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Native Hawaiians on brink of sovereignty
Honolulu, HI - 112 years after U.S. troops helped overthrow the independent Kingdom of Hawaii and 12 years after Congress apologized for it, that Hawaiian distinctiveness appears close to being formally recognized by the U.S. government. A bill that for the first time would extend sovereignty to the native Hawaiian people is poised for a vote - and likely approval - in the U.S. Senate, despite opposition from many Republicans who denounce the measure as unworkable and as promoting racial Balkanization.
The measure would give them equivalent legal standing to American Indians and native Alaskans and lead to the creation of a governing body that would make decisions on behalf of the estimated 400,000 native Hawaiians in the United States.