Together Apart: Freshman Colloquium

Checkmating Bishop: Hawaiian Defender, Dependant, Debilitated

Damien Chang

Abstract

Indigenous peoples—disadvantaged, marginalized, and abused—can be found disjointed and without formal government representation in every corner of the world. The Bishop Estate of the Kamehameha Schools is a unique institution that possesses both the jurisdiction and the financial means, through its vast land holdings and investments, to unite their sole beneficiaries, the Native Hawaiians. Numerous antitrust lawsuits and board-member scandals that have racked the institution in the past few decades raise the concern of how to ensure proper governance and representation for its native peoples. I explore both past and recent controversies surrounding this case through the voices of scholars, columnists, and jurists who offer varying criticisms on the institution. Nevertheless, I hope to also explore the bigger picture behind the Estate itself and why its survival and integrity is so crucial for the people of Hawaii.

Open PDF

This page has paths:

This page has tags:

This page references: