Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 7, 1 July 2020 — MACHADO, Colette [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MACHADO, Colette

Nonpartisan Special AGE: 69 © Elected ūfficial © colettemachado@gmail.com © www.machadoforoha.com

1. The three top issues facing the Native Hawaiian community are eeonomie selfsufficiency, access to affordable housing, and I protecting our 'āina and j wai resources for future generations. Our keiki deserve to grow-up

knowing that they ean live and thrive in Hawai'i without concerns of being priced out of their own home. The 'āina not only provides for our people, but also ties us culturally and spiritually to our ancestors. We have a responsibility to mālama all of these resources. 2. As a grassroots organizer, I have been at the forefront of movements to protect our 'āina and advance the needs of our Lāhui over several decades. I am straightforward and honest in my approach and in the way I work with others. I always stand up for what I believe is right, and give a voice to people who feel they are not being heard. I have a long record in working successfully with community leaders and elected officials across different levels of government to advance the needs of our people. 3. OHA must stay its course in its advocacy for improved stewardship of Maunakea, whieh includes seeing through its lawsuit to hold the State of Hawai'i and University of Hawai'i accountable for decades of mismanagement. OHA must also continue to lift the voices of kūpuna and other community leaders who have taken on the kuleana to mālama Maunakea's cultural and environmental resources.