The biggest issue with the comment to the left is that this fellow Native Hawaiian, who lives in San Francisco, incorrectly thinks that the State of Hawaii is somehow "defining what it means to be Kanaka Maoli." Her opinion is misguided and isn't grounded in the reality surrounding Act 195. In fact, her comments are representative of someone unfamiliar with the goings-on with the State of Hawaii. Anyone not familiar with Hawaii politics and contemporary Native Hawaiian politics within the State of Hawaii will have difficulty talking intelligently about Hawaii political issues.
Sure, the Hawaii State Legislature passed Act 195 establishing the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission. But, the Legislature is not made of sterile robots nor is it a monolithic machine with no interest in supporting Native Hawaiians or Kanaka Maoli.
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The Native Hawaiian Roll Commission itself is also not composed of robots or machinery. Instead, if you take a close look at the different commissioners, you will see that they are not just five Native Hawaiians. The commissioners are known Native Hawaiian leaders with diverse leadership experiences.
Lastly, the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission is using the same criteria that other recognized organizations (Kamehameha Schools) and other programs like the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands uses to confirm Native Hawaiian ancestry. CLICK HERE to see video news clip explaining ancestry confirmation.
This particular Native Hawaiian's opinion about "what" is defining what it means to be Kanaka Maoli is not grounded in reality. Neither the state nor the federal government is "homogeneously defining what it means to be Kanaka Maoli."
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