Abstract
Using the Native Hawaiian Sovereignty Plebiscite to investigate the complex interplay between race, nationalism, and the special purpose district exception, this Note chronicles the development of relevant legal doctrines and the history of the Native Hawaiians' quest for self-government in an attempt to untangle those issues. In doing so, this Note concludes that the Native Hawaiian Sovereignty Plebiscite was an unconstitutional method of securing sovereign rights for Native Hawaiians, but that a Native Hawaiian claim to at least some form of self-government is justified. As a result, this Note searches for a method that will guarantee self-government as well as constitutionality and the recognition of all interests involved. It proceeds to analyze various voting systems, administrative mechanisms, and constitutional doctrines, and concludes by using this analysis to design a process that balances democratic philosophies, public interests, and the interests of Native Hawaiians who want sovereignty.
Recommended Citation
Troy M. Yoshino,
Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono:Voting Rights and the Native Hawaiian Sovereignty Plebiscite,
3
Mich. J. Race & L.
475
(1998).
Available at:
https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjrl/vol3/iss2/5
Included in
Election Law Commons, Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law Commons, Law and Race Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons