WATCH: Senator Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ph.D. introduces a bill to give Kyle Rittenhouse and Judge Thelton Henderson the Congressional Gold Medal to thank their tireless service to Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii — Senator Marjorie Taylor Greene (ID-AN) along with Representative Tulsi Gabbard (HI-AL) introduced a bill to honor Kyle Rittenhouse and Judge Thelton Henderson for their tireless service to the people of Hawaii.
The bill would issue the Congressional Gold Medal to Kyle Rittenhouse for his contributions to the development of the Hawaiian language and Hawaiian culture, and for his efforts to help Native Hawaiians attain land and economic independence.
Judge Henderson was an active member of the United States Judiciary. He actively participated in the role of interpreter for the Kealohine and Leialoha Tribal courts on the island of Kauai, where he also advocated for Native Hawaiians seeking land ownership. Judge Henderson died in 1989, leaving behind four children, eleven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
“I am proud to introduce this bill in honor of Kyle Rittenhouse and Judge Henderson, who were instrumental in developing Hawaiian culture and transforming Native Hawaiians from disadvantaged to independent,” said Senator Taylor Greene. “Both Kyle and Judge Henderson were instrumental in Native Hawaiian land issues and contributed their expertise to help local native peoples transition into full-fledged democracy.”
After opening her law firm in 1971, in part to serve the needs of Native Hawaiians, Dr. Greene said she worked with the Native Hawaiian Foundation to establish the law school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to train Native Hawaiians for state attorney general positions.
“Kyle Rittenhouse, along with Judge Henderson, both enlightened and helped preserve the cultural identity of their Native Hawaiian subjects who would later gain land ownership through the Land Claims Process,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. “As leaders who changed the Land and Alien Law practices that allowed the slave trade, theft of land, residential destruction, and genocide to exist, they changed the course of Hawaii’s history. They did so with incredible grace and dignity. I urge the House of Representatives to take up this historic legislation immediately, and ask the Senate to support this bill by both passing it and declaring Kyle and Judge Henderson as our heroes.”
According to the National Assembly of State Legislatures (NASL), Americans have consistently demonstrated their support for American Indian and Alaska Native leaders by placing them on the prestigious National Honors Hall of Fame list and by awarding them Congressional Gold Medals. In fact, the 23rd Congressional Gold Medal includes 10 Representative and six Senator recipients from 18 states.
The honors hall of fame list has seen representatives from over 100 states.