Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi General Election on Nov. 3 to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Adrian Keali’i Akina, nonpartisan candidate for Office of Hawaiian Affairs as an at-large trustee.

His opponents are Ikaika Anderson, Karl Baker, Shelby Billionaire, Jackie Burke, Michelle Costello, Kanekoa Crabbe, Brickwood Galuteria, Clifford Kauaula, Brendon Kalei’āina Lee, Philip Martin, Ronald Nihipali, Kalena Parish, Keoni Souza and John Waiheʻe IV.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of OHA trustee? And why do you want the job?

I have spent 30 years as an educator helping Hawaiʻi’s youth find their identities while honoring our aliʻi’s mission. I bring fiscal responsibility, research and strategic planning experience to OHA. My kuleana is serving all who call Hawaiʻi home, ensuring opportunity, cultural excellence, and unity. I am ready to serve. He kauwa wale no.

What do you see as the most pressing problem facing Native Hawaiians, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

The most pressing pilikia in Hawaiʻi is our disconnection from ʻāina, culture, and each other. That disconnection shows up in health, housing and education. In my first six months, I would do what Queen Liliʻuokalani did when she was elected, go around the pae ʻāina and sit with our people. Listen to what they want, what they need, what they feel. Then let the voices of our community guide the work, not the other way around. E Onipaa i ka imi naauao.

Here’s a question from a constituent: What are your plans to economically uplift more Hawaiians? Protect the ʻāina?

My plan is to unify the lāhui to secure the full 20% share of the payments owed, which amounts to over $78 million a year. I want to work with farmers on sustainable food systems, help Hawaiian businesses grow with loans and find creative ways to house our people. For ʻāina, I will fight for accurate land audits, restore cultural sites and empower communities to care for their own. E hoʻohuli ka lima i lalo.

OHA Trustees received a salary increase of 62% last June. Do you support the raise, and what will you do to ensure you are worth the money?

I share the concern. I seek the role to serve. I support fair compensation, transparency and accountability. As Prince Kūhiō said, “The Hawaiian race is passing… legislation seeks to place the Hawaiian back on the soil.” That is why I am here, to help unify Hawaiʻi, to fight for our ʻāina, our people and our future. I will show up, listen and deliver results. Aoe kanaka he akua wale no

What should OHA advocate for as negotiations continue over Army training land leases?

We must demand a full and accurate inventory of occupied Crown and government lands used for military training, ensure compensation is based on gross, not net, revenue, and require fair market value. We must protect sacred sites, restore cultural landscapes, and prepare for sustainable use upon return of those lands. Kamehameha V made these lands “henceforth inalienable” and we must uphold that legacy. This is about justice for our lāhui and our ʻāina. Ua Mau Ke Ea o Ka ʻĀina

OHA dropped two lawsuits last year over Mauna Kea and decided that those resources would be directed to stewardship of that mountain. What types of activities or programs should those funds support?

We should use Mauna Kea litigation funds to protect customary rights, restore cultural sites, support community-led stewardship and train cultural resource managers. We must also support transparency and accountability in MKSOA’s management. Focus on strengthening the health of ʻāina and empowering communities to fulfill their kuleana. This is about honoring our familial connection with Mauna a Wākea for the generations to come. Poliʻahu, ka wahine ke kapa hau anu o Mauna Kea

A new 12-member authority that includes members of the protest movement who opposed the TMT, as well as astronomers is set to take over stewardship of Mauna Kea by 2029. Could the new management structure help resolve long-standing disputes? And how do you see OHA working with entities that have interests in Mauna Kea, including major landowners at lower elevations?

New management offers an opportunity for healing and shared stewardship. The false narrative of science vs. culture should be replaced with the truth that kilo and observation are at the center of the Hawaiian identity. Management of the mauna is more than land management; it is about the collective kuleana we have to protect the resources we have in Hawaiʻi. Let us require transparency, fair compensation and collective kuleana. This is about unity and aloha for all who call Hawaiʻi home.

For decades, OHA believes the state has shortchanged its beneficiaries on payments from the use of public lands. The Legislature has cleared a way for a working group to determine an annual amount of revenue due to OHA. What do you want to see come out of that process? And what should OHA allocate any additional revenues toward?

Full transparency and accurate accounting from the working group are needed. I will push for a complete inventory of all occupied Crown and government lands, insist the 20% share be based on gross revenue and demand independent audits. As HRS Section 10-13.5 states, 20% of all funds from the public land trust shall go to OHA. The state owes us $638 million. This is about justice.

OHA has attempted to develop residential towers in Kakaʻako Makai. However, those efforts have been repeatedly rejected by the Legislature, stalling any development for the last 20 years. How should OHA move forward on lands it owns in this area?

We need a new approach at Kakaʻako Makai. Instead of fighting for residential towers, let us pursue community-driven commercial and cultural development that benefits our people and builds broad support. I will work with legislators, community leaders and beneficiaries to find common ground and present a plan grounded in partnership. This is about patience, persistence and aloha.

Last year, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled that OHA trustees are subject to the state ethics code that governs the conduct of state employees and is intended to prevent things like nepotism, fraud and conflicts of interest. How would you, as a trustee, uphold the ethics code and ensure transparency at OHA?

Transparency and ethics are non-negotiable. I support live-streamed meetings, public financial reporting and independent audits to ensure accountability. OHA already has a chief compliance officer and a Compliance & Enforcement Program, and I will strengthen those. I will also push for third-party audits of the Public Land Trust to ensure every dollar is accounted for. Our people deserve nothing less.

There has often been tension between the Board of Trustees and OHA administrators. In just the latest example, the current chief executive officer has sued the board. What can be done to ease those tensions between administrators and trustees?

To ease tensions, we must remember our shared kuleana. Trustees set policy, administrators execute it and both answer to the same mission. The strategic plan must unite us around ʻohana, culture, ʻāina and justice. When we disagree, let it be about how best to serve our people, not about ego. Our lāhui deserves that.

Are there ways for the office to work more collaboratively with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to address the housing shortage for Native Hawaiians?

We must work hand in hand with DHHL to get our people into homes. I support direct infrastructure funding, including the annual fee for homestead development, and will advocate for policies that speed up housing production. I will also push for better data sharing and coordination between agencies. This is about keeping our families in Hawaiʻi and honoring Prince Kūhiō’s original intent to restore Native Hawaiian tenant rights.