Aloha ʻāina kākou. As we enter a new year and a new season, I am filled with gratitude and optimism for what lies ahead for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and for our lāhui. This is a time of reflection and renewal – a moment to honor where we have come from and to reaffirm our commitment to where we are going.
At OHA, the changing season finds us grounded in purposeful work. I want to recognize and mahalo our dedicated staff, who are diligently analyzing and engaging with our Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan. Their thoughtful efforts are not just exercises in planning, but actions of kuleana.
Through this work, our team is strengthening the foundation of the agency so that OHA is better equipped to ʻauamo – to carry – our responsibilities to Kānaka, now and for generations to come.
This is not easy work. It requires care, collaboration, and courage. It requires listening intently to our beneficiaries and aligning our resources, programs, and advocacy to truly uplift the wellbeing of our people.
Our staff’s commitment reflects a deep belief in the purpose of OHA and in the potential of our lāhui to thrive when guided by ʻike, values, and intention.
As trustees, we do not do this work in isolation. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us – those whose advocacy, sacrifice, and vision shaped the very existence of this agency. We carry a powerful legacy born from the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s, a period when our people reawakened language, culture, identity, and political consciousness.
That era reminds us of who we are. That era keeps us pili (connected) to the accountability we have and more importantly, what we are capable of when we stand firm in our truth.
Among the most profound expressions of that legacy is the Kahoʻolawe movement. The unwavering mana of those protectors – many of whom are our ʻohana, hoa, and meʻe (heroes) who risked everything to stop the bombing of a sacred island – continues to guide us today.
Their actions were rooted in aloha ʻāina and in the belief that justice for our people is inseparable from the health and dignity of our lands. That same spirit of advocacy lives on in OHA’s work to protect resources, advance self- determination, and uplift Native Hawaiian wellbeing.
As we look forward, I am encouraged by the direction we are headed. The coming seasons hold opportunity for deeper impact, stronger partnerships, and clearer pathways toward a thriving lāhui. While challenges will remain, I have confidence in the collective strength of our trustees, staff, and beneficiaries to meet them with integrity and resolve.
Me ka haʻahaʻa, I mahalo the privilege of serving at this time in our lāhui aloha. May this new year bring clarity of purpose, unity of action, and continued commitment to the betterment of our people. Together, grounded in our history and guided by our values, we holo mua.
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