"The enactment of a law that essentially begins the process of reestablishing Native Hawaiian self-governance on the local level is an important move, solidifying the state's stance of reconciliation toward its native people in the hope that federal recognition may follow.

Act 195, signed on Wednesday by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, got relatively scant attention as it moved through the Legislature as Senate Bill 1520, considering the intent of the measure. Efforts in Congress to pass what's known as the Akaka Bill — after U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, its chief sponsor — have stalled yet again. Its long-suffering backers hope sibling legislation emerging from the state Capitol may regenerate some momentum for creating a nation-within-a-nation political entity that federal leaders in Washington, D.C., may later recognize.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is carving out $300,000 from its own resources to fund the organization of an independent commission that will assemble a roll, names of people who eventually will have voting power in a future native government. The law requires this panel to report its progress to the 2012 Legislature, a good instinct that needs to be renewed annually. Strict reporting procedures need to be in place, with goals and timelines set, to ensure that the process doesn't lose steam."

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Editorial: An important step for sovereignty (The Honolulu Star Advertiser 7/11)