INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT 
                       OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS
                       86-649 Puuhulu Road
                  Wai`anae, Hawai`i  96792-2723
              Tel: 808 696-5157  Fax: 808 696-7774

                        16 December 1993



         THE INDEPENDENCE MODEL OF HAWAIIAN SOVEREIGNTY
                         by PoKa LAENUI

     With agreement and apology to those who understand the redundancy in 
the title of the paper, I shall proceed to sketch some elements of 
Hawaiian sovereignty which will become a reality in the near future.


     Imagine the year just a few years from now, after independence.  You 
come across a guide to nations of the world.  Look under the name Hawaiŝi.  
Here, or something close to this is what you will find:

                             HAWAIŝI

Status: 
      Independent, recently decolonized, previously under the administration 
of the United States of America

Territory: 
      Those islands which form the Hawaiian archipelago stretching from 
Kure atoll in the North to Hawaiŝi in the South, as well as the island of 
Kalama (Johnston) including the two hundred mile exclusive economic zone 
as defined by the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea

Population: 
      Between 800,000 to 1,000,000, the exact amount still unsettled due to 
the increasing return of many indigenous residents who left Hawaiŝi during 
the period of colonization;  The foreign population vary between 15% to 
25%, based on the tourist, student, and international business conference 
trends.  Hawaiŝi law prohibits a foreign population of greater than 33%
of the total citizen population at any one time.

     Ethnic character of Population:  Hawaiŝi's citizens are perhaps the 
most racially diverse in the world, an anomaly for a place the most 
isolated from any major land-mass.  It's composition include the indigenous 
people (most of whom are products of parents of multiple racial extractions) 
who number approximately 300,000.  There is also a high preponderance of
Filipinos, Caucasians, Japanese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders, Africans, and 
other Asians.

     Cultural character:  The native Hawaiian culture forms the cultural 
base of the society.  However, that cultural base supports the expression 
of a diversity of cultures, reflecting the diversity of the ethnicity of 
the people.  

     Religious character:  The diversity of ethnicity and culture is also 
found in its religious practices.  Like the constant intermixture of 
ethnicity and culture, there is a great tolerance and intermixing of 
religious practices, customs and traditions in Hawaii.

Economic: 
     The Hawaiian society has shifted from an econometric to a human 
development measure of their economic well-being resulting in a shift in 
focus from the measure of the Hawaiian economy of the monetary flow to 
one of incorporating monetary and human development factors in the measure 
of the wealth of the society.  As a result of this shift, much of the 
economic activities which were prominent during the period of colonization 
has undergone structural as well as philosophic changes.  Tourism, for 
example, while still a major factor of the Hawaiian economy, has become 
much more highly integrated at all levels of the trade from executive to 
housekeeping activities.  Since independence, the Hawaiian nation has 
been able to exercise control over the numbers, quality, and timing of 
tourist entering Hawaiŝi, which control has brought in additional funds 
in visa and airport usage income, lowered the overall numbers of tourists, 
and allowed a better control over the flow of tourist over the full year.

     Independence has also brought about greater ability of the Hawaiian 
nation to control its trade relationship with other nations.  Previously, 
the United States dictated all trade policies with Hawaiŝi, oftentimes 
permitting unlimited influx of produce and goods into Hawaiŝi so that the 
local economy could not survive a self-sufficient system.

     The driving economic philosophy in Hawaiŝi is one of self-sufficiency 
to the point of meeting the basic needs of the society such as food, 
clothing, shelter, education and health-care for all within a pristine 
environment, and permitting international trade and other financial 
activities to accommodate the the desires and wants above basic needs.  This
balance has been achieved by maintaining a "green" philosophy at the 
community levels, yet attracting a very highly sophisticated 
technological/commerce community of bankers and traders.

Political Arrangement: 
      The political system in Hawaiŝi at the national level is essentially 
two tier.  In the first tier, there is strongly defined protection of the 
indigenous culture of Hawaiŝi and specific prerogatives of the indigenous 
peoples.  In the second tier, the general incorporation of all citizens 
of Hawaiŝi into the political life of the society is guaranteed.  While this 
ideais not unique to Hawaiŝi, (for example, refer to the ILO Convention 
169, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as 
well as the experiences in Saami land cutting across the Scandinavian 
countries, the Kuna of Panama, and the Maori of Aotearoa), it seems to be 
the most clearly defined society which has balanced the rights and protection 
of indigenous peoples and the general regard for the overall social 
development of the Hawaiian society.  

     Under this double tier configuration, the indigenous language is the 
national language along with English and can be used in all legal 
transactions.  The national constitution requires the Education department 
to incorporate the teaching of the Hawaiian language co-extensive with the 
teaching of the English language.  There is now a serious program of
training every public employee to become sufficiently fluent in the native 
language as a working language.  All new hires are required to have a 
working knowledge of the language.  Specific rights of the indigenous 
peoples are protected, including the right to gather traditional items 
for cultural, spiritual or sustenance purposes.  Areas of lands have been 
demarcated specifically for those indigenous peoples who have chosen to 
return to a more communal life style in which individual and property 
rights have been sublimated to the collective good of the community.  In 
the wider society, the native Hawaiians have exclusive voice over issues
of immigration, foreign ownership or temporary possession of real property, 
and all laws which are considered to impact upon the native customs and 
traditions. 

     All Hawaiian citizens are permitted the privilege of voting without 
regards to property, formal education or their civil status.  The age of 
voting is 16.  

International Stature:
     Hawaiŝi is a member of the United Nations and has joined numerous 
specialized agencies of that body.  It is a member of several regional 
organizations in the Pacific, including the Pacific Forum.  It is the 
headquarters of the East-West Center, the International Peace Institute, 
the International School of Oceanography, as well as the Center for Cultural
Diversity.  These institutions have produced a widespread alumni throughout 
the Pacific, Asia and the world.  These institutions are seen as one of 
the principle reasons for the successful trade and political relationship 
this nation has had with other nations.  

Defence:
     Since independence, the military forces in Hawaiŝi have become 
generally dispersed.  Previously, among the most fortified land mass in 
the world, Hawaiŝi has internalized its defence capability, requiring all 
citizens to participate in one or another area of self-defence. Children 
are trained in physical culture from a very early age.  This training has 
proven to be effective not only for hand to hand combat, for improving 
concentration and skill in martial contests, but have also been credited 
with improving the overall health of the trainees, adding to their 
contribution to the overall health of the society.

     The sophistication with modern technology for international business 
purposes have also assisted in adapting to the most sophisticated methods 
of detecting unfriendly intrusions into Hawaiŝi's space.  Through early 
detection and a limited core of military personnel for immediate response, 
the Hawaiian society feels secure in being able to provide an adequate
defense against aggression.  This Hawaiian system has been regarded as 
clearly the most defensive and least offensive military system in the 
world.  The fact that it is a self-sufficient society to meet its basic 
needs takes away any excuse for aggression beyond its territory under the 
guise of protecting the "national interest."  It's network of international 
alliances, especially with the strong ties the alumni from Hawaiŝi's 
international educational institutions have with the local population 
gives further guarantee to the security of this nation.

Outstanding Claims Post Colonization:
     The claims of the Hawaiian government and Hawaiian citizens against 
the United States remain unresolved.  The claims can be divided into 
three categories: 

          1) Hawaiian government claim for damage over a period of one 
          hundred years of occupation of Hawaiŝi resulting in casualties 
          upon the indigenous language, culture, tradition, destruction of 
          certain aspects of the environment including the radioactive and 
          chemical waste left in Hawaiŝi upon decolonization;

          2) Hawaiian government claim against the U.S. social security, 
          veterans benefits, and all other benefit programs contributed 
          into by Hawaiian citizens who have not yet collected upon said 
          benefits to its full extent up to the time of decolonization;

          3) Individual claims against the U.S. government for forced 
          military services and for individual deprival of property 
          rights.  These individual claims are asserted only on behalf of 
          those who have specifically filed against the U.S. government, 
          many Hawaiian citizens choosing instead to make no such claim.

     The Hawaiian government is pursuing these claims via negotiations with 
the U.S. President as well as with the U.S. Congress.  It is also pursuing 
this claim within the international legal system.