'Broken Promises': Documentary on Department of Hawaiian Homelands to release at Capitol
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new documentary centered around problems within the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will be released at the State Capitol on Monday.
The documentary, entitled "Broken Promises", is the product of an 18-month research project on the department's history. State Rep. Gene Ward, along with members of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the DHHL, will debut the project.
The documentary revolves around the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which was written by Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole in 1921.
The act promised 203,000 acres of land to restore "land and dignity" to Native Hawaiians, according to the research group's website.
Almost 100 years later, only 9,700 homesteads have been opened and 44,000 Hawaiians are still on a waiting list. The research paper and documentary attempt to tackle both what went wrong with the fulfillment of Kalanianaole's act, and what can be done to fix it.
Among those interviewed were several experts on the subject and every former director of DHHL.
The 26-minute documentary also includes interviews with OHA trustees Oswald Stender and Peter Apo, and Hawaii developer Peter Savio.
The documentary will have its debut in room 325 of the State Capitol Building from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A question and answer session will be held following the showing.
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