Aloha kakou. In my 80 years of living as a Hawaiian, having grown up in a family where both parents spoke Hawaiian and nurtured us in all aspects of the culture and values, I am saddened by the actions of well-meaning but shortsighted thinking on the matter of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (Akaka Bill).

Unfortunately, I see history repeating itself. Hawaiians are closing doors to future opportunities for designing a stronger nation by complaining about the lack of hearings and other concerns, instead of focusing on the basic concept of Hawaiians sitting at the same table with the federal government and state to address our rights and priorities. No matter how imperfect the bill is (and this can be remedied by convening Hawaiians to make choices over time), the bill opens the door for direct negotiations by Hawaiians with the federal government.

I recall the early years at the state Legislature when some homesteaders were opposing any legislation which allowed a successor of 25-percent blood quantum. For decades, hearing after hearing was held and the divided Hawaiians stalemated. It was finally passed by the Legislature and affirmed by Congress, but fear and mistrust of our own people had delayed our children from the opportunity of living on Hawaiian home lands.

My father, who had the koko, never attained his dream after waiting a lifetime. At that time, and still today, those of less Hawaiian blood continue to give deference to those of 50 percent or more Hawaiian blood. I have faith in our people. Many of the younger generations speak the language and practice the culture. They probably outnumber the homesteaders who may speak the language today, but they still respect the kupuna and perpetuate our culture with the needed passion for our future survival. While we re-build a nation, our guidelines for the definition and apportionment of voters should address the understandable concern raised by homesteaders. That comes later. This is not the time to build a wall against an opportunity to make our own choices clear, face-to-face. That comes with the passage of the NHGRA.

If this imperfect legislation survives its birth after 10 years of struggling at the congressional level, Hawaiians will have a chance at improving upon this enabling legislation. It took Alaska natives, after they stopped fighting each other, 35 years of continuously amending portions of their original bill every year. Now, they know few boundaries to opportunities for their people.

Though not perfect, the NHGRA gives Hawaiians a foot in the door before it closes for good. I believe that in the next few years the door will be tightly shut against nation-building. If we have not begun already, then we collectively must take the blame for it. Instead, all Hawaiians should be clamoring for passage of NHGRA so we can get to the serious business of nation-building. We are very late. Our population in Hawai'i now has newcomers outnumbering all local-born residents.

In this day and age, unless we see and act upon the larger picture rather than bickering about smaller time-consuming details, groups such as Grassroot Institute, who have come from the continent to infiltrate Hawai'i's economic structure, will destroy progress that indigenous people have made to date in moving toward a better tomorrow. The latter group is well-funded from sources outside Hawai'i and does not intend for Hawaiians to succeed. It wants the Hawaiian lands and assets badly. Opposition to the imperfect Akaka bill leaves Hawaiians out in the cold in negotiating any future, and it plays right into the group's hands.

Unknowingly, failure to unite on things that count and arguing about the lesser details (now rather than later) will lead to fashioning our own destruction. Maka'ala kakou! Let us surf the wave as it crests rather than fighting the undertow.