By Mokihana Maldonado
Long before the U.S. Constitution, Native Hawaiians lived under a system of governance rooted in kuleana: responsibility, balance, and respect.
Aliʻi, entrusted with the wellbeing of the lāhui and the ʻāina, were guided by the kapu system which protected resources and upheld social order. Through the ahupuaʻa system, communities shared resources ma uka to ma kai.
Centuries later, we have the same responsibility to uphold these values and steward the land and its resources for our future generations.
Today we must ask: Is that same kuleana honored in America’s democracy?
America’s Constitution was built to last, and with time comes change. The framers included Article V, the Constitution’s built-in mechanism for evolution.
Amendments are not just legal text; they are the people’s voice carved into history. As legal scholar John Malcolm recently pointed out, judicial interpretation alone cannot substitute for democratic amendment. Courts can clarify, but only the people can transform.
But there are flaws in the very heart of the system that require urgent change: the electoral college, gerrymandering and lifetime Supreme Court appointments.
Twice in two decades – Bush in 2000, Trump in 2016 – the presidency was won without the popular vote because the electoral college functions as voter suppression cloaked in tradition.
Meanwhile, redrawing maps to enhance political power has fractured communities and diluted votes – particularly those of Indigenous and other peoples of color.
Lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices allow politically appointed individuals to serve for decades, shaping society long after the presidents who appointed them leave office. Term limits are required restore accountability and reflect the people’s will.
But reform requires boldness. Amending the Constitution to address these issues would move America toward a truly representative democracy. Though a strenuous task, history proves that the united will of the people can prevail. The question is not whether change is possible, but whether we dare to demand it. We need to ask ourselves, does the two-party system truly represent us?
Change begins with action. It is time to call upon the state to lead constitutional reform through Article V: changes for the people, sanctioned by the people, with the resolute backing of the people. We must strengthen civic education so every generation of our community going forward understands the power of their voice in this powerful, yet fragile, democracy.
As a Native Hawaiian, I was raised with the value of kuleana – a duty of both privilege and burden. True leadership requires courage to confront injustice and humility to act in the interests of the people.
Constitutional amendments are made because we believe in a better future, in a nation where democracy triumphs. Just as Prince Kūhiō lobbied Congress to secure Hawaiian homelands we, too, must be courageous in protecting democracy for all.
A better future begins with us raising our voices, voting with purpose, and uplifting leaders committed to ensuring equity and fairness. We can shape a constitution that speaks to today’s challenges and tomorrow’s hopes and dreams.
Change is not only possible – it is our kuleana. And the time for it is now.
Mokihana Maldonado, born and raised in Hawaiʻi, is committed to democratic values and education. She is an aspiring constitutional law attorney.
