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By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Trella Costa of Ke Ola Mamo, left, greets Adrian Kamalii, who
performed chants (in photo below) at the foot of the King
Kamehameha statue yesterday during the "Walking in the
Footsteps of Kamehameha 2000" events.

Hawaiians
welcome aid in
sovereignty drive

People of diverse
ethnicity must come together,
a King Kamehameha
rally is told

By Pat Gee
Star-Bulletin

TO celebrate King Kamehameha's legacy, Hawaiian groups tried to follow his achievement of uniting the islands by inviting non-Hawaiians to join in their quest for self-determination.

Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i, an organizer of a 2-mile march and rally yesterday, said, "before, we used to say, 'Hawaiians only' " in the movement for self-determination. But her group, Hoomalu ma Kualoa, felt Hawaiians also need the help of non-Hawaiians to preserve native entitlements undermined by the Supreme Court's recent Rice vs. Cayetano decision, she said.

The decision called the Hawaiians-only elections for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs "racist and separatist" and "that's not the case," said Kamali'i, a former OHA trustee and state legislator.

But to make the Hawaiian movement more effective, people of all ethnicities "must come together. We're not going to agree on everything, but that's life. But we can't resolve these issues without talking with each other."

By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

Kamali'i said she was disappointed that only about 100 people showed up yesterday -- "I wish there were thousands" -- but said the support promised by a long list of multi-ethnic groups was appreciated.

Democratic Party Chairman Walter Heen, state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Lingle were among those who participated in the "Walking in the Footsteps of Kamehameha" march from Ala Moana Park to the King Kamehameha statue and Iolani Palace.

Wearing colorful T-shirts emblazoned with their groups' names were members of both Democratic and Republican parties, and several Hawaiian activist groups.

Alan Murakami, a lawyer speaking for the Japanese American Citizens League, said he was proud that his group in 1993 was the first non-Hawaiian group to urge the U.S. government to offer redress to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom.

By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
The marchers cross onto Iolani Palace grounds.

HE said his group's national organization will support U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka's proposed bill, which would "take away the effect of Rice-Cayetano" by asking the federal government to recognize Hawaiians as a native group. "Justice should be for all people. If they can give it to the Japanese people (for inequities suffered during World War II), the host culture of our state is certainly most deserving," he said.

The next event for Hoomalu ma Kualoa is planned for July 22-23 at Kualoa Park to discuss Akaka's bill.

Charlie Maxwell, chairman of the Hawaii advisory committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, said the worst cases of civil rights violations have been against Hawaiians and there are plans to make "everybody in the nation" aware that "Hawaiians are an endangered species."

When marchers paid homage to the King Kamehameha statue, Maxwell said his grandson asked him why the king had his arm out.

"I told him, 'He's asking for the land back.' "