2026 Trustee At-Large Candidate
- Age – 57
- Occupation – Social Services
- Where did you grow up – Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands
- Schooling – (Nanaz-Nānākuli), LCC Wai‘anae Moku
- Current residence -Ke Aupuni o kō Hawaiʻi Pae ʻāina (Oʻahu)
- Website – n/a
Write-in Responses
Question 1Question 2Question 3
OHA’s mission is to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians. What unique skills and/or experiences do you bring to this kuleana to help OHA fulfill its mission?
What is your understanding of the role of an OHA trustee and their kuleana within the agency and to the lāhui?
Share your manaʻo on the military’s use of crown and government lands in Hawaiʻi given the impending expiration of multiple military land leases and the fact that OHA derives an annual pro rata revenue share from the military’s use of those lands.
- Aloha mai kākou. ʻO Clifford Kanihonui Moi Kaawa Keawepooole Punihaole Kauaula koʻu inoa.
I just goin speak my mind and heart. I not going to sugah coat anything. I come as is. From head to toe and in breath of spirit-HĀ. - To provide for the wellbeing of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. To carry the flame of the torch of our ancestors and kūpuna that came before us; pertaining to our Kānaka Maoli, our ʻāina, wai, kai, our culture and our way of life in a mālama, lōkahi, pono and aloha way.
- The portion of money that OHA receives from the pro-rata revenue share goes to helping with business startups or issuing grants and so forth. The one thing about these land leases for military use, for example the military grade ammunition used at Pōhakuloa and so forth, the damage to the lands, aquifer and ecosystems has already been done. The Red Hill incident where the jet fuel leaked, has already caused damage.
The question is how are we going to make what works in a pono, lōkahi, mālama and aloha way for us Kānaka Maoli and our generations? Answer: Hawaiʻi Loa kūlike kākou. We hoe – paddle the canoe as one and have AKUA be the Ho‘okele, the navigator and steersman, to head us in the right-eous direction we need to go. Aloha a hui hou – (K-den).
Yes/No Questions
Question 1Question 2Question 3Question 4Question 5
Do you support mandatory federal consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on all federal actions and processes concerning Native Hawaiian affairs?
In light of major cuts to Native Hawaiian-serving programs and OHA’s finite trust resources, do you believe OHA should play a role in helping address resulting Native Hawaiian community impacts through advocacy, partnerships, or other mitigation strategies?
Should telescope/observatory development on Maunakea and Haleakalā be stopped at least until mismanagement and legal claims to summit lands have been resolved?
In its role as an asset manager, OHA currently utilizes funds to purchase land with particular cultural, historical or ecological importance for their protection and preservation as needed.
Do you believe OHA should continue investing in these legacy land acquisitions when it determines those investments meaningfully advance its fiduciary obligations and long-term benefits to Native Hawaiian communities, even alongside other pressing beneficiary needs?
Do you believe OHA should continue investing in these legacy land acquisitions when it determines those investments meaningfully advance its fiduciary obligations and long-term benefits to Native Hawaiian communities, even alongside other pressing beneficiary needs?
Should the U.S. military be prevented from live-fire training in Hawaiʻi – both on land and in the surrounding ocean? Do you believe OHA should actively challenge or seek changes to military training activities in Hawaiʻi when those activities are perceived to negatively impact Native Hawaiian trust interests, cultural resources, environmental health, or access to culturally significant lands and waters?
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