WATCH: Office of Hawaiian Affairs candidates participate in inaugural HSTA forum

In an effort to spread awareness about the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the importance of voting for trustees in the general election, the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association invited trustee candidates to take part in its first-ever candidate forum.

Turnout for OHA races is historically low, and blank votes of 43% to 58% were recorded for the primary election in these races.

This week, three candidates sat down with Hope Pualani McKeen, a Hawaiian language immersion coordinator for the Puna district of Hawaiʻi Island. McKeen serves as state chair of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association Government Relations Committee and vice chair of the Hawaiian Education Special Committee.

Luana Alapa and Keli‘i Akina, Ph.D., are both incumbent Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees running for re-election — Alapa for the Molokaʻi seat and Akina for the at-large seat. Former congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele won the Hawaiʻi Island resident trustee race outright in the primary election.

They discussed the following:

• Why do you want to serve or continue to serve as an OHA trustee?
• OHA races tend to receive a significant number of blank votes. Why is that and what can be done to encourage more people to vote in the OHA elections?
• Kaiapuni schools deliver instruction exclusively through the medium of Hawaiian language and provide a culturally rich and dynamic learning environment, perpetuating excellence through Hawaiian language, culture, and history, empowering students to self-determine community and familial stewardship. How can you help expand and fund kaiapuni education?
• Public educators struggle with the high cost of living in Hawaiʻi, especially with our housing costs. As an OHA trustee, what can you do to help with the high cost of living?
• We often discuss the need to diversify our economy. What does a future economy look like to you?
• Many people believe we have too many tourists visiting Hawaiʻi who do not respect our culture or lands. What is your solution to overtourism?
• Do you support an arrival or green fee for visitors traveling and staying in Hawaiʻi? How should the revenue generated from this fee be used?
• Hakuone in Kakaʻako Makai has generated mixed views and opinions. Do you support Hakuone? Please explain why or why not.
• The current waitlist for Hawaiian Home Lands is over 29,000. While this is the responsibility of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, how as an OHA trustee can you help to speed up the process and help DHHL?