(c) Copyright 2025-2026
Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
All rights reserved
On this page is the history of efforts to create a Hawaiian tribe during the 119th Congress (January 2025 through December 2026), including efforts to create a state-recognized tribe and efforts to get federal recognition through Dept. of Interior regulation, executive order, or Congressional legislation; and efforts to get local and international recognition of an alleged continuing independent nation of Hawaii.
The index below outlines a collection of all significant news reports, editorials, commentaries, letters to editor, cartoons, bills in the Hawaii state legislature or the U.S. Congress; sovereignty protests, court activity, and lobbying both locally and internationally; etc.
The index for the entire 2 years of the 119th Congress (January 2025 through December 2026) is shown below, in chronological order, subdivided into several time periods as events unfold. Full text of each news report, commentary, etc. is provided on the subpage for the appropriate time period.
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QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENED FROM 2000 THROUGH 2024
A webpage reviews the history of efforts to get official government recognition of ethnic Hawaiians as a political entity or Indian tribe -- a narrative summary covering 25 years 2000 through 2024, broken into two-year Congressional periods. Each "Congress" has a link to an index for that two year period, broken into sub-indexes in chronological order, linking to webpages providing full text of news reports, commentary, and lawsuits regarding the Akaka bill in Congress, stealth maneuvers by Senator Inouye, Obama Department of Interior regulatory process, Hawaii legislature bills and resolutions, etc.; and efforts to gain local and international recognition of Hawaii as an allegedly continuing independent nation, through protests and lawsuits in Hawaii regarding Mauna Kea and taxes on land, and lobbying activity in the United Nations (both New York and Geneva). Go to
https://big11a.angelfire.com/AkakaHistSummary2000to2024.html
That 25-year summary is improved below with additional information, especially regarding the 118th Congress and the new 119th Congress.
The "Akaka bill" to create a federally recognized Hawaiian tribe was in Congress continuously for 13 years, from summer 2000 through the end of 2012. There were perhaps 20 different versions of the bill; and occasionally two or three versions were pending at the same time. The bill passed the House in three different Congresses. It nearly passed the Senate by stealth at the end of 2000. On several occasions during the 13 years Senator Inouye tried to attach the Akaka bill as a rider to "must-pass" military appropriations bills; including a couple times when he exercised his power as committee chairman to insert it "by reference" as a single sentence "earmark" deep inside those bills at the last minute without consulting other Senators. In later years Inouye also tried to simply add the Hawaiian tribe to the list of federally recognized tribes in a single sentence deep inside the Department of Interior appropriations bill, but his subterfuge was discovered and deleted. The closest it came to passage by normal methods in the Senate was June 2006 when a cloture motion to stop a Republican filibuster was debated for about 6 hours during two days, with dozens of Senators speaking on the floor; but got only 56 votes thereby failing cloture by 4 votes.
In December 2012 Senator Inouye unexpectedly fell ill and was hospitalized and died; at the same time Senator Akaka was in his final few weeks before retiring. Senator Akaka stood on the Senate floor and begged his fellow Senators to pass the bill in tribute to Inouye, but they wisely ignored his plaintive plea. During the 113th Congress from 2013 through 2014 there was no Akaka bill in Congress. Instead, the State of Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs made use of Act 195, Hawaii session laws of 2011, to build a new racial registry and make plans for an election of delegates to write a tribal constitution. Meanwhile the Obama administration began a process of rewriting the rules for federal recognition of Indian tribes generally, and working toward creating a new rule specially formulated to accommodate an expected application from a "tribe" in the process of being created by OHA.
During the 114th Congress from 2015 through 2016, there was no Akaka bill in Congress. Instead, the Obama administration's Department of Interior went through its rule-making process and on October 14, 2016 published in the Federal Register a "final rule" to take effect on November 14, which provides a process whereby ethnic Hawaiians can create a tribe, adopt a tribal constitution, elect tribal chiefs, and apply to the Secretary of Interior for federal recognition. The entire process of creating the "final rule" was done entirely without any Congressional action and without any approval by the State of Hawaii or its people. Also the entire process spelled out in the rule for holding a racially exclusionary election of delegates, writing a tribal Constitution, holding a racially exclusionary vote to approve the tribal Constitution, and applying for and receiving federal recognition as a tribe -- all those things would be done entirely without any Congressional action and without any approval by the State of Hawaii or its people.
The 115th Congress, January 2017 to December 2018, was controlled by Republicans in both the Senate and House, while President Donald Trump was also a Republican. Throughout the entire 115th Congress there was nothing like the Akaka bill. Racial entitlement programs for ethnic Hawaiians were occasionally attacked in Congress when their reauthorization bills were under consideration, but in the end they continued to be funded. In Hawaii the legislature refused to pass several "normal" racial entitlement bills, including a bill to greatly increase the amount of money to give to OHA in lieu of its 20% share of ceded land revenue (the amount "owed" cannot be determined due to lack of an inventory of the ceded lands). On October 14, 2016 the outgoing Obama Department of Interior had proclaimed in the Federal Register a "final rule" authorizing a process for creation of a Hawaiian tribe which could then seek federal recognition; but during 2017-2018 there was no publicly visible activity to implement it (presumably because the tribalists realized they could not succeed while Trump was President). The confirmation of 2 Trump nominees to the Supreme Court (Gorsuch and Kavanaugh) caused great unhappiness among Hawaiian tribalists and Indian tribes on the continent. The 2018 election resulted in tribalist OHA trustees Rowena Akana and Peter Apo (both the focus of scandals) being replaced by Kalei Akaka (granddaughter of Senator Dan Akaka) and Brendon Lee (who had served as head of the month-long meeting which wrote a proposed constitution for the Hawaiian tribe). In the absence of any significant movement toward creating a tribe, there was increased attention to efforts to gain international recognition of Hawaii as an allegedly continuing independent nation, through protests and lawsuits in Hawaii regarding Mauna Kea and taxes on land, and lobbying activity in the United Nations (both New York and Geneva).
The 116th Congress, January 2019 to December 2020, was controlled by Democrats in the House and by Republicans in the Senate, while President Donald Trump was also a Republican. Throughout the entire 116th Congress there was nothing like the Akaka bill. Racial entitlement programs for ethnic Hawaiians were occasionally attacked in Congress when their reauthorization bills were under consideration, but in the end they continued to be funded. There was no significant activity at the federal level regarding Hawaiian sovereignty, perhaps because everyone knew President Trump's Department of Interior would never allow it. Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz was a member of the Indian Affairs Committee and the Appropriations Committee, both of which enabled him to push for federal recognition of a Hawaiian tribe (which he did not do) and for racial entitlement programs (which he did successfully many times). Senator Mazie Hirono, on the Judiciary Committee, is a backbencher airhead who made no significant impact other than embarrassing Hawaii and herself by ridiculous attacks on Trump and his Supreme Court nominees. Newly elected Hawaii Congressman Ed Case, who served in the U.S. House previously, was a member of both the Appropriations Committee and the Natural Resources Committee (which includes a subcommittee functioning as the Indian Affairs committee for the House), both of which enabled him to push for federal recognition of a Hawaiian tribe (which he did not do) and for racial entitlement programs (which he did successfully many times). Schatz and Case are also friends because of their years of previous service in the Hawaii state House of Representatives. They mirrored each other in the Senate and House on the same two committees that are essential for the success of Hawaiian tribalism funded by federal megabucks. They engaged in straightforward legislation; but no Inouye-style stealth maneuvers focused on appropriations bills for Department of Defense or Department of Interior. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard launched a campaign for the Democrat Party nomination for President, won lots of media attention but almost no delegates, and announced her retirement after 8 years in Congress with few accomplishments, no clear plans for the future, and might leave Hawaii. Her newly elected replacement for the 117th Congress is Kaiali'i Kahele, an ethnic Hawaiian already displaying race-activism and huge egotism during his orientation period for new members in December 2020 (Hawaiian-language prayer and chant at Kamehameha statue in Capitol; tweet to Biden Dept of Interior nominee falsely proclaiming that Hawaiian language was made illegal for a century following overthrow of the monarchy). Kahele easily won election to Congress representing Hawaii district 2 (rural O'ahu plus all neighbor islands), replacing Tulsi Gabbard. "Kahele said he anticipates being a voice for Hawaiians and other indigenous people in congress, and that he expects to take on issues related to Hawaiian Homelands and federal recognition."
In Hawaii the legislature refused to pass several "normal" racial entitlement bills, including a bill to greatly increase the amount of money to give to OHA in lieu of its 20% share of ceded land revenue (the amount "owed" cannot be determined mathematically due to lack of an inventory of the ceded lands). During 2019 Leon Siu, self-declared foreign minister of the Kingdom of Hawaii, continued lobbying the United Nations both in New York and Geneva, seeking support for Hawaii independence; but throughout 2020 he suspended activities at U.N. due to COVID virus. Ethnic Hawaiians created race-based "Aloha 'Aina" political party certified to place candidates on the ballot for state elections in November 2020; but got very few votes. OHA made major effort through website, TV and social media to get ethnic Hawaiians to vote for ethnic Hawaiian candidates. Online and print newspapers propagandized that ethnic Hawaiians are huge victims of Coronavirus; and also that DHHL should be allowed to build a gambling casino on Kapolei Hawaiian Homeland. OHA trustee Keli'i Akina, opponent of the tribal concept, won re-election to another 4-year term. OHA chair Carmen Hulu Lindsey, after 20 years on the board, lost re-election to a relatively unknown former beauty queen.
The 117th Congress, January 2021 through December 2022, had a House controlled by a very small 5-vote majority of Democrats; and a Senate evenly split 50-50 with Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris available to break any tie votes, and Democrat President Joe Biden. News report says Biden will support expected omnibus tribal recognition bill to give federal recognition simultaneously to numerous tribes which have sought recognition for many years, including Hawaiians. Such an omnibus recognition bill was never introduced; but on Oct 18, 2022 U.S. Dept of Interior proclaims it will now treat Native Hawaiians as a sovereign group like a federally recognized tribe (although they are not), and begins a series of open-ended "listening sessions" on Zoom specifically for Hawaiians to express their views on what should be the nature of federal relationship; and similar sessions were conducted with other "indigenous" groups throughout USA. 43CFR50, a regulation proclaimed by outgoing Obama Department of Interior on October 14, 2016, provides a pathway to federal recognition which remains asleep but can be easily implemented if Hawaiian activists decide to use it. In 2020 Tulsi Gabbard (D, Hawaii 02) announced she would not run for re-election, and the Hawaii Democrat Party had an easy time getting state legislator Kaiali'i Kahele elected to replace her in 2021-2022. Kahele promptly pledged to support racial entitlement programs and Hawaiian sovereignty; veteran Congressman Ed Case has always supported it and serves on House subcommittee overseeing Indian affairs; Senator Brian Schatz devoted his maiden speech in 2017 to pushing the Akaka bill (which no longer existed after 2012) and has spent his entire time in Senate as member of both the Indian Affairs Committee and the Appropriations Committee, just like his predecessor Dan Inouye. During 2022, in his first term in Congress, Kahele made a fool of himself by being mostly absent while another Democrat cast his votes for him by proxy while Kahele announced he would not seek re-election to Congress because he was running for Governor of Hawaii. Former state legislator Jill Tokuda won the 2022 election to replace Kahele -- although she has no native Hawaiian ancestry she always supported racial entitlement programs and the Akaka bill. Lieutenant Gov. Josh Green won election to serve as Governor 2023-2026 -- his wife (and kids) are ethnic Hawaiian; he enthusiastically pushed racial entitlements and Hawaiian sovereignty.
The 118th Congress, January 2023 through December 2024, began with a House controlled by a very small Republican majority (222 Rs and 213 Ds) crippled by infighting over who would be chosen as Speaker, and what should be the balance between new policies regarding budget and immigration vs. exercising subpoena power to investigate malfeasance among Biden's cabinet officers and the Biden family's apparent business connections with China's government officials. An aggressive faction of conservative Republican House members forced the resignation of the Speaker, resulting in chaos for several days as numerous ballots failed to get a majority for a new speaker; then things settled down and the new Speaker carefully "herded the cats" to produce "normal" results. The Senate began with 48 Democrats plus 3 so-called Independents who caucus with the Democrats thereby giving them a 51-vote majority; and 49 Republicans. In addition Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris is available to break any tie votes, and Democrat President Joe Biden has a veto pen. The policy orientation of the three Independents can be judged by the fact that Bernie Sanders (Vermont) is a self-avowed Socialist who actually ran in the Democrat primary elections in 2000 as the strongest competitor to Joe Biden. However, two Senators elected as Democrats did not always adhere to the party line, and occasionally abstained or voted with the Republicans: Senator Joe Manchin represented West Virginia whose people are politically conservative and voted by large margins in favor of Trump in the elections of 2016, 2020, and 2024; Senator Kyrsten Sinema represented Arizona whose people voted for Republicans for President in every election from 1952 through 2024 (although by decreasing margins); in December 2022 she resigned from the Democrat party and became officially an independent, and then retired at the end of her term in 2024. Policy issues related to Hawaiian sovereignty were mostly ignored in both House and Senate, while "Native Hawaiian" racial entitlements continued to be routinely reauthorized and funded but generally not expanded, in the face of Russia's war against Ukraine, and China's military buildup and possible invasion of Taiwan.
For the chronological index to published news reports and commentaries for 2023-2024, with links to subpages containing full text of all items, see
https://big11a.angelfire.com/AkakaHist118thCong.html
The 119th Congress, January 2025 through December 2026, began with a House where the election of November 5, 2024 selected the 435 seats to be filled by 220 Republicans and 215 Democrats. However, one newly re-elected Republican resigned soon after the election to avoid disclosure of a nasty ethics committee report, while two additional newly re-elected Republicans announced soon after the election that they would resign because incoming President Trump had named them to cabinet positions (awaiting Senate confirmation in 2025). In the Senate, if someone resigns they can be replaced through appointment by their state governor or legislature without awaiting an election; but the Constitution requires that a vacancy in the House can only be filled by an election by the citizens of that district, which might require several weeks or months for campaigning and possible court challenges. Thus the 119th Congress will run through January and perhaps February and March with 432 members: 217 Republicans and 215 Democrats, assuming there are no deaths, resignations, or absences; and if all members are present then a party-line majority would require all 217 Republicans to vote unanimously. In the Senate there will be 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and 2 "independents" who caucus with the Democrats (Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont); and in case of a tie the Republican Vice President could cast a deciding vote. Republican Senator Vance (Ohio) will resign because he was elected to be Vice President, while Republican Senator Marco Rubio (Florida) will resign if confirmed by the Senate to be Trump's Secretary of State; but both of them will be replaced by Republicans appointed by their Republican state Governors. Hawaii's Senator Brian Schatz (Democrat) will no longer be Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, but will presumably be the "ranking member" who could try to use stealth maneuvers regarding Hawaiian sovereignty or entitlement programs (in cooperation with Republican chairperson Lisa Murkowski who has always been aggressively supportive of "Native Hawaiian" interests) and could also use his senior position on appropriations committees for such purposes, backed up by Hawaii Democrat House member Ed Case who mirrors Schatz on the corresponding House committees on appropriations and Indian affairs.
For the chronological index to published news reports and commentaries for 2025-2026, with links to subpages containing full text of all items, see
https://big11a.angelfire.com/AkakaHist119thCong.html
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INDEX OF NEWS REPORTS AND COMMENTARIES FROM JANUARY 1, 2025 THROUGH APRIL 30, 2025
January 1, 2025: OHA monthly newspaper publishes several articles by CEO, Board Chairman, and militant race-nationalist group touting that OHA plans to be aggressive in pushing an agenda of sovereignty, political and economic action in the state legislature, media, and education
Jan 7: Newspaper in Ibiza Spain reports: The Nation of Hawaii [Bumpy Kanahele, Waimanalo] admits that the diplomas used by the fake diplomat are not valid in Spain. La Voz de Ibiza has contacted representatives of the indigenous community that Mohamed Youcef Ihaddaden claimed to represent as ambassador, minister of Foreign Affairs and minister of the Treasury. Fake Ibiza diplomat’s true intentions exposed: to control a bank, a currency and a cryptocurrency.
Jan 11: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living independent Nation of Hawaii, publishes a short essay filled with historical falsehoods asserting U.S. armed invasion in 1893, Queen's "temporary conditional" yield to USA and alleged settlement agreement [never implemented] between Cleveland and Lili'uokalani, Pres. Grover Cleveland's "investigation", Cleveland's "address" to Congress, illegal annexation by USA. Siu concludes "the return of the Hawaiian Kindom is now in sight" and touts the annual "peace march" through Honolulu on January 17.
Jan 16: Press release: Interior Department Strengthens Native Hawaiian Consultation Policies and Procedures, Affirms Federal Trust Responsibility to Native Hawaiian Community; and released a Solicitor’s opinion reaffirming the federal government’s trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian Community, particularly as it relates to matters involving the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust.
Jan 21-22: President Donald Trump‘s administration moved Tuesday to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off. Yet another executive order Tuesday rolls back affirmative action in federal contracting, revoking an order issued by President Lyndon Johnson, and curtails DEI programs by federal contractors and grant recipients. Trump’s order paves the way for an aggressive but bureaucratically complicated overhaul of billions of dollars in federal spending that conservative activists claim unfairly carve out preference for racial minorities and women. Native Hawaiian leaders object to Trump’s ‘race-blind’ actions. Given the rapid rate of diversity and ethnicity-based programs disappearing, [former OHA CEO Kamana'opono] Crabbe believes Native Hawaiian housing and home lands, health and education programs are on the chopping block.
Jan 23: Donald Trump reiterates support for Lumbee federal recognition
Trump directs the Department of the Interior, within 90 days, to provide a plan on how to get the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina federal recognition 'through legislation or other available mechanisms'. A court decision allowed the Lumbees to apply for recognition through the Dept of Interior, but they have chosen to pursue Congressional legislation. For many years now all three Cherokee tribes — the Eastern Band, the Cherokee Nation, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians — have denounced this and been vocal opponents of granting the Lumbee federal recognition.
Jan 25: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living independent Nation of Hawaii, falsely says there was a Cleveland-Liliʻuokalani Executive Agreement to restore Hawaiian independence, and that agreement remains in place and could be executed at any time by any U.S. President, including Trump.
February 8: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living independent Nation of Hawaii, says President Trump's announced intention to acquire Canada, Greenland, and Panama Canal is nothing new when considered in light of how "America flexed its military might to topple the peaceful, friendly government of the Hawaiian Kingdom so the US could build a world-class naval base at Pearl Harbor" and then annexed Hawaii 5 years later.
Feb 12: Kamehameha Schools news report regarding cooperation among Hawaii and Pacific island nations has deeply hidden implications (political, cultural, linguistic)
Feb 22: Leon Siu, who imagines himself to be Foreign Minister of a still-living independent Nation of Hawaii, says the concept of “unity” sounds nice, but it is not practical or necessary or realistic as a prerequisite to reclaim a nation. In truth, what makes democracy work is not unified thought or agendas or behavior, but an agreement to function in a civil manner despite disagreements. In restoring Hawaii as an independent country, being in tune with the principles of Aloha ʻĀina is way more important than being “unified”.
Friday March 7: "Free Hawaii" blog publicizes 3-minute floor speech in Hawaii state senate by first-year ethnic Hawaiian Senator Samantha DeCorte stridently calling for reparations and sovereignty. The monthly TV show publicized in the blog also provides a clear description of the steps "Foreign Minister" Leon Siu is taking at United Nations to restore Hawaii's international status as an independent nation.
March 10: Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports unanimous vote by state Senate to create an official state holiday (day off work with pay) Ka La Ku'oko'a [Hawaiian Independence Day]: the historical event in 1843 when France and Britain signed a mutual agreement between themselves acknowledging that neither would invade or take over Hawaii because Hawaii was an independent nation; news report cites Ken Conklin's testimony opposing the holiday; Ken Conklin's online comment explains that celebrating this minor historical event from 1843 is a thinly-disguised assertion that Hawaii remains legally an independent nation today.
March 11: Honolulu Star-Advertiser mini-editorial headlined "No time to indulge in new state holiday"; Ken Conklin's online comment.
March 11: Honolulu Star-Advertiser online poll shows 663 people opposed the creation of Ka La Ku'oko'a holiday while only 152 people supported it.
March 15: Free Hawaii blog: Leon Siu notes how President Trump is using tariffs for political purposes, and compares that with how President McKinley's tariffs on sugar provoked sentiment in Hawaii favoring the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893 and annexation to U.S.A. in 1898.
March 23: Honolulu Civil Beat online newspaper commentary "Hawaiʻi Must Become Self-Governing: A sovereign state for all the people of Hawaiʻi is the only path away from military occupation, environmental destruction and corporate control from abroad." Online comment by Ken Conklin, rebuttal by Civil Beat cartoonist Will Caron, re-rebuttal by Ken Conklin.
FULL TEXT OF ITEMS FROM JANUARY 1 THROUGH APRIL 30, 2025 CAN BE SEEN AT
https://www.angelfire.com/big11a/AkakaHist119StartJan2025.html
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