OHA Representation at the HC Convention

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OHA’s delegation to the Hawaiian Council convention in Tulalip, Washington, included trustees, administrators and staff. Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele delivered the keynote address. OHA staff led and participated in workshops and panel discussions, while Beneficiary Services staff helped convention goers sign up for OHA’s Hawaiian Registry Program. – Photos: Nelson Gaspar

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) was well-represented at the recent 2025 Hawaiian Council Native Hawaiian Convention, held last month in Tulalip, Washington.

“This convention was more than a gathering-it was the beginning of a movement,” said OHA Board of Trustees Chairperson Kaialiʻi Kahele. “OHA’s participation exceeded our expectations, and the feedback we’ve received has been outstanding. What we witnessed here is the strength, resilience and unity of our lāhui – a clear sign that our future is in good hands.”

Kahele delivered the keynote address on the convention’s second day. In his remarks, Kahele shared the story of Iosepa Kahoʻoluhi Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu and encouraged Native Hawaiian to live their inherent sovereignty.

“This is what we are called to do now,” Kahele said. “Not as individuals seeking recognition, but as a lāhui exerting our collective agency in every sphere of life – through the ʻāina we heal, the institutions we build, the relationships we sustain across distance, and the hope we pass forward.”

More than a thousand people attended the 3-day conference, held on Tulalip tribal lands north of Seattle.

OHA trustees, executives and staff members led and participated in workshops and panel discussions over the course of the convention. Topics ranged from housing challenges to ceded lands and federal recognition.

OHA trustees and staffers also helped to lead the Aloha ʻĀina Advocacy session for ʻōpio which included more than two dozen Native Hawaiian middle and high school students from Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi and Kapālama, Ke Kula o Samuel M. Kamakau, Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Pūʻohala, and from the youth advocacy organization ʻEkolu Mea Nui.

Haumāna discussed current topics, practiced their advocacy skills and created plans for issues affecting their community.

OHA Beneficiary Services staff assisted convention attendees with applying for and receiving their Hawaiian Registry Program (HRP) ID cards. A steady stream of participants kept the team busy throughout the event, as new on-site printing machines allowed staff to issue cards instantly. In total, OHA processed more than 70 new HRP cards and assisted over 150 conventioneers with the registry process and other OHA programs.

OHA plans to take the Hawaiian Registry Program on the road to future events, including the upcoming Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Convention in Keauhou, Kona, at the end of October.

OHA Interim Administrator Summer Sylva said, “Mahalo to the Hawaiian Council and CEO Kūhiō Lewis for their unprecedented partnership, and to the inspiring collective of Kānaka and allies from across the continent and Pacific who showed up with purpose and aloha. Our shared commitment to uplifting our lāhui – wherever we are – gives hope to our future generations.”