OHA Trustees

Messages from OHA Trustees

Dan Ahuna

Kauaʻi and Niʻihau Trustee

Dan Ahuna has represented the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau as an OHA trustee since November 2012. Trustee Messages

Kalei Akaka

Oʻahu Trustee

Kalei Akaka was elected to represent the island of Oʻahu as an OHA trustee in 2018. Trustee Messages

Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.

At-Large Trustee

Keli‘i Akina, Ph.D. was elected OHA Trustee-at-Large in 2016. As a public policy leader in Hawaiʻi, Akina has pursued the advancement of the Hawaiian people while encouraging all citizens to work together for a better economy, government and society. Trustee Messages

Luana Alapa

Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi Trustee

Luana Alapa was elected OHA Molokaʻi-Lānaʻi Trustee in 2020. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and UH Mānoa earning a BA in Psychology and pursuing a master’s degree in Counseling. Trustee Messages

Brickwood Galuteria

At-Large Trustee

Brickwood Galuteria was elected OHA Trustee-At-Large in 2022. Trustee Messages

Kai Kahele

Hawaiʻi Island Trustee

Kaialiʻi Kahele was elected trustee for Hawaiʻi Island in 2024 and elected OHA board chair the same year. Trustee Messages

Carmen Hulu Lindsey

Maui Trustee

Carmen Hulu Lindsey has represented Maui as an OHA trustee since January 2012. Trustee Messages

Keoni Souza

At-Large Trustee

Keoni Souza was elected OHA Trustee-At-Large in 2022. Trustee Messages

John D. Waiheʻe IV

At-Large Trustee

John D. Waiheʻe IV has been an OHA trustee-at-large since 2000. He is also the son of former Governor John Waihe‘e, who was instrumental in creating OHA. Truste Messages

Trustee Messages

Trustee Messages

Mālama ʻĀina through Culture and Technology

Keli‘i Akina - July 1, 2025

While the thrill of riding in an ATV was an unforgettable experience, it was not the adrenaline that left the deepest impression; it was witnessing the integration of contemporary science and engineering with traditional Native Hawaiian stewardship practices.

Trustee Messages

Kānaka Rangers: Restoring Balance on Kaua‘i’s North Shore

Dan Ahuna - July 1, 2025

Nestled in the rugged and stunning ʻahupuaʻa of Wainiha on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, a quiet but powerful movement is underway - one led by local communities, rooted in Native Hawaiian values, and strengthened through an innovative collaboration with The Hanalei Initiative, a local nonprofit stewarding land management effort in the region.

Trustee Messages

Community Stewardship at the End of the Road

Kaialiʻi Kahele - July 1, 2025

Hāʻena, located at the end of the road on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, is one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic and sacred places.

Trustee Messages

Lighting the Path Home: AHO and DHHL bring new hope for...

Keoni Souza - July 1, 2025

For generations, returning home to our ʻāina has been a long-awaited dream in the hearts of Native Hawaiians. Finally, that vision is beginning to take shape in new and meaningful ways.

Trustee Messages

Reflecting on the Life of Kamehameha the Great

Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey - July 1, 2025

Kamehameha the Great remains one of the most revered figures in Hawaiian history. Through wisdom, courage, and vision he accomplished what no one before...

Trustee Messages

Pōhakuloa and the Legacy of Resistance

Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey - June 1, 2025

Mahalo nui loa to the many Kānaka who stood firmly and spoke courageously against the U.S. Army’s proposed Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Army Training Land Retention at the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island, dated April 2025.

Trustee Messages

Resilience, Compassion and Aloha: Lessons From the Wildfires

Brickwood Galuteria - June 1, 2025

In June we are focusing on Maui Nui, which refers to both a prehistoric Hawaiian island and a modern biogeographic region.

Trustee Messages

He Inoa no Kamehameha

Keli‘i Akina - June 1, 2025

Travelers from Hawaiʻi to Washington, D.C., often make a beeline to the King Kamehameha I Statue in the Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol.

Trustee Messages

Keawanui, Molokaʻi: Reviving the Wisdom of the Fishpond

Kaialiʻi Kahele - June 1, 2025

Nestled along the south shore of Molokaʻi in the ʻāina section of Kaʻamola lies a place of deep cultural, ecological, and historical significance: Keawanui Fishpond.

Trustee Messages

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Keoni Souza - June 1, 2025

Across Hawaiʻi, local families are struggling to make ends meet – even when working two full-time jobs.

Trustee Messages

Kapu ka Wāhine, Hoʻōla nā Kānaka

Dan Ahuna - May 1, 2025

Aloha ʻāina kākou! As I reflect upon this season of gratitude to the wāhine in our lives, I think of the pillars of our lāhui, our ʻohana, our kaiāulu.

Trustee Messages

ʻĀkoʻakoʻa: Fusing Community and Science for West Hawaiʻi’s Coral Reefs

Kaialiʻi Kahele - May 1, 2025

Stretching over 130 miles along the leeward coast of Hawaiʻi Island, the West Hawaiʻi reef system is the longest contiguous coral reef in the Hawaiian Archipelago – longer than the entire circumference of Maui.

Trustee Messages

Addressing Climate Change with Aloha

Brickwood Galuteria - May 1, 2025

Hawaiʻi’s leadership in addressing climate change is deeply rooted in our commitment to sustainability and the interconnectedness of land, ocean, and people.

Trustee Messages

Kaluaʻaha Church and the Mana of my Kūpuna

Keoni Souza - May 1, 2025

Recently, I returned to Kaluaʻaha Church on Molokaʻi to honor the life of my late uncle, Daniel Iaea.

Trustee Messages

Honoring Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi – A Personal Note

Keli‘i Akina - May 1, 2025

I recently had the privilege of attending the opening event of Nānā i Ke Kumu: Celebrating the Legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui at the Bishop Museum, alongside my fellow trustees.

Trustee Messages

Aloha ʻĀina: The Only Path Forward for Hawaiʻi

Kaialiʻi Kahele - April 1, 2025

The erosion of Hawaiian sovereignty at the hands of settler-colonial forces was driven by economic exploitation.

Photo: Trustee Akina with fellow trustees, Ka Pouhana Stacy Ferreira, and students from Hawaiian-focused public charter school Hālau Kū Māna

Trustee Messages

Why I am Excited About the Future for Hawaiians!

Keli‘i Akina - April 1, 2025

The Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (Section 10-3) declares that one of the important reasons the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) exists is to “better the conditions of Native Hawaiians and Hawaiians.”

Trustee Messages

Pono Living: Sustainable Housing for the Lāhui

Keoni Souza - April 1, 2025

Today, as we face rising costs, shrinking space, and climate change, sustainable housing offers a path forward that honors our past while building a resilient future for the lāhui

Trustee Messages

“Kalākaua he Inoa…” It’s Merrie Monarch Time Again!

Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey - April 1, 2025

A recent tsunami had caused devastation, and the decline of sugar plantations along the Hāmākua Coast had further weakened the local economy.

Trustee Messages

Sustainability Through a Native Hawaiian Lens

Brickwood Galuteria - April 1, 2025

For Native Hawaiians, sustainability is not just a strategy but a way of life. Rooted in aloha ʻāina and kuleana, it reflects the deep interconnection between people, land, and ocean.