95th Anniversary of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, July 9, 2016, marked the 95th anniversary of the enactment of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, legislation that has changed the lives of thousands of native Hawaiians in the State of Hawaii.

This legislation was made possible by the vision of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole.

After the annexation of Hawaii, Prince Kuhio continued to serve his people as Hawaii's second delegate in Congress.

When Prince Kuhio took office in 1902, he was determined to improve the lives of native Hawaiians. Although he served as a nonvoting delegate, he championed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to create a trust of nearly 200,000 acres of land that previously belonged to the monarchs of the Hawaiian Kingdom. By setting aside this land, Congress intended to ensure the livelihood of native Hawaiians, whose population had been reduced from as many as, according to some estimates, 800,000 prior to 1778 to a little over 20,000 by 1920.

In a letter that Prince Kuhio circulated to the Senate in 1920, he shared the results of an extensive investigation and survey that noted the exceedingly high mortality rate of native Hawaiians. The survey justified the need to return native Hawaiians to the land, to reconnect with their sense of place, and elevate their well-being by providing stable housing and opportunities to improve their livelihood. Prince Kuhio shepherded the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act through both the House and Senate, and President Warren Harding signed the bill into law on July 9, 1921.

In 1924, the first homestead in Kalamaula on the island of Molokai became home to 42 Native Hawaiians who began harvesting vegetables and raising animals to sell at local markets.

Today nearly 10,000 Native Hawaiian beneficiaries and their families live on agricultural, pastoral, or residential homestead lots in over 60 communities across Hawaii.

With Hawaii's admission into the Union in 1959, the State of Hawaii was tasked with administering the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, a responsibility primarily led by the State's Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. At the Federal level, Congress has continued to live up to its commitments to the Hawaiian community, first established by the HHCA, through continued funding for programs focused on planning, development, housing construction, and home loan programs to support the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in its mission, as well as home loans and guarantees to support Hawaiian Homes beneficiaries.

On the 95th anniversary of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, we recognize and thank Prince Kuhio for his vision and sincere aloha for the well-being of Native Hawaiians.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act has made a difference in thousands of lives and set the foundation for acknowledging the trust relationship between the Native Hawaiian community and the Federal Government. Today the Federal Government continues this trust relationship by providing funds to support housing, health care, education, and other resources for the benefit of the Native Hawaiian community.

However, there is still much to be done to assist Hawaii's indigenous population. I will continue to work with Congress, the executive branch, the State of Hawaii, and the Native Hawaiian community to not only safeguard Prince Kuhio's landmark legislation and legacy, but to ensure it, and the community he worked so hard to assist, will continue to thrive.

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