Certified into existence, (re)certified to extinction: blood quantum and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Abstract

The passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) in 1921, is a defining moment for kānaka, as it segregates the collective into two separate and unequal groups, along exclusively racial lines. Through the HHCA, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is compelled to enforce and devise a method to prove each applicant's blood quantum, qualifying the applicant as a "beneficiary," thereby making them eligible to apply for a Hawaiian home lands lease. The purpose of this thesis is to problematize the methods used to certify Hawaiian blood quantum, and to examine the documents required by DHHL to prove racial/ethnic/ancestral make up. This thesis also discusses the ramifications that the continued use of the HHCA definition of "native Hawaiian" (i.e. 50% blood quantum or more) has on an individual's eligibility for entitlements aimed to benefit all lineally descended kānaka.