OHA Trustees
Messages from OHA Trustees
Dan Ahuna
Kauaʻi and Niʻihau TrusteeDan Ahuna has represented the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau as an OHA trustee since November 2012. Trustee Messages
Kalei Akaka
Oʻahu TrusteeKalei Akaka was elected to represent the island of Oʻahu as an OHA trustee in 2018. Trustee Messages
Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.
At-Large TrusteeKeli‘i Akina, Ph.D. was elected OHA Trustee-at-Large in 2016. As a public policy leader in Hawaiʻi, Akina has pursued the advancement of the Hawaiian people while encouraging all citizens to work together for a better economy, government and society. Trustee Messages
Luana Alapa
Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi TrusteeLuana Alapa was elected OHA Molokaʻi-Lānaʻi Trustee in 2020. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and UH Mānoa earning a BA in Psychology and pursuing a master’s degree in Counseling. Trustee Messages
Brickwood Galuteria
At-Large TrusteeBrickwood Galuteria was elected OHA Trustee-At-Large in 2022. Trustee Messages
Kai Kahele
Hawaiʻi Island TrusteeKaialiʻi Kahele was elected trustee for Hawaiʻi Island in 2024 and elected OHA board chair the same year. Trustee Messages
Carmen Hulu Lindsey
Maui TrusteeCarmen Hulu Lindsey has represented Maui as an OHA trustee since January 2012. Trustee Messages
John D. Waiheʻe IV
At-Large TrusteeJohn D. Waiheʻe IV has been an OHA trustee-at-large since 2000. He is also the son of former Governor John Waihe‘e, who was instrumental in creating OHA. Truste Messages
Trustee Messages
Two Worlds, One Foundation: Hawaiian and American Ideals of Freedom
Most Native Hawaiians today live between two worlds: the lāhui and the United States of America. There is no denying that the relationship between Hawaiʻi and the United States has been fraught with tension and conflict.
Professionalism, Respect, and Our Responsibility to the Lāhui
As elected trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), we are entrusted with a profound responsibility: to serve our beneficiaries and represent the interests of the lāhui with integrity, respect, and professionalism.
Why OHA Should Consider Owning KITV and KIKU
The recent discussion surrounding the potential acquisition of KITV Island News and KIKU TV by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has generated significant public interest.
PART III: Serving the Lāhui – Investing in Our Future
In Parts I and II of this series, I shared reflections guided by the wisdom of our kūpuna and the values they instilled in us about service, humility, and our shared kuleana to the lāhui.
Kauaʻi, PMRF, and the Road Ahead
For many in Hawaiʻi, PMRF is a familiar name, yet few fully understand what the facility is, the role it serves, and why conversations surrounding its future are becoming increasingly important for our state.
Commercial Aquarium Fish Extraction Puts Hawaiʻi’s Reefs and Community Practices at...
Hawaiʻi’s constitution is clear: the state has a duty to protect and conserve natural resources for present and future generations.
Part II: Serving the Lāhui – a Deep Kuleana
Last month, I reflected on the kūpuna who shaped my understanding of service and kuleana. Their lessons continue to guide the work ahead of us. Mahalo e nā kūpuna.
Divided There’s Nothing We Can Do; United Nothing Can Stop Us
This month’s column features a report from my office by Carina Watase, my trustee aide, on a recent talk story session with students at Punahou School.
HEPA Still Matters at Haleakalā
High above Maui, on the summit of Haleakalā, a new proposal is raising serious questions about process, transparency, and the state’s kuleana to its people.
Native Politics, Native Prosperity
For many who call Hawaiʻi home, Native politics can feel distant.
Blessed to Call Hawaiʻi Home
There is a special feeling that comes with living in Hawaiʻi. It is not just the warm ocean breezes, or the breathtaking mountains and valleys, it is the people, the culture, and the traditions that bind us.
When Healthcare Feels Like an Ocean Away
For a pregnant mother on Molokaʻi, giving birth can mean having to leave home weeks before her due date. In many cases, the island simply does not have the resources needed for safe delivery.
Demonstrating Mālama ʻĀina Through Pilina
Aloha ʻāina kākou. Across our pae ʻāina, the strength of our lāhui continues to be carried forward with the ʻike, kuleana, and relationships we nurture with one another and with our ʻāina.
Part 1: Mahalo e nā Kūpuna
Serving as an at-large trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) over the past four years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
From Ho‘ōpūloa to Miloliʻi: Carrying the Legacy of Our Kūpuna Forward
This month, Trustee Kaialiʻi Kahele invited Leivallyn Kaupu and Kaʻimi Kaupiko, lineal descendants of Miloliʻi, to write a manaʻo to share via his regular column.
Support Legislation to Increase OHA’s PLT Share
During the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Legislative Session, HB2584 and SB3308 seek to finally move Hawaiʻi closer to fulfilling a long-standing constitutional obligation: paying the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) its full pro rata share of revenues generated from the Public Land Trust (PLT).
New Hope for Hawaiian Homelands – My Conversation with Kali Watson
For decades, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) has faced well-known challenges in delivering homesteads to Native Hawaiian families.
Mission Driven Investments
As a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), I am often asked how we balance investment performance with our deeper kuleana to lāhui.
Honoring Our Kūpuna
As we herald in a new year, I had the honor of joining many in our community to celebrate the life of former Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Rowena Akana.
Prince Kūhiō’s Enduring Legacy: ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula
Each March, our lāhui pauses to honor Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, whose vision and leadership secured a future for Native Hawaiians rooted in ʻāina, identity, and self-determination.