The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, known as the Akaka Bill for U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka, D-Hawaii, who introduced it, sets a dangerous precedent in U.S. law. Often asserted to be a bill that settles Hawaiian claims it does nothing of the sort. To the contrary, it leaves the door open for any claim to be made, no matter how frivolous or foolhardy, for 20 years following its passage. Also there is no limit to the extent or nature of these claims.
The nomenclature of this bill designates an independent governing body for a portion of the populace in the state of Hawaii, entirely defined by so-called indigenous racial lineage. This is something that even the original Hawaiian Kingdom did not do. It opens the door for any group within the U.S. to make the same claim upon the same basis. This is why this precedent is so dangerous and the ramifications could be quite profound.
Another aspect of the bill is that it circumvents democracy completely. Within 180 days of the passage of the bill the Secretary of the Interior will appoint 9 members to a commission that determines who qualifies for this lineage and who doesn