The U.S. House of Representatives made progress toward federally establishing sovereign status for Native Hawaiians last month when it passed the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Bill, which was originally drafted by Sen. Daniel Akaka. Full passage of the bill would result in a landmark for ancestral descendants of the indigenous people of Hawai'i by allowing for a process to establish parity with more than 550 Alaska Native and Native American groups recognized by the U.S. government.

The bill makes sense for various reasons. For one, self-governing rights could be extended to Native Hawaiians, which would allow for a government-to-government type of relationship between the U.S. and the Native Hawaiian governing body. Native Hawaiians have historically been addressed by Congress in a fashion similar to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. It is time for Native Hawaiians to receive the same rights of sovereignty. The bill also allows for protection of Hawaiian-only programs, ultimately helping preserve a culture that was partially lost after a 19th-century government overthrow.

January will mark 115 years since Queen Lili'uokalani was deposed from her throne and the Kingdom of Hawai'i was overthrown in a purported act of American imperialism. In 1993, President Clinton signed the Apology Resolution into law, which acknowledged that "the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawai'i or through a plebiscite or referendum." Months after the overthrow of the queen, even President Grover Cleveland decried that the takeover was an "act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress."

What is most noteworthy is that the Apology Resolution states that Congress "expresses its commitment to acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i in order to provide a proper foundation for reconciliation between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people." Additionally, the law "urges the president of the United States to also acknowledge the ramifications of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and to support reconciliation efforts between the United States and the Native Hawaiian people." Passage of the Akaka bill into law is a significant step toward such reconciliation and the acknowledgement of such ramifications.

In addition to Akaka, Sen. Daniel Inouye and other legislators from Hawai'i, support has come from Senate and House members throughout the nation. As Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, stated in a speech on the House floor, "This is really about making sure that language and culture and history are preserved. It also is consistent with the law which created the admission of Hawai'i to this union on Aug. 21, 1959." He added, "This act is an act that needs to be passed so that we can keep unfolding the real purpose and quality of America."

Unfortunately, there is a tough road ahead. First, there is the challenge of the bill passing the Senate. Assuming that this happens, President Bush's advisers are already recommending a veto, claiming that the bill is discriminatory and divisive. What the president does not understand is that the United States has a responsibility to Native Hawaiians that is similar to our responsibility toward other indigenous peoples. Failure to meet this responsibility would be unjust, dishonorable and inconsistent. If the bill eventually makes it to a presidential veto, it is unlikely that either the House or Senate would have the required number of votes to overturn such a decision.

Here's hoping that the recent passing of the Akaka bill by the House will result in the building of momentum for the sovereignty movement. Recognition of dignity and honor to one of America's first peoples is vital to preserving the rich culture of Native Hawaiians and making amends for the transgressions of the past.

Michael A. Moodian is a professor of organizational leadership at Chapman University. His first book, "Contemporary Leadership and Intercultural Competence," will be released in 2008 by Sage Publications. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.