Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement - Forms

Forms

Hawaiian sovereignty efforts vary in both defining the problem and proposing solutions. Among those who advocate for complete independence, proposals range from constitutional democracies in varying forms (some of which advocate reinstatement of aliʻi within their constitutions), to democratic anarchism. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) already exists as a state-sponsored commission but is generally not considered legitimate within sovereignty discourse. One controversial "nation-within-a-nation" proposal (similar to the status of Native American tribes) called the Akaka Bill has been repeatedly brought to the U.S. Senate by Daniel Akaka. This measure has been vociferously opposed by both sovereignty activists, who believe that it might be used to dismiss legal claims for independence, and by sovereignty opponents, who feel that it is "race-based" and therefore discriminatory against non-native residents of Hawaii.

Most, but not all, formal sovereignty proposals focus on short-range, interim governmental structures. Recognizing Hawaii's profound economic and political integration into the United States, some propose solutions developed incrementally with the approval of the United Nations. Since most groups are focused an international legal solution, many (but not all) proposed structures are based on the kingdom that existed in 1893. The logical basis is that undoing of the 1893 illegal occupation might legally necessitate a return to the pre-illegal-occupation government. Many groups include some long-range ideas in their proposals, but others focus upon the immediate problem of overcoming what they see as American occupation or colonization of the islands.