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 Hinaleimoana Wong, nonpartisan candidate for Office of Hawaiian Affairs Oʻahu resident trustee.

Her opponent is Kalei Akaka.

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 36 years in service to the lāhui, including 13 years on the Oʻahu Burial Council, 11 as its chair. Throughout my career in public service, the private sector and nonprofit leadership, I have served as a connective presence. I am running because OHA needs a trustee who is centered in Native Hawaiian values, knows their kuleana and understands OHA’s unrealized potential and its obligations to our lāhui.

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 problem facing our lāhui is leadership that has lost its center. Without Hawaiʻi as our piko, we cannot hold our people together or move them toward a meaningful future. In my first six months, I will work to restore that center at the board table, modeling the kind of relational leadership that allows OHA to function at the level our beneficiaries deserve.

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

Economic uplift means being honest that not all Kānaka Maoli are starting from the same place. Some of our people can navigate the existing financial system. Many cannot. OHA has the mandate and the tools to build real pathways to economic stability that serve all of our lāhui, not just those who already have access. When Native Hawaiians thrive on our own terms, our ʻāina thrives with us.

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?

An independent commission recommended this raise, as they do for all state elected officials. My motivation for seeking this seat has nothing to do with salary. I am here to serve the lāhui, and my 36 years of service speak to that commitment.

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

These are ceded, Native Hawaiian lands, held in public trust for the benefit of our lāhui. OHA carries a constitutional fiduciary responsibility over their future. No negotiation can move forward without OHA’s full agreement. The Army speaks of fair market value, but no appraisal can account for the cultural cost of continued alienation and desecration of sacred land. Any path forward must be on terms set by Kānaka Maoli.

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?

Mauna Kea is sacred to our lāhui and deserves resources that reflect that. OHA may direct stewardship funds toward cultural programming, environmental protection, and ensuring meaningful access for Native Hawaiians. As a partner to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, OHA must remain an engaged advocate for our beneficiaries and the integrity of these lands.

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?

The authority is composed of well-known and respected members of our community. Whether the authority can work through the long-standing impasses on Mauna Kea remains to be seen. The management of Mauna Kea is an enormous institutional endeavor that must balance complex uses. As such, OHA must be engaged as a genuine partner led by board members who are connected, thoughtful and committed to the wellbeing of Mauna Kea.

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?

OHA is constitutionally owed its share of public land trust revenues. The fact that this remains a fight, decade after decade, is itself an injustice that compromises OHA’s ability to serve our lāhui. This working group is an opportunity to establish a durable agreement that frees OHA to focus on its true purpose, independent of legislative cycles and the politics of the state. With stable resources and bold leadership, OHA can build systems that serve our beneficiaries on our own terms.

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?

Kakaʻako Makai represents an important lesson regarding how OHA accepts and values land assets. One potential path forward is a partnership with DHHL, whose federal nexus allows development outside state and city restrictions, to create accessible, thriving communities for Hawaiian families. If that cannot be achieved, OHA must be willing to consider divestment. A piece of land is only as valuable as what it can offer our lāhui.

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?

Abiding by the state ethics code is a baseline, not a standard. Real transparency means inviting our lāhui into the process, not merely reporting back to them. In this way, the boardroom may also function as a classroom, where beneficiaries can witness and learn from OHA’s decision making. Executive sessions should be used sparingly. When we close those doors without cause, we lose the very people we are here to serve.

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?

Healthy institutions require leadership that is intentional about the culture they foster, and the Board of Trustees sets that tone. OHA’s recent investments in staff compensation and changes to employee policy have positioned it as an employer of choice. As trustee, I would contribute to a board culture that is actively engaged with the wellbeing, contributions and morale of our administrative staff.

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?

OHA and DHHL share a common purpose and our beneficiaries deserve to see that reflected in meaningful collaboration. Kakaʻako Makai is one example of the potential that exists when these two institutions work together. Beyond partnership, OHA has the mandate and tools to develop innovative financial products that make Native Hawaiian homeownership a reality for more of our lāhui.