Native Hawaiian people, the plight of their conditions that gave rise to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, or of the quality of life that is lacking for many Native Hawaiians. They do not know of the high incidence of such diseases as diabetes and cancer that are higher in the Native Hawaiian population than in any other population in the world. They do not know that the Native Hawaiian culture has suffered at the hands of educators and missionaries who sought to westernize the native people of these islands by prohibiting them from speaking their native language, practicing their native religions, their native dances, or their traditional way of life.

And so this is the people's time to speak out and to tell the world. what their concerns are, what their desires are, what their hopes are for their own futures and those of their children.

The hearings have been designed to provide this forum and the opportunity to inform and educate so that changes can be made and so that conditions can improve. So let us all take advantage of this opportunity. And if there are those who do not wish to be constructive in this setting, please be advised that I will not tolerate the use of this forum for those who may desire to grind an axe, castigate others, or to advance their own political agenda.

In recent days there has been much talk about Native Hawaiian sovereignty. As I have said, most recently to a gathering of Native Hawaiians in early July, I support this movement toward sovereignty and I stand ready to assist Native Hawaiians in achieving sovereignty once a consensus in the Native Hawaiian community has been reached on this issue.

My dear friends, there are many forms of sovereignty. There is the sovereignty on the international level that allows nations to make treaties with one another and, unfortunately, from time to time to wage war with one another to protect their sovereign rights and territory.

There is also the sovereignty of our national government, the sovereignty of the state government, the sovereignty of the city and county of Honolulu and the other county and local units of governments. There is also the sovereignty of Indian nations and tribes and native village councils in Alaska. There are many, many models of sovereignty to be examined.

A study of these models and different forms of government can assist those who are contemplating these issues to learn from the experience of others, to draw from the best experiences, characteristics or forms of sovereignty that have worked for the people and to reject those that have disenfranchised the people for whom sovereignty is sought.

I know there are some that will desire to use this forum to discuss sovereignty. While I will not, as chairman, attempt to limit this testimony, I will point out that the committee will be back to conduct meetings and to hold hearings on sovereignty. That is my promise.

We will use the resources of the Congress to bring information about all the various forms of sovereignty to the Native Hawaiian community so that these forms can be considered, discussed, debated, accepted, or rejected in part or in whole. I assure you that there

will be other days and ample time for discussion of Native Hawaiian sovereignty.

But today and throughout the week our focus is on the lands that were set aside for the benefit of Native Hawaiians under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the revenues derived from ceded lands that are to be used for the betterment of conditions for Native Hawaiians, and on the implementation of the recommendations of the 1983 Federal/State Task Force.

We will examine the respective roles of the Federal and State governments in the development of the homelands to ascertain ways in which the Federal Government might enhance its efforts to assist the State in fulfilling the objectives of this Act through access to Federal programs which provide support to other American communities.

Finally, some have suggested that these hearings are a waste of time and nothing will come out of it. May I just tell you that in the 30 years I have been in the Congress I have not conducted hearings just to waste my time.

[Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. And if you know my record, you will know that most-just about all of the hearings I have conducted have resulted in legislation. And this will be one of them.

[Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. And so my dear friends, without further ado let's begin.

But before we do, I am pleased to call upon several of my colleagues who are seated here beside me. I am certain they would like to say a few words.

First of all our native son, a Congressman from the State of Hawaii, Congressman Daniel Akaka.

[Applause.]

STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. AKAKA, U.S. CONGRESSMAN

FROM HAWAII

Mr. AKAKA. Aloha. It is a great honor for me to join the Senator at this hearing.

I want to mention three things. One, I'd like to welcome all of you to this hearing. I welcome you in the spirit of aloha and in the spirit of sharing and expressing yourselves and ourselves and in the spirit of ho'o pono pono, where we can express ourselves in a true manner, expressing our true feelings.

And we welcome members of Congress: Mr. Ben Blaz, Congressman from Guam; and Eni Faleomavaega, Delegate of Samoa. We also welcome the staff of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the staff of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. And we welcome our dear friends, the American Indians, who have come because of their deep interest in what is happening and beginning for Native Hawaiians. And I want to welcome all of those who have come because of their concerns.

I especially want to say mahalo to Senator Inouye and to associate my remarks with all that he has said. As you know, we are proud. The people of Hawaii are proud of Senator Inouye and his record in the Senate and the Congress and the nation, what he has

done not only for the people of Hawaii, but people of the nation and for the world. He is one of the most highly regarded Senators in the United States Congress. His leadership there has counted. It has made a difference. And I am so happy to say that he has never, never forgotten the people of Hawaii.

[Applause.]

Mr. AKAKA. And I want to tell you that I'm proud to work with him as a Member of the House. As we both work in our Appropriations Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the teamwork helps Hawaii and our country in bringing about legislation that is very helpful.

And so I'm very grateful for all that has happened up to this point and look forward to what is coming in the next few days.

I'm also happy that the people of Hawaii have finally been given an opportunity to express themselves on this act, to express yourselves with the hope that this will help to bring about a better quality of life for the Hawaiians.

And so I look upon the hearings that have been set up by our good Senator and by the committees as hearings of opportunity to bring about a better life for the Hawaiians and the people of Hawaii.

Mahalo, Senator, for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to the hearings for the rest of the week.

Aloha.

[Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. I thank you very much, Congressman Akaka, and especially for the kind words.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure and great honor to present to you a member of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, our dear friend from the Pacific, Delegate Ben Blaz of Guam.

[Applause.]

STATEMENT OF HON. BEN BLAZ, U.S. DELEGATE FROM GUAM Mr. BLAZ. Thank you very much, Senator Inouye.

Mr. Chairman, as you know, we participated in the Congress in thousands of hearings dutifully to execute our responsibilities. Every once in a while along comes a hearing that really is a memorable and a momentous one, and you'd do anything to be a part of it simply because it is historic, but, above all, it is a hearing to right a wrong.

[Applause.]

Mr. BLAZ. There are many hearings, as I mentioned, that are trying to create new things. But one of the things we're doing is to re-visit something that we should have re-visited 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years ago.

At this time of the year the Congress travels worldwide, and the temptation to go to Moscow, to New Delhi, to Caracas, or to Singapore is overwhelming; but it pales in comparison to the obligation that we, the Sons of the Pacific, have for things of the Pacific. We got here first.

[Applause.]

Mr. BLAZ. I don't have any more to say than that my purpose is to listen. I'm so privileged to be here.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for inviting me.

[Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. As you can see, they love you here Ben.

And now it is my great pleasure and high honor to present to you the new Delegate from American Samoa, the Honorable Eni Faleomavaega.

STATEMENT OF HON. ENI FALEOMAVAEGA, U.S. DELEGATE FROM AMERICAN SAMOA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Delegate Blaz, and Congressman Akaka.

It is my privilege and honor to be here today to hear the testimony which will be presented on the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. As a member of the House Interior Committee, I want to thank Chairman Udall for inviting me to attend these hearings and to specifically acknowledge his leadership and active involvement in support of the rights of Native Americans throughout our country.

Senator Inouye, I want to publicly express my utmost respect for the leadership and inspiration you have shown throughout your many years of service in the Senate. These hearings and your willingness to sit as chairman of the Select Committee reflect only a small part of the work that you have provided us to meet the needs of all Native Americans and especially including the Native Hawaiians.

I cannot think of a more appropriate place than at these hearings here in your home State of Hawaii to thank you again for your continued support.

Although I was not a Member of Congress and, in fact, was not even born when the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act became law, I am familiar with its provisions. As a former Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa, I had cause to review the act with a view toward possible adaptation for the use of this act in Samoa. As a Congressional representative from the Territory of American Samoa and as a fellow Pacific Islander, I am very interested in seeing that this act is effective in preserving the homelands that were specifically allocated for the needs of our Native Hawaiians. As a Polynesian and as a fellow Pacific Islander, I am intimately familiar with the conflicts which exist between the Polynesian and Western cultures. We Polynesians, with a strong cultural identity and affinity for the land in which we live, have much to offer to Western civilization.

It is unfortunate that in many of our initial contacts with Western culture the messengers were too hurried and harried to appreciate our cultural values and virtues. It is even more unfortunate that many of these contacts resulted in interactions which worked to the significant detriment of not only Polynesians, but all Native Americans.

As I mentioned above, it is through the efforts of gentlemen like Chairman Inouye and Chairman Udall that we, as a nation, have been able to address some of these serious problems.

In my review of the materials in preparation for this hearing I see that there are several issues which may need attention by the United States Congress. I am anxious to hear the testimony of the "missing lands." Given the wide disparity of opinions on this issue, it will be most helpful to hear first-hand for myself the roots of the problem and the suggested alternative resolutions.

I see also that our responsibilities to the Native Hawaiians may be better met if we make adjustments to the present State-Federal relationship, and I look forward to hearing the testimony on this issue.

I am concerned that despite the efforts of Federal and State legislators for over 60 years there are still 7,000 to 9,000 Native Hawaiians with over 18,000 applications pending before the Commission. I hope that these hearings will shed some light on possible resolutions to this problem.

Finally, the sovereignty and ownership on the homelands of the Native Hawaiians is an issue close to my heart. While I come to these hearings open to all possible resolutions of this issue, I will give special attention to the problem both because of its importance and because of the emotional response it elicits from my Hawaiian cousins.

If I might just digress for a moment, Mr. Chairman, I say this as a member of the Samoan family-and, again, I want to express my humblest gratitude and appreciation to my Hawaiian cousins for bringing the Hokule'a to Polynesia.

[Applause.]

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I know that Hawaii has a very unique role to play in our nation that is comprised of so many different people and ethnic nationalities from all over the world. But I think we also, as a nation, have a responsibility to the indigenous inhabitants who cared for this land and are very much a part of the land. I say this with my gratitude and appreciation, again, on behalf of all of our Polynesian people: thank you, again, to my Hawaiian cousins for bringing the Hokule'a to our islands.

Mr. Chairman, it was just last week that I had the privilege of picking opihi on Kahoolawe Island; specifically Kealaokahiki point. It has a very special meaning to me.

I also want to express my gratitude to a very dear friend and former colleague as lieutenant governor, the first elected Governor of Hawaiian ancestry of this great State, my good friend John Waihe'e.

I say this also because part of my life was here in Hawaii, Mr. Chairman. I graduated from a little high school up north called Kahuku. [Laughter.]

If you say anything about Kahuku I'm going to punch your mouth.

[Laughter and applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. Well, Eni, welcome home. [Laughter.]

An endeavor of this magnitude obviously cannot be done by the members of the committee. We have to rely upon staff people to conduct our research, to develop and organize information and to identify substantive issues to be addressed in the hearings. I have brought with me the most senior staff of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Members have brought with them