House Native Hawaiian Caucus meets with Green to discuss military lease negotiations

Members of the Native Hawaiian Caucus of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives met privately with Gov. Josh Green on Friday, to share concerns and perspectives regarding ongoing negotiations over military land leases and potential federal condemnation efforts.

The Caucus expressed appreciation for the governor’s willingness to meet and discuss these complex issues, while underscoring the urgent need for meaningful and continuous consultation with the Native Hawaiian community as the process moves forward.

Members reaffirmed that formal consultation is not symbolic or optional, but a constitutional and statutory obligation grounded in Articles XI and XII of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution and the laws governing the Public Land Trust. The State has a clear fiduciary responsibility to safeguard these former lands held in trust for Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawaiʻi, particularly amid ongoing federal military lease negotiations and pressure from possible condemnation actions, according to a news release from the Caucus.

The Caucus also noted that recent correspondence between the State and the US Army has sparked widespread community concern. Members reiterated that decisions affecting public and ceded lands should not be driven by federal timelines or threats of condemnation.

“Our concern is not only about the lands themselves, but about how decisions are being made,” according to a joint statement from the House Native Hawaiian Caucus. “​​We mahalo the Governor for engaging in dialogue, and we urge him to consider his Advisory Committee as complementary to and not a replacement for meeting his constitutional and statutory consultation requirements — ensuring that Native Hawaiian voices are included at every stage of decision-making.

“Our message is simple: the military cannot dictate the terms of stewardship over Hawaiʻi’s lands. These trust lands belong to the people of Hawaiʻi, and the State has a legal and moral duty to protect them.

“The Native Hawaiian Caucus looks forward to continued dialogue with the governor, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Advisory Committee for Leased Military Lands, and federal representatives. The Caucus remains committed to ensuring that all future decisions honor the State’s fiduciary duties and protect Hawaiʻi’s lands for generations to come.”