Akaka Bill

The Akaka Bill is the common name applied to legislation proposed in the United States Congress between 2000 and the present that seeks to achieve for Native Hawaiians the same federal recognition and right to self-governance that most Native American tribes possess. It takes its common name from U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka, D-HI, a Native Hawaiian who is the chief proponent of the legislation.

The Akaka Bill enjoys the strong support of Hawaii's all-Democratic congressional delegation, as well as that of Republican Governor Linda Lingle, who has made its passage one of her priorities. Supporters of the bill see it as the way to ensure that programs that benefit Native Hawaiians, such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Kamehameha Schools, would be protected. Indeed, the bill was introduced partly in response to the February 23, 2000 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Rice v. Cayetano , which ruled that limiting participation in OHA elections to Native Hawaiians was an unconstitutional restriction on the basis of race.

Opposition to the Akaka Bill comes from two sources:

1. Those in the U.S. Congress and in Hawaii who believe that the bill is unconstitutionally race-based, and
2. Those in the Native Hawaiian community who feel that the bill would deprive them of their right for self-determination and independence.

See also

• Hawaiian sovereignty movement