Editorial: New leadership needed for OHA

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs was born 40 years ago as a creation of the 1978 Constitutional Convention, held in the midst of the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, and ratified by the voters. It emerged as a step toward self-governance, imbued with hope from its supporters that it would give voice to many in Hawaii’s indigenous community who otherwise had little power.

Since then, there has been a U.S. Supreme Court ruling opening OHA board of trustees voting to all — Native Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike — making election of the nine who supervise the assets held in trust for Hawaiians, everyone’s responsibility.

Unfortunately, those with the greatest name recognition tend to repeatedly win these races. That tendency is certainly not unique to OHA, but it has meant that many of the voices in the diverse Native Hawaiian population rarely rise to the top.

OHA incumbents each can point to his or her own attributes and each has a loyal base of support, hurdles that surely will be difficult for a newcomer to surmount. Nevertheless, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser is putting out a call for a roster change. It is time to tap the additional talents knocking at the door.

Every Hawaii resident can vote to fill the open seats, including the at-large races and two neighbor island races in which the candidates, not the voters, are required to reside in that county. Here’s the ballot breakdown:

>> Maui resident trustee (1 seat)

Incumbent Carmen Hulu Lindsey, has a multifaceted resume as a recording artist, realty agent and a former properties administrator for Maui Land &Pineapple Co. as well as a Maui County land use administrator. She was appointed in 2012 and then elected for the remainder of her tenure.

It’s Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, however, who gets the nod for this seat. He describes himself as a carpenter by trade but is fully engaged in civic affairs. He chaired both the Maui-Lanai Island Burial Council and the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council, founding Kuleana Ku‘ikahi LLC, an organization focused on protecting historic sites. His pursuit of cultural protections and housing development should be a good perspective to hear on the board.

>> Oahu resident trustee (1 seat)

The Star-Advertiser favors the election of Esther Kia‘aina as Oahu trustee, bringing with her the considerable experience she’s gained working at the federal level, both as a Capitol Hill aide and as assistant secretary of the Interior Department in the Obama administration. Back at home, she became first deputy director of the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.

More than her opponent, Kalei Akaka, Kia‘aina has the mix of federal and state government work that could further OHA’s goals.

>> At-large trustee (3 seats)

The Star-Advertiser is shining a light on two of the three competitors to incumbents Lei Ahu Isa, John Waihee IV and Rowena Akana. We urge voters to consider former DLNR director William Aila, whose connection to both Hawaiian culture and state government should enable him to straddle some of the fault lines dividing the community.

Further, newcomer Brendon Kalei‘aina Lee merits a thumbs-up. Lee, a customer service agent at Hawaiian Airlines, is president of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association and was selected to be part of a constitutional convention to draft Hawaiian governance documents.

There are three spots available, but we have concerns about former Hawaii island Rep. Faye Hanohano. In 2014, she was reprimanded for divisive comments at public hearings, something OHA doesn’t need.

As for Akana, in office since 1990, she is now facing an ethics inquiry that voters should want to see resolved before sending her back to office.

But overall, this is less an indictment of those who have served than a conclusion drawn: More change, not less, is what’s required by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.