Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, February 25, 2021
Indian Affairs: OHA Chair calls for 'Parity' among all 'Native Americans'
By News Release @ 5:10 AM :: 3769 Views :: Akaka Bill, DHHL, OHA

OHA board chair testifies before Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

News Release from OHA, February 24, 2021

HONOLULU (Feb. 24, 2021) – OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey testified this morning at the first hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs chaired by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi), urging senators to help address the needs of Native Hawaiians.

“This committee has a long history of bipartisanship and collegiality among its members,” Chair Lindsey said in her testimony today. “That spirit is critical to elevating the voices of Native leaders and fulfilling the federal government’s trust responsibility owed to all Native people of the United States. Your work here empowers the Native community to continue exercising true self-determination – our right to chart our own course and maintain our distinct traditions, cultures, and Native ways.”

Chair Lindsey further testified that the federal government must honor its trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian people; support federal programs for Native Hawaiians in the areas of health care, housing, economic development and education; and ensure parity in the treatment of all Native Americans, including American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.

Entitled “A call to action: Native communities’ priorities in focus for the 117th Congress,” today’s oversight hearing marked the start of a new era for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Sen. Schatz was named chair of the committee earlier this month. He became the third Hawaiʻi senator to chair the committee, and the first to do so in nearly a decade.

Sen. Schatz opened today’s hearing by stating that one of his goals as chairman is to bring Native Hawaiian issues and priorities to the forefront.

“I want to be clear that today’s hearing isn’t a check the box exercise,” he said “It’s a real opportunity for members of the Committee to chart a path forward by listening to and learning from Native leaders for the next two years and beyond.”

He continued:

“Now more than ever, Congress must be tuned in and listening. Native communities are experiencing disproportionate impacts from multiple crises—COVID-19, economic insecurity, racial injustice, and climate change. So as the strongest voice for Native priorities in the Congress, this Committee will act to address these challenges by working together in its bipartisan tradition and to uphold the federal treaty and trust responsibilities to tribes and Native communities across the country—from Hawai‘i to Alaska and to the continental United States.”

Chair Lindsey was one of four witnesses invited to testify before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the priorities facing their respective Native communities. The other witnesses at today’s hearing were:

  • Honorable Fawn Sharp, President, National Congress of American Indians, Washington, DC
  • Honorable Leonard Forsman, President, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Portland, OR
  • Julie Kitka, President, Alaska Federation of Natives, Anchorage, AK

After the hearing, Chair Lindsey said she was honored for opportunity to testify.

“I extend my aloha and congratulations to Chairman Brian Schatz and Vice Chairman Lisa Murkowski on their new leadership positions on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs,” she said. “Mahalo for today’s opportunity to elevate the issues of our Native communities, and we look forward to continuing this dialogue with your committee on how Congress can continue to support the needs of Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous people.”

The hearing was entitled “A call to action: Native communities’ priorities in focus for the 117th Congress.”

  • View OHA Board Chair Carmen Hulu Lindsey’s written testimony here.
  • View the livestream video of Chair Lindsey’s testimony before the Senate Committee on the OHA Vimeo channel.
Related:
Coverage: 
Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT