A defining mark of Gov. Linda Lingle's first term has been her steady commitment to advancing the rights of Native Hawaiians.

It's been most visible in her persistent lobbying in Washington for the Akaka bill, which would grant federal political recognition to Hawaiians.

As important is her administration's initiative at home to significantly increase the number of house lots and other leasehold lands made available to qualifying Hawaiians by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

This worthy program to put Hawaiians of at least 50 percent native blood back on the land was steered through Congress by Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole in 1921.

Since then, however, poor management by administrations representing both political parties has drawn sharp criticism locally and nationally as the Hawaiian Homes waiting list has grown to 18,000 people.

Lingle started her political career on Moloka'i, the most Hawaiian of the islands, and made ambitious promises to Hawaiian voters in her 2002 campaign for governor.

"It is the Hawaiian people and their culture that make Hawai'i Hawai'i," she said. "If the indigenous people do not feel that things are pono, Hawai'i cannot prosper."

Lingle has delivered mixed results, but political opponents can't credibly question the sincerity of her commitment.

She's made numerous trips to Washington to lobby the White House and Congress for passage of the Akaka bill, braving withering attacks from the right wing of her own Republican Party, which wrongly likens indigenous recognition to race-based entitlements.

There's little chance the measure will get a Senate hearing this year, despite promises of GOP leaders to bring it to a vote, and chances in the House are equally dim as the conservative press hammers false claims that the bill could lead to Hawai'i's secession.

The picture is more promising at Hawaiian Homes, where Lingle made a campaign pledge to clear the waiting list of qualified beneficiaries within five years — a goal restated by the department in its 2003 mission statement.

Lingle entrusted the job to Micah Kane, one of her most promising young proteges, who has pursued creative ways to partner with other government and private entities to build more homes and open more unimproved lands for use by Hawaiians.

It remains to be seen whether the department will succeed in completely clearing the waiting list, but the effort is off to an encouraging start.

Last weekend, 76 beneficiaries — some of whom have been on the waiting list for more than 40 years — were awarded lots for moderately priced homes in the Kaupe'a subdivision in Kapolei, the largest project in DHHL history.

Kaupe'a is being developed in cooperation with other state agencies, the federal government, the City and County of Honolulu, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

An additional 326 lots will be awarded there by next year, part of some 2,100 homes DHHL plans to build in master-planned communities over the next 18 months.

The Hawaiian Homes projects are by far the most impressive efforts by any public agency in the struggle to address Hawai'i's oppressive shortage of affordable housing, and the partnership approach should serve as models for others.

Hawaiian Homes is directly serving a segment of the population hardest hit by the housing crunch, and in doing so, helps others in the community by freeing up affordable housing inventory elsewhere in the market.

But the Hawaiian Homes gains could be in jeopardy if Congress fails to pass the Akaka bill to provide an umbrella of protection over programs that benefit Native Hawaiians.

Without such a shield, Hawaiian Homes and other traditional Hawaiians-only programs are vulnerable to ongoing lawsuits seeking to have them declared unconstitutional.

David Shapiro, a veteran Hawai'i journalist, can be reached by e-mail at dave@volcanicash.net.