No real surprise here, but the official platform approved by Democrats is unequivocal when it comes to a position on Native Hawaiian sovereignty.

Under the heading of “Tribal Sovereignty,” the document has this to say:

We will continue to honor our treaty and trust obligations and respect cultural rights, including greater support for American Indian and Alaska Native languages. Democrats support maximizing tribal self-governance, including efforts for self-determination and sovereignty of Native Hawaiians.

The Republican platform released last week is not so clear, saying the party supports efforts to preserve languages and cultures but opposes the creation of any new race-based governments.

Read more about the GOP position here.

— Michael Levine