U.S. Department of Interior Publishes Final Rules on Hawaiian Home Lands

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) applauds the U.S. Department of Interior and Obama Administration for finalizing rules regarding Hawaiian home lands to improve the lives of Native Hawaiian communities.

The Hawaiian home lands are neighborhoods located on every island that are built on trust lands established by the U.S. Congress in 1920.  More than 40,000 Hawaii residents live on these lands or have a farm or ranch there. According to the Department of Interior, the rule will help ensure that the management of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust occurs in a fair, transparent, and sustainable manner.

"This is an example of good policy advocacy and working with our CNHA homestead members to achieve policies that work for homestead families,” said Michelle Kauhane, president of the Council of Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA). “These rules lay a strong foundation and we thank NCAPA for supporting our work."

“We mahalo President Obama for federal regulations for the 1920 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” said Robin Danner, CNHA and elected chair of the Statewide Homestead Association Coalition. “Our people have waited 95 years for this day.  Regulations are needed to bring stability to our people in how the HHCA is implemented, regardless of changing governors and other state officials.”

“We are pleased these rules have been finalized, as Congress created the Hawaiian Home Land Trust more than 90 years ago,” said NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang. “The livelihood of Native Hawaiians will be greatly improved. We thank our member organization CNHA and homestead leaders for their tireless work advocating for Native Hawaiian communities.”

In May 2013, President Obama held a meeting with NCAPA leaders, including those from CNHA who discussed the importance of the Hawaiian home lands.

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.