Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 12, 1 December 2016 — Times of Change Require Strong Leadership [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Times of Change Require Strong Leadership

IV A AHALO to eaeh and every l\ /I one of you that took the time | \ / I to vote this year.

| \/ I Although I ran I V I unopposed and was not included on the ballot, this was a very important eleehon, as is every election, and I want to thank everyone that volunteered, voted and contributed in any fashion during the campaign season. I would also like to send a very special mahalo to Trustee Haunani Apoliona for her 20 years of service at OHA and nearly 50 plus years of service to the Native Hawaiian community. I wish her, her 'ohana, and staff (Louise YeeHoy and Reynold Freitas) all the best as they move on to the next

chapter of their journey. The results of this election caught many of us by surprise. From Trustee Apoliona's unseating, to the election of Donald Trump as President. These results have left many in our community uneasy and wary of the future for Native Hawaiian rights and programs. It is unknown what a Trump administration will do in the areas of indigenous rights, climate change issues, and natural resource management issues. However, I do know that OHA has a constitutional mandate that must be strictly adhered to and a mission and strategic plan that this board of trustees has committed to fulfilling . I weleome our newest Trustee, Keli'i Akina and look forward to working with him in furtherance of our mandate. We have

a fiduciary obligation to prudently manage this trust and uphold the mandate to better the condition of Native Hawai-

ians through the administration of grants and programs and advocacy that serve the Native Hawaiian community. I know that our board andleadership are firmly committed to this and will see to it that no special interest agenda impede on those initiatives. I look forward to working in the areas of increased transparency and accountability, both of whieh will only help this agency fulfill its mission. Leadership is the key during these seemingly unpredictable times. While mueh on the federal level is unknown, we must stay focused and steadfast here

at home. It is a time for strong, balanced leaders to step up and lead the Native Hawaiian community in a galvanized political voice to ensure that our natural and cultural resources are protected and that our rights as indigenous people do not eome under fire. It is up to us. . . and I will do all in my power to assure that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is at the forefront of securing those rights and that our people and 'āina are not compromised. I strongly urge all in our community to begin to look at elections in 2018, it is never too early, I hope to see a strong slate of Native Hawaiians running for all levels of office in 2018. Holo mua i ka pono a me ka ha'aha'a e nā po'e Hawai'i! ■

Dan Ahuna VicE Chair, TrustEE, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau