Keani Rawlins-Fernandez
Name Keani Rawlins-Fernandez
Age 38
Town/Moku Kaunakakai
Island Molokaʻi
Social Media Handle none
Nominated by Zuri Aki
Leadership Category Business Development
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
I’m a kupa of Molokai and mother of a 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. I currently serve as the Vice-Chair of the Maui County Council, Chair of the Economic Development and Budget Committee, and hold the seat for the Molokai residency area. I’m a graduate of Molokai High School, with a bachelor’s degree in public Relations from Hawai'i Pacific University, and a master's degree in business administration and a law degree with certificates specializing in Environmental Law and Native Hawaiian Law from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
Serving the community in the capacity of a policy maker is important to me and our community because I ensure our community’s collective values and principles are reflected in the laws we enact and fiscal priorities we establish.
In this last year, I have been able to help prevent families from being priced off their ‘āina kupuna, help DHHL expediting housing for kanaka by fulfilling the County’s responsibility to providing water infrastructure, protect our iwi kupuna, wai, and ‘aina from further destruction, fund climate change actions, manage tourism, provide funding to farmers to increase food security, help establish a renewable energy cooperative for community-owned and managed energy.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
The leadership qualities I admire most are aloha ‘aina, honesty, courage, the ability to develop and execute strategic plans effectively. Indigenous people understood that this life is about connection and reciprocity. Every decision should be about the kakou. If we believe our aina is our ancestor, if we believe we are ‘aina, then to aloha ‘aina is to love yourself, each other, and this place we call home. To aloha ‘aina, would require a strong sense of gratitude and kuleana. As a leader, you must make tough decisions, you must speak for those who feel silenced, you must act when you’re scared. I believe it’s important to work hard, but its next level to work smart. Ideas are great, but useless, unless they can carried out.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
Our Queen, Lili‘uokalani, has always served as an inspiration for me. She embodied the leadership qualities I admire most identified above, and so much more. Strength and grace, intelligence and creativity, selfless devotion to her people, our people.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
Momentum. The unity in the ku’e and the kukulu. Building systems. Creating networks. Forging pathways and extending a hand to the next person. Lifting us all up together. Not only working on defining on working against what we don’t want, but also doing the harder working of building what we do want – the future that is ola.
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
Health. Mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical health. Intergenerational trauma, oppression, dispossession of ‘aina, terminal illnesses, socioeconomic disparity are the externalities of imperialistic, extractive, exploitative corporate regimes that our people have struggled to overcome. Some have coped by conforming, others by self-medicating through alcohol and drugs leading to houselessness and long-term mental illness, and some by committing suicide to escape. We will overcome these systems by taking control.