The partisan climate of chilly Washington, in which the embattled Akaka bill is trying to sprout again, has grown a bit warmer with the Democratic tilt in both the House and Senate. This should give hope to those who support this push to grant federal recognition to Native Hawaiians as a political class.

At home, however, there's lots of work to do. There's just as much general confusion about the meaning of the bill as there was before November's election.

Sen. Daniel Akaka has re-introduced his namesake bill, known more formally as the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, now assigned the bill number S. 310. It's identical to last session's failed S. 147, except that it includes the amendments suggested by the Department of Justice.

These include limitations on the powers that a Native Hawaiian government could have, including authorizing gambling here.

It makes sense to move the bill in a form that has been vetted by as many people on both sides of the aisle as possible. A Democratic majority in both chambers improves its chances but does not guarantee them; even less clear are the prospects for a Bush administration veto.

Turning the clock back seven years to where deliberations began, at hearings held in Hawai'i, would be pointless. But there's a growing feeling that Hawai'i residents, Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian, feel estranged from the entire process.

At the very least, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs — the agency that has been lobbying the hardest for the bill — needs to restart the conversation here at home.

OHA has conducted surveys indicating that popular support for the bill has narrowed somewhat. Some of that may arise from belief that the bill accords too much or not enough control over resources to Native Hawaiians.

But some of the sentiment may be misplaced. Misperceptions about the effect of the bill persist in the community. It does not affect the disposition of private lands, for example, although this concern continues to be raised. It does not exempt Hawaiians from taxation or other civil laws.

Akaka and the rest of the congressional delegation need to educate especially the newcomers in the House and Senate about the bill. The political landscape may have changed in their favor, but they can't afford to make too many assumptions.

But they also need to reconnect with the base here; uncertainty at the grassroots level won't help their case. A clear understanding of the law, on the homefront as well as on the Hill, is essential.