
He didn't hear much that fit his request.
Speaker Ron Kaipo urged officials not to follow the model of Japanese Americans, who received compensation for the time they spent in internment camps during World War II.
"It's a buyout. There will be nothing left for our children," he said.
Hannah Reeves, identifying herself as 100 percent Hawaiian, wanted a lot of money. "I want $30 trillion," she said.
Harvey Keliikoa wanted the officials to leave. "The best thing is for you folks to go home," he said.
"The process is, have the old man (President Clinton) come down here and reinstate our kingdom," he said.
Department of Interior official John Berry said at the meeting's start, "I recognize that apologies for the past and the spirit of aloha do not excuse injustice."
Kaipo responded with a conciliatory tone. "Please give warm thanks to the president for his condolences regarding Queen Liliuokalani," he said.
Kihei Soli Niheu was not conciliatory. Wearing a cape and a loincloth, he asked the officials to take a message to President Clinton.
Then he turned and bowed deeply, exposing his nearly bare buttocks to the officials.
Niheu was one of several people saying Hawaiians are the victims of genocide.
"Today is Dec. 7," said Abraham Kamakawiwoole. "It wasn't our war. It was still imperialism."
The actions of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands are the same thing that the Nazis did, he said without further explanation.
Skippy Ioane told the officials they are "the bad guys." The only person who comes close to them is Saddam Hussein, who gassed the Kurds in his Iraq, Ioane said.
Samuel Kaluna said the answer to these problems is a lawful Hawaiian government, unfurling a banner with those words on it.
