Serving as an at-large trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) over the past four years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. But more than anything, this work has reminded me that none of us walks this path alone. We bring our kūpuna with us.
During this time, I have had the honor of meeting with beneficiaries, community leaders, cultural practitioners, government officials and ʻohana across the pae ʻāina.
Some conversations happen in formal spaces: community meetings, legislative briefings or public hearings. But many of the moments happen in quieter ways: talking story with kūpuna after a gathering, walking the land with cultural practitioners, or working alongside volunteers during mālama ʻāina workdays.
In those moments people speak openly about their hopes for our lāhui. Time and again I hear the same messages: our people want opportunity, stability and the ability for Native Hawaiians to live, raise families and thrive in our homeland.
Whenever I think about our kuleana, I also think about the kūpuna who helped guide my path, the people whose values and example continue to shape how I approach service.
My grandma Mona; my great-great-grandfather Rev. Isaac Iaea; mentors like Ainsley Haleamau and the many other kumu I have worked closely with all helped shape how I understand leadership and kuleana. Each of them, in their own way, taught me what it means to serve with humility, integrity, and deep love for our people.
Grandma Mona carried herself with true haʻahaʻa – a humility grounded in caring for family and community and remembering where you come from. She reminded me that leadership is not about recognition, but about service.
It is easy to become consumed by responsibilities, but our kūpuna teach us that the strongest leaders remain rooted in their values, culture and community. The most meaningful work is often done quietly through listening, helping others, and simply showing up for our people.
Mentors like Ainsley Halemanu also taught me the importance of cultural grounding. Cultural practitioners remind us that ʻike Hawaiʻi is not something confined to history books. It is living knowledge that continues to guide how we care for ʻāina, sustain community, and move forward as a people.
Although I never met my great-great- grandfather Rev. Isaac Iaea, his legacy resonates with me every day. Our kūpuna lived through immense change. They witnessed the loss of lands, the suppression of our language, and the many challenges that threatened the survival of our culture. Yet they never stopped believing in the strength and resilience of the lāhui. Because of them, our language lives, cultural practices continue, and our communities endure.
One of the greatest lessons our kūpuna teach us is patience. The work of strengthening our lāhui is generational work. The changes we seek today may take years, sometimes decades, to fully take root. Yet our kūpuna planted seeds without knowing if they would ever see the harvest.
This reminds me that the work we do today is not only about the present moment. We are not the beginning of the story, and we are not the end. We are simply one generation entrusted with continuing the journey and I am here to serve the lāhui on this journey.
If we remain grounded in our culture, lead with humility, and remember the wisdom of our kūpuna, the path ahead will always be guided by those who walked it before us.
In that way, our kūpuna are never truly gone. They walk beside us in every decision, every act of service and every seed we plant for the future. Mahalo e nā kūpuna.
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