Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 10, 1 October 2020 — SOUZA, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SOUZA,

, KEŪNI

© info@keonisouzaforOHA.com & SouzaforOHA.com AGE: 36 GCCUPATIŪN: Real Estate Agent, Traditional Hawaiian Musician/Entertainer WHERE DID Y0U GR0W UP: Kapolei, O'ahu SCHŪ0L[S) ATTENDED: Kamehameha Schools - Kapālama ūampus. Kapi'olani Community College CURRENT RESIDENCE: Kapolei, ū'ahu

1 ] lt is our kuleana to normalize, or re-normalize, the Hawaiian culture and language not only in the islands, but also around the world. We must do so in order for our lāhui to move forward, to thrive, and to perpetuate our cultural identity for generations to eome. Growing up with my beautiful, full-blooded Hawaiian grandmother, I was raised with 'Ōlelo Hawai'i in my household. I was also fortunate to have attended school at Kamehameha Schools, Kapālama. It was there that my knowledge and love of Hawaiian mele, oli b hula had grew, and after joining various performance groups, I was led down a path to where I am today. I have been performing Traditional Hawaiian Music for the last 20 years, performing all over the world with various friends as well as my Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning and Grammy Nominated music group "Nā Hoa." I lean on my kūpuna, "old-timer" musicians, my friends and family, to help me perpetuate and continue the legacy of storytelling through Traditional Hawaiian Music. I currently sit on the Board of HARA (Hawaiian Academy of Recording Arts) where I hope to influence positive change within our music community. 2] As a licensed real estate agent, I am immersed daily in the housing market and see how difficult it is for individuals and families to purchase homes. I am fortunate to utilize my skill set in this area to assist families in the home buying process so they ean secure a pieee of real estate in Hawai'i and start to build wealth. I understand through my dealings with clients the need for a plaee to eall home. I am well-versed in this area, and this informs my perspectives on the issue of affordable housing. I have an issue with the term"affordable housing" because there are too many strings attached to the word and oftentimes, "affordable housing" is, well, not really true to its word in being affordable when implemented. As such, we need to find alternative means of typical affordable housing solutions and focus on creating inexpensive housing throughout our archipelago, not just on O'ahu. I will (1) position OHA to collaborate with the building trades and nonprofits to create inexpensive housing solutions, and (2) work with DHHL closely to formulate ways in whieh we ean provide housing solutions to our beneficiaries in a timely manner (this will be key as I believe "affordable housing" for Native Hawaiians is realistically only Hawaiian Homestead lands) and (3) educate the Hawaiian community on the home-buying process. 3 ] I support the rise of our people as we continue to fight for Native Hawaiians to be at the forefront of all decision-making that affects the aina. As Hawaiians, we understand that we are stewards of the land. It is our kuleana to care for the land so that it ean be there to provide for generations of kānaka to eome. In order to do that, we need to be present, be engaged and advocate for what we know is pono to protect our sacred sites and places. The fight for protecting Hawai'i does not start and end with the monumental places we hold sacred like Maunakea, but continues on throughout eaeh moku and ahupua'a, down to the 'ohana in our communities that we dwell in. Regarding the ongoing fight against telescope development on Maunakea, I am a supporter of the kia'i and over the past few years I have joined in the support of protecting Maunakea. I believe the UH's management lacks the care and immediacy that is needed to care for one of the most treasured spaces of our people and changing of leadership is ultimately what is needed. OHA should be the organization that fills that role.