Kamakakehau Fernandez was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was adopted by Robyn Nae’ole, and raised on Maui. He grew up speaking Hawaiian, in a Hawaiian family, steeped in Hawaiian culture. He is today a talented artist, carrying on the tradition of Hawaiian language music. There can be no doubt that Kamaka’s heart and soul are tied to the Hawaiian Islands.

But the Akaka Bill won’t consider Kamaka Hawaiian, even though Hawai’i is the only homeland he has ever known. Kamaka is African-American by blood, and according to the Akaka Bill, Kamaka’s language, culture, and family do not matter. The Akaka Bill does not recognize the tradition of hanai, and will not allow Kamaka to carry on the legacy of his native Hawaiian mother, simply because of his race.

He Hawai’i au; he mau Hawai’i kakou a pau. I am Hawaiian; we are all Hawaiians.

  He Hawaii au - Hanai - MP3 (unknown, 4,293 hits)

Many hundreds of years ago, the first Polynesian colonists arrived in the Hawaiian Islands. Over time, they developed a unique society and culture distinct from their original homelands.

After contact with the Western world in 1778, the Kingdom of Hawai’i developed as a multi-racial society, declaring that all people were “of one blood” in their first constitution in 1840. Hundreds of years later, Hawai’i has once again developed a unique society and culture distinct from its origins.

The Akaka Bill will only recognize one racial group out of the many that comprise our unique Hawaiian society and culture today as “indigenous.” The Akaka Bill will tell people who have no other homeland in the world that they cannot have equal rights in Hawai’i, simply because of their race.

He Hawai’i au; he mau Hawai’i kakou a pau. I am Hawaiian; we are all Hawaiians.

  He Hawaii au - Indigenous - MP3 (unknown, 3,836 hits)

Under the United States Constitution, we are all entitled to equal protection under the law, no matter what our race is. When the State of Hawaii only allowed Native Hawaiians to vote for OHA Trustees, it was violating the constitution.

Akaka Bill supporters believe that by pretending that Native Hawaiians are a tribe, they can ignore the constitution.

Every Native Hawaiian only program would be just as worthwhile if it did not discriminate by race. A Japanese child can learn to speak Hawaiian. A Portuguese man can run a taro farm. A Chinese woman can require help with diabetes.

Helping individuals in need, regardless of their race, is the only way to cure our social ills. Judging people by their blood and assigning resources based on race only makes things worse.

He Hawai’i au; he mau Hawai’i kakou a pau. I am Hawaiian; we are all Hawaiians.

  He Hawaii au - Colorblind OHA - MP3 (unknown, 4,104 hits)

Everyone is subject to the laws of the local, state and federal governments. Our taxes pay for government and the public services they provide. Each tax dollar is precious, and we strive to use that money to directly benefit the public which paid it.

The Akaka Bill will create a new government, with more overhead, which will affect everyone in the State of Hawai’i. The Akaka Bill government will not be directly accountable to the general public, but only to those defined as “Hawaiian” by race.

One third of the “Hawaiians” identified by the Akaka Bill do not live in Hawai’i today, and may have never lived there before. These people, simply because of their race, will lay claim to lands and resources which should be for the benefit of the entire public of Hawai’i.

He Hawai’i au; he mau Hawai’i kakou a pau. I am Hawaiian; we are all Hawaiians.

  He Hawaii au - New government - MP3 (unknown, 4,112 hits)