The House passed the bill on a 261-153 vote, leaving the next step to the Senate, where the bill has been stalled since it was first introduced in 2000.

Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai'i, said that Native Hawaiians, like Native Americans and Alaska Natives, have an inherent sovereignty based on their status as indigenous, native people that was lost when Kingdom of Hawai'i was overthrown in 1893.

"This is a historic vote and one that helps to perpetuate righteousness by righting a historic wrong," she said.

(See a video of Hirono's speech in the House.)

But Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., said the bill undermines the idea that the U.S. is one nation that has come from many people.

"The legislation is divisive and would give a group of United States citizens special rights over other citizens based solely on race," he said. "Our Constitution seeks to eliminate racial separation, not promote it."

The bill creates a process for reorganizing a Native Hawaiian government, including the development of a roll of Native Hawaiians and the election of an interim governing council. The council would develop the documents on which the government would be based.

Once the United States recognizes the new government, negotiations would take place on the disposition of Native Hawaiian land, natural resources and other assets.

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, said the bill was enabling legislation and wasn't a final resolution.

"This creates the opportunity for Native Hawaiians to take responsibility for their own actions with regard to the control and administration of their own assets," he said.