Most folks may recognize me from being on the front lines of the recovery and rebuild of our hometown, where as a grassroots movement, we activated the community and pushed for policy change to create a more balanced, safe home. However, my advocacy work started long before where my family has showed what it means to be responsible stewards of this place and have paved the way in fighting for our precious resources.

My ‘ohana comes from Mala Village. Grandma always shares stories from pre-commercialization, when Honoapi’ilani highway used to be bush that she’d trek through to farm taro up mauka. Our family raised sow and fished ‘opelu right in the front yard. They understood the relationship of mountain to sea and we look back at what was to understand what can be.

This campaign is rooted in this place; the people of our home and the ‘āina and wai that sustains us. We want to steer us back to ʻāina centered solutions that serve our local people first.