Why does KS use birth records to verify Hawaiian ancestry?
It has been KS’ longstanding policy to require original birth certificates or certified original Department of Health abstracts showing a chain of Hawaiian ancestry prior to 1959 because • the Department of Health’s vital statistics records prior to 1959 were generally quite accurate as the information was cross-checked; • original birth certificates contain more complete information in the cases where birth certificates have been altered or amended; and • original birth certificates are generally the most trustworthy documentation of ancestry.
