HONOLULU (AP) — A group of Native Hawaiians are organizing an election to create a national government for the first time since American businessmen, backed by U.S. Marines, overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom more than 100 years ago. ADVERTISING HONOLULU (AP)
HONOLULU (AP) — A group of Native Hawaiians are organizing an election to create a national government for the first time since American businessmen, backed by U.S. Marines, overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom more than 100 years ago.
They are trying to elect delegates for a convention next year to hash out a governing document that will go back to the Native Hawaiian community for ratification, but their plan already faces resistance — from Native Hawaiians themselves.
A federal judge today will consider an injunction motion in a lawsuit that argues it’s unconstitutional to restrict voting to those with Native Hawaiian ancestry and that the state is improperly involved in the process.
Last month, the U.S. Department of the Interior outlined a proposal for a possible government-to-government relationship with Native Hawaiians — if they want one. The department also weighed in on the lawsuit, urging the judge not to grant an injunction.
