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H. Bruss Keppeler, speaking in January 1994, reports on the work of Hawaii's state-created Hawaiian Sovereignty Commission, whose 20 members were appointed by Governor Waihee from 100 nominees put forward by more than 50 Hawaiian organizations. Keppeler explains that Kalahui Hawaii declined to participate, objecting to a state-controlled process, while Commissioner Dennis Bumpy Kanahale resigned after hearing law professor Francis Boyle describe how the PLO declared statehood before negotiating — a model that persuaded Kanahale to pursue full independence outside the commission. Roth and Keppeler walk through three sovereignty models under discussion: a nation-within-a-nation arrangement similar to the 300-plus federally recognized Native American nations; complete restoration of an independent Hawaiian state; and a status quo option emphasizing reform of Hawaiian asset management. The commission plans to hold a plebiscite in early 1995, open to all Hawaiians 16 and older regardless of blood quantum, US residency, or citizenship. Keppeler cites disproportionate rates of imprisonment, suicide, and substance abuse among Hawaiians as the driving urgency behind sovereignty.
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Companion newspaper commentaries
Commentaries by the guests, published in The Honolulu Advertiser around the broadcast.
