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Kauai residents
angry that hearings
were moved

The Garden Islanders lined up
to videotape testimony
on Akaka's bill

Alaska Natives praise recognition

---

By Anthony Sommer
Star-Bulletin

LIHUE -- Kauai Hawaiians opposed to Sen. Daniel Akaka's bill -- and "outraged" that he canceled hearings on the neighbor islands -- lined up at Lydgate Park yesterday to testify on videotape.

Akaka canceled the neighbor island hearings on Friday, saying he had not recovered sufficiently from hip replacement surgery to make the trip. Instead, the hearings all were shifted to Oahu.

A group of Kauai Hawaiians decided to conduct their own public hearing here. The 30 people who spoke -- and another 30 to 40 who attended -- all were opposed to the bill, which would give Hawaiians a status akin to that of Native Americans.

"This is the last straw," said Sondra Grace of Anahola, who organized the gathering and who is married to a Hawaiian. "We do not believe that his hip is the real reason."

Grace said she believes written versions of the testimony that had to be pre-filed Wednesday were so strongly opposed to the bill that Akaka wanted to avoid the "bad press" he would get on every island.

Arthur Trask, one of Kauai's most vocal sovereignty activists, blasted the bill:"It's a degradation of our dignity, of our Hawaiian civilization. All Hawaiians of any blood should have the land."

"We ask you to go all the way with independence, full independence," said Panaewa Koani of Waimea.

The event was videotaped. A copy will be sent to Akaka and other copies distributed to community cable stations all across the country.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka thanked those who traveled from Kauai to attend yesterday's congressional hearings in Honolulu and apologized for the inconvenience.

"I realize the change in the hearing schedule was sudden and I thank you for your understanding," he said.

"While the news that I would not be able to travel to the neighbor islands was frustrating for me, I did not want it to affect this legislation. "