Kealoha Pisciotta

Kealoha Pisciotta is a public policy advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. She previously worked for the Joint Astronomy Centre as a telescope system specialist. Kealoha is a Native Hawaiian traditional cultural practitioner and for more than two decades she has been a leading voice for the movement to protect the summit of Mauna Kea. Her advocacy on behalf of the ʻāina, the moana and the lāhui has required interventions on the frontlines and in the courts, and she has been a participant in and drafter of state, federal and international laws regarding human rights, environmental protection, and Native Hawaiian culture. She has presented before United Nations councils and commissions on behalf of Native Hawaiian civil and human rights, including the Hawaiian right to self-determination. She also presented before the UN Human Rights Commission and helped to draft the international legal standards for the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Kealoha is president of Mauna Kea Anaina Hou and founder of the marine protection group Kai Palaoa.