PBL Problem #2

1. PBL Problem #2 By troy Gibson, Brandon dancer, hoʻea Period 4 BSCS Biology

2. The problem Why is this a Problem? • The problem is that not enough Native Hawaiians have access to the Hawaiian homeland homesteads, because of the blood quantum policy instituted by the U.S. congress. This is a problem because as Hawaiians, the indigenous people to this land, we should be able to have housing available for all. This is not the case, because the Hawaiian homeland organization currently has about 45,000 applications still pending (on the list). This is from about 21,000 applicants, which have filed multiple applications. This is a huge problem because this means that Native Hawaiians don't have homes on their own island! As the native people of the land, we should be entitled to some land rights, and some privileges.

3. What are some Factors? • There are multiple factors that effect this problem, and add to the problem. Some of these factors are as follows: • Blood quantum: • When Prince Kuhio put the Hawaiian homeland act forward, he said that to be able to apply for Hawaiian homelands, you had to have 1/32th Hawaiian, which included all of the native Hawaiians at the time. However when the act got to congress, and was passed on July 21st1921, they added the stipulation that in order to be applicable for Hawaiian homelands you had to be 50% Hawaiian. This is because they wanted to get rid of the Hawaiians, they knew that eventually no one would be 50% Hawaiian. This time is fast approaching us so we need to act now! • Also blood quantum isn’t in native or indigenous peoples thinking. In indigenous peoples thinking if you have a drop of Hawaiian in you, you are a Hawaiian. In fact, you don’t even have to be a Native Hawaiian in order to be considered a Hawaiian. If you practice the culture, and embody the culture, and perpetuate it. You are a Hawaiian. This thinking also isn’tbacked up by biologicalknowledge. There is no way for people quantifyblood, based on yourethnicities. You canquantifyphenotype (physicalcharacteristics) and genotype (genes or DNA) but youcannotquantifyblood quantum, and youalsocannotquantify how Hawaiian a personisbased on a genotpe, phenotype, or motif.

4. Factors (cont.) • Money: • The Hawaiian homestead commission, like any other organization, is limited in its money. Especially since they actually receive no federal funding. This plays a role in the problem because in order for them to give out land, and make sub divisions for people to live in they need funding. Since they don’t receive federal funding they have to raise money through leases to Wal-Mart, and the Prince Kuhio Mall. This just adds to the difficulties in giving out land. • Land: • While the Hawaiian homestead commission has land, a lot of it isn’t developed, or isn’t viable for living. Most of there land it in Kau, or on the sides of Mauna kea, or in all kinds of weird places like that. Places that no one wants to live, or places that it would cost a lot of money in order to make hospitable.

5. Factors (cont.) • Hawaiians not considered a Native people: • Hawaiians, according to the U.S. government, are not considered a Native people. We don’t get any Native or indigenous peoples benefits. Native Americans get reservations, hunting and gathering rights, language rights, culture rights. We don’t get any of that, which contributes to the problem. • Hawaiian blood fading over time: • The Hawaiian Homelands act was made to basically to get rid of native Hawaiians. Congress knew that eventually their would be no more 50% Hawaiians. “In 2040 they all go away”, as said by the band AʻIPohaku. They are saying that in 2040 their will be no more 50% Hawaiians. Congress will have succeeded in their goal with the Hawaiian Homelands act.

6. Solution • There are many factors that effect this problem, because of this a solution has to solve a lot of problems in the problem. However a solution we came up with was that first, the federal government could, and should recognize the Hawaiians as a native peoples and give them benefits as such. For example reservations (or more land to Hawaiian homes), hunting rights, gathering rights, farming rights, and so on. Secondly, the government should also take responsibility for the Hawaiian homes commission act, and fund them. They should leave who ever is running it, running it, but fund them. This would allow them to do more good, and put more native Hawaiians in homes. Lastly, we as Hawaiians need to push congress to amend the Hawaiian homes commission act so that if you can trace your ancestry back to a Hawaiian, you should be able to get Hawaiian homes. This would better exemplify Native Hawaiian thinking, and also biological knowledge. I think if these steps where taken then the problem would, if not be solved,be at least alleviated.

7. Informational video • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDXRIJRf-UE

8. Resources • Uncle AlapakiNahaleʻa 2013 • Mario Patino 2013 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_quantum_laws • http://www.hawaii-nation.org/hhca.html