Native Hawaiians More Likely to Suffer Early Death

A University of Michigan study has found that Native Hawaiians are more at risk of suffering an early death than white Americans, as reported by Medical News Today on Sept. 20.

The study shows that Native Hawaiian infants (less than one year old) and young people between the ages of 15 and 34 are especially vulnerable to early death compared to white Americans in the same age groups.

The research also shows that older Native Hawaiians have higher expected death rates than both blacks and whites age 65 and over.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 874,000 Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in the United States, with Native Hawaiians making up about 46 percent of the race group.

The research, published in the November 2010 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, is the first known study to assess mortality patterns among Native Hawaiians at the national level, including those living outside the state of Hawaii. It was funded by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Obama Proclaims Today King Kamehameha Day

President Obama has proclaimed today, June 11, 2010, King Kamehameha Day.

The proclamation comes about two centuries after the Native Hawaiian king brought the Hawaiian Islands together under a unified government. In the proclamation, Obama said King Kamehameha’s courage and leadership earned him the legacy as the “Napoleon of the Pacific.”

Obama also paid tribute to the history and heritage of the Aloha State. He said: “The Hawaiian narrative is one of both profound triumph and, sadly, deep injustice. It is the story of Native Hawaiians oppressed by crippling disease, aborted treaties, and the eventual conquest of their sovereign kingdom. These grim milestones remind us of an unjust time in our history, as well as the many pitfalls in our Nation's long and difficult journey to perfect itself. Yet, through the peaks and valleys of our American story, Hawaii's steadfast sense of community and mutual support shows the progress that results when we are united in a spirit of limitless possibility. In the decades since their persecution, Native Hawaiians have remained resilient.”

Click here to read the full proclamation.

House Committee Approves Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act

Yesterday, the House Natural Resources Committee approved the “Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009” by a vote of 26-13, according to a press release issued by the committee.

Introduced by Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), H.R. 2314 would provide a process for the reorganization of a Native Hawaiian government entity and to reaffirm the special political and legal relationship between the United States and the Native Hawaiian governing entity.