The state House of RepresentativesÂ’ Hawaiian Affairs Committee on Wednesday recommended passage of a resolution recognizing Hawaiian nationals as a population residing lawfully in the islands.
“It just brings more awareness to Hawaiian people as a whole,” said Rep. Dee Morikawa, D-16th District. “It’s about everyone in Hawai‘i.”
House Resolution 68 formally recognizes the right of Hawaiian nationals — defined in the document as the authentic heirs, beneficiaries and body politic of the Hawaiian Kingdom — to organize and restore their national government in Hawai‘i.
It also commits to the state government to encourage courts and law enforcement to stop “nationality-based harassment and prosecution of Hawaiian nationals,” defined in the resolution as lineal descendants of Hawaiian Kingdom subjects, anyone born in Hawai‘i or naturalized through a formal process. |