Hawaiians’ story of the loss of sovereignty, language, culture, and ‘aina is all too familiar. So too is the subsequent story of disparities in income, education, health, wellbeing and opportunity.

I believe that this narrative of victimhood and well-intentioned rescue has become all too comfortable for far too many of us, oftentimes perpetuating the very circumstances we seek to change.

If elected, I would work to retool our thinking, and rather than taking care of Hawaiians, begin to empower Hawaiians to take care of themselves. This is the pono path of self-respect, competency and fulfillment that so many of us seek.

It is true self-determination.

I disagree. OHA is a state agency that should focus on its mission of ‘bettering conditions of Hawaiians’ rather than undertaking a nation building process that wastes precious resources, supplants the will of the people, and creates a process that only OHA wants.

A state agency is not, nor ever should be, ‘the Hawaiian nation.’

OHA should spend its resources empowering Hawaiians and their communities by meeting their basic needs of housing, education, and health care. It should create learning opportunities to enable Hawaiians to become more self-sufficient.

If OHA does this, nation building will take care of itself.

What we deem ‘fair’ turns on the needs and wants of Hawaiians. OHA must consult with Hawaiians to understand what the terms of a settlement should be. Thus far OHA has refused to do this, causing distrust and cynicism.

Hawaiians’ connections to the ‘aina are vital to understanding their history, their sense of justice, and their sense of identity.

A fair settlement is one that takes these connections into account and listens to Hawaiians rather than making assumptions about what they want. When OHA adopts this approach it respects the people it was meant to serve- - - and makes settlement possible.

If elected, the FIRST thing I would do is call from a comprehensive audit.

I would work tirelessely to disclose all of OHA's spending, so that everyone knows where these monies are going.

I question the wisdom of spending precious trust funds on travel, entertainment, high priced lobbyists,and other activities away from Hawaii's shores.

I would increase direct funding of education, housing, health -- the key determinants of what is means to "better conditions for Hawaiians."