We're asking for calls and emails to Members of Congress in support of federal legislation that would recognize Native Hawaiians as indigenous people, similar to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The measure, H.R. 505, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007, is scheduled for a vote before the House of Representatives tomorrow, Wednesday, October 24.

H.R. 505 is the House companion bill to Senator Daniel Akaka’s measure in the Senate. The House bill was introduced by Rep. Neil Abercrombie and co-sponsored by Rep. Mazie Hirono.

The measure has strong bi-partisan support, including the entire Hawai’i Congressional Delegation, Republican and Democratic Congressional co-sponsors, Hawai’i’s Governor Linda Lingle, Attorney General and State Legislature, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, other Native Hawaiian organizations and leaders, numerous Hawai’i businesses and unions and a majority of Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian individuals.

In 2006, the American Bar Association, with a membership of 400,000 nationwide, approved a resolution in support of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act.

The National Council of La Raza, Japanese American Citizens League, Organization of Chinese Americans, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Association of Social Workers and numerous other Native, Asian and Pacific American and civil rights organizations have issued resolutions, statements or letters of support for the Akaka bill, Native Hawaiian self-determination and self-governance.