‘Onipa‘a Kākou: OHA Trustee Keli‘i Akina on Native Hawaiian Resilience and Finding Unity in Diversity

News Release from OHA Trustee Keli’i Akina

HONOLULU, HI - Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Keli‘i Akina today offers the following reflection, in honor of Queen Lili‘uokalani:

“Hawai‘i was once a sovereign Kingdom, and all residents of the islands today can take great pride in that heritage.  Native Hawaiians in particular have been resilient and steadfast in keeping Hawaiian culture and language alive.

Still, there are undeniable opportunities afforded by being a part of the United States of America.

Today's events, called ‘Onipa‘a Kākou, will show the resilience as well as diversity of the Hawaiian people.  Some believe that there should be a return to a separate nation or Kingdom status while others, like myself, are proud to be Hawaiian and proud to be American.  The main thing is that we all ‘E Hana Kākou,’ that is, work together to build a bright future for Hawaiians and all people.”

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DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this news release are the personal views of Trustee Akina and may not reflect the views of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs or its Board of Trustees.

Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D., is a community leader who is known for the phrase he has coined, "E Hana Kākou" - Let's work together! Over the past several years as a public policy adviser at the legislative, congressional and international levels, Dr. Akina’s mission has been to preserve the Aloha Spirit by which Native Hawaiians and people of all races are welcomed and encouraged to work together for a better future for all our keiki. He is president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, a nonprofit, independent public policy think tank.

LINK: 'Onipa'a Kakou