Name on ballot:

Keli’i Akina

Running for:

OHA At-Large Trustee

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

www.keliiakina.com

Current occupation:

OHA Trustee At Large and President/CEO of the Grassroot Institute

Age:

66

Previous job history:

Youth for Christ Hawaii; Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders; Hawaii Pacific University; Grassroot Institute (2013-present); Office of Hawaiian Affairs (2016-present)

Previous elected office, if any:

Trustee At-Large, Office of Hawaiian Affairs (2016-present)

Please describe your qualifications to represent the Native Hawaiian community.

I bring to the OHA Board extensive education (Ph.D. in Philosophy/Ethics), decades of leading effective non-profit organizations, and a record of active service to Native Hawaiians and the general public.

Most importantly, as an OHA Trustee-at-Large, I have a proven track record of accomplishment in serving the Native Hawaiian community by protecting and growing the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund, which is the most important duty of an OHA trustee. The Native Hawaiian Trust Fund is the primary source of funding to meet the needs of Hawaiians. When I was first elected, I promised to PROTECT the trust fund, GROW the trust fund, and USE the trust fund to meet the needs of Hawaiians. And that is what I have done over the past eight years. To protect the trust fund, I called for an external audit and spearheaded a forensic review of OHA’s finances that revealed high levels of fraud, waste and abuse. Subsequently, OHA adopted reforms and practices that now ensure accountability and transparency, thus protecting the trust fund from corruption. With my fellow trustees, I have worked to grow the land and financial holdings of OHA to a significant level, capable of serving the needs of Hawaiians for housing, economic development, education, and healthcare. We now follow a carefully developed strategic plan (Mana i Mauli Ola) to ensure that OHA’s trust fund is used to produce these outcomes amongst Hawaiians.

What is the most-pressing issue facing Native Hawaiians and how would you address the problem?

In light of the high cost of living in Hawaii, one of the most pressing problems facing Hawaiians is the inability to afford adequate housing. If re-elected to my position as a Trustee At-Large, I will continue to pursue a two-pronged approach to solving this problem.

The first prong is to increase the supply of housing. This can be done by using OHA funds and partnering with other organizations, including the Department of Hawaiian Homelands and the Kamehameha Schools, to build affordable housing. Development of OHA properties such as Kaka’ako Makai can yield significant revenues which can be invested in housing. Additionally, OHA can build housing on its Iwilei property which is already zoned for residential, commercial and mixed use purposes.

The second prong is to promote economic self-sufficiency within the Hawaiian communities through education and access to financial capital. Economic self-sufficiency, not dependence on public welfare, is what will advance Hawaiians to the place where they can create inter-generational wealth.

To develop economic self-sufficiency requires a comprehensive approach to empowering Hawaiians to rise above the challenges they face in housing, education, healthcare, and employment. That is why I am proud of the work which my fellow OHA trustees and I have done to address these challenges comprehensively through a 15-year strategic plan, known as “Mana i Mauli Ola” (Strength to Well-being). Funding and implementing this plan, and ensuring that Hawaiians see results, is a major part of my commitment to the beneficiaries of OHA.

Do you support or oppose the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Hawaii island? Please explain.

Like many Hawaiians, I believe that there is room on Mauna Kea for both culture and science. Therefore, I support both the pono management of Mauna Kea and the building of the TMT. Culture and science are both important Hawaiian values. A respectfully maintained Mauna Kea and scientific discovery hold the promise of cultural, economic, and educational benefits for Native Hawaiians and all people of Hawai‘i.
However, before TMT development can go forward, a collaborative effort between OHA and the State of Hawai‘i is needed to provide proper stewardship of Mauna Kea. Recently, OHA filed a lawsuit to repeal the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority (MKSOA) because OHA claims that the MKSOA is unconstitutional. This indicates that OHA and the State of Hawai‘i need to settle long-standing disputes and work together to mālama the ʻāina.

What do believe is the best use of OHA’s Kakaako Makai lands and do you support building residential high-rises there? Please explain.

OHA’s Kaka’ako Makai lands are an ideal setting for cultural, commercial and residential use. The location is perfect for creating a world-class destination that will bring pride to Hawaiians and all residents of Hawaii as well as visitors from across the world. Through the building of residential high-rises, OHA will be able to increase the housing supply, which could include a full range of work-force, luxury, and affordable housing units. The substantial revenues generated at Kaka’ako Makai could fund Native Hawaiian education, health care, economic development, and the building of more housing elsewhere. Along with housing at Kaka’ako Makai, OHA can build a Hawaiian Cultural Center and commercial space for businesses to provide a range of goods and services to customers.

What role should OHA play in helping Native Hawaiians cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living?

OHA can play a significant role in helping Native Hawaiians cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living, especially as the organization addresses housing, the most expensive factor in Hawaii’s cost of living. In my answer to an earlier question above, I described my two-prong approach to solving the housing problem for Hawaiians: 1) OHA needs to increase the supply of housing; and 2) OHA needs to promote economic self-sufficiency amongst Hawaiians through education and access to financial capital.

Additionally, OHA can build a stronger partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands to help develop infrastructure for more homesteads. For example, one of my first responsibilities when I became an OHA Trustee was to lead a committee tasked with reviewing OHA’s annual $3 million commitment to DHHL. These funds were used to help DHHL pay interest on revenue bonds to finance infrastructure, allowing development of nearly 500 homesteads for Hawaiian families.

This is a good start, but there are other possibilities for collaboration, including:
— Developing affordable rental housing projects that offer interim housing to beneficiaries awaiting homesteads.
— Developing and leasing of DHHL condos and apartments.
— Fostering commercial development to generate revenue to fund housing.

As a Trustee at Large, I will continue to push for cooperation between OHA and DHHL. In addition, OHA can also build affordable housing units on its own properties that are zoned for residential use such as at Iwilei. Also, OHA can make further investments in local agricultural development which has the potential to lower food costs.

What role should OHA play in the reshaping of Hawaii’s tourism industry?

I have long felt that OHA can play a significant role in reshaping Hawaii’s tourism industry by balancing culture and economics. As a Trustee, I will continue to work toward promoting further collaboration between OHA and the state. One example of OHA’s contribution to the proper balance of economics and culture could be the development of a Hawaiian Cultural Center at Kaka’ako Makai.

This is the reason why I supported the recent Festival of the Pacific (FestPac) sponsorship by OHA. FestPac brought together a record number of Pacific indigenous peoples and nations, as well as hundreds of thousands of local and visiting attendees. FestPac was a model of honoring the indigenous cultures of Hawaii and the Pacific while welcoming tourism.

While there is more Hawaii can do to better manage our tourism industry, recent efforts are to be commended. The conflict between economic and cultural values of tourism is being newly addressed through the state’s outreach to Hawaiian groups.

For example, to generate further growth, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has partnered with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) to create a more authentic Hawaiian experience for tourists and to cultivate their respect of the ‘aina and culture. Overall, OHA could play a significant role in reshaping Hawaii’s tourism sector which balances economics and culture.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make OHA more transparent to the public?

When I was elected as an OHA Trustee in 2016, one of my first actions was calling for an independent forensic audit of OHA’s financial activities. A follow-up review found evidence of fraud, waste, and abuse for several transactions dating from 2012 to 2016. (For my summary, see https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/oha-analysis-by-akina/203794360)

Since then, OHA has implemented internal policies that seek to ensure more transparency and accountability from OHA. These policies are intended to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse from occurring in the future.

Additionally, it is important for the public to hold OHA’s trustees accountable for the highest standard of ethics. That is why I have opposed efforts to remove OHA from oversight by the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.

As OHA moves forward, I will continue to be a watchdog and advocate for OHA to be even more transparent and accessible to the public and the Hawaiian people. Access to meetings, recordings and documents must be assured to our beneficiaries and the public.

It is our duty as Trustees of OHA to protect, grow and use OHA’s resources to better the conditions of Hawaiians.

What will be your top priority if elected?

My top priority, as it has been since I was first elected in 2016, is to PROTECT the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund, GROW the trust fund, and USE the trust fund to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians. To protect the trust fund, I seek to ensure that OHA maintains the highest level of transparency and accountability. To grow the trust, I will continue to advocate for OHA to pursue revenue generating projects and utilize OHA’s properties at their highest and best use. In addition, I will work with my fellow Trustees to enforce the State’s constitutional and statutory obligations to pay OHA its fair share of the revenue generated from the Public Land Trust. Accomplishing this would give OHA the capacity to use the trust fund to make significant advancements for Hawaiians in education, housing, healthcare, and economic development. These investments would certainly lead to the betterment of the conditions of Native Hawaiians.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

No answer submitted