Bill Recognizing Status of Native Hawaiians To Become Law

By Wendy Osher

Royal Hawaiian Guard, file photo by Wendy Osher.

Governor Neil Abercrombie is expected to sign a bill into law today, recognizing the status of Native Hawaiians.

Senate Bill 1520, formally recognizes Native Hawaiian people as “the only indigenous, aboriginal, maoli people of Hawai‘i.”  In addition to the formal recognition, the measure also requires the Governor to appoint a five-member Native Hawaiian Roll Call Commission tasked with creating and publishing a list of people who are of Native Hawaiian descent.

Funding to facilitate the activities of the Commission will be provided by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

The bill signing ceremony is expected to take place at 1:30 p.m. at Washington Place.

Among those in attendance will be Governor Abercrombie, Senators Malama Solomon, Brickwood Galuteria, Clayton Hee, Representative Faye Hanohano, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chair, Trustee Collette Machado.

This event will be streamed live on http://hawaii.gov/gov.