Maile Naehu
Name Maile Naehu
Age 47
Town/Moku Kūmimi, Manaʻe
Island Molokaʻi
Social Media Handle Business @kahalehoaka Personal @queen_maile
Nominated by Lu Ann Mahiki Lankford
Leadership Category Education
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
Welina me ke aloha, I am a mother of three keiki and a graduate of Kamakūokalani. I have been an educator in the areas of Hawaiian language and Cultural Arts for the last 22 years. I am also a community organizer on the island of Molokaʻi, a cultural practitioner, hip-hop artist, and storyteller. In March of 2020, I became the Program Director for Hui o Kuapā, a non-profit organization that works towards the restoration of loko iʻa. Also in March of 2020, I co-founded an online school of Hawaiian Knowledge, named Ka Hale Hoaka, that is based out of my off-grid valley home in the ahupuaʻa of Kūmimi, Manaʻe, Molokaʻi.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
I believe education through arts and culture, especially for indigenous people is vital to our livelihood and wellbeing. At a young age, it was my newfound aloha and iʻini to build pilina with my people, land, and language that saved me! At 17, it gave me a reason to live, not just live, thrive!! There was only one way I felt that I could make this happen, and that was to give that gift to others, specifically kanaka that longed for the wholeness in body, mind, and spirit that only Aloha ʻāina and Art can provide. I am simply a vessel to inspire positive change and build a better future for Hawaiʻi. But, the best reward after the hard work is standing side by side with a growing thriving lāhui.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
Aloha - Aloha is the foundation and driving force behind my actions everyday. Aloha for my land, people and culture.
Haʻahaʻa - It took many years of observing intently and quietly while being taught by incredible mentors and kumu in order for me to feel ready enough to teach others the lessons I learned . Humility has always been a large part of my approach to teaching and serving my community.
Wiwoʻole - Being fearless is priceless. It is my life goal to inspire others to find their passions, desires, and dreams. The first step towards a thriving Hawaiʻi and planet is humans that are fearless to go aginast the grain in order to make positive change!
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
My keiki inspire me to do what I do, not just the keiki that I birthed but all my haumāna, I aloha them all dearly. While in college at UH-Mānoa I would sometimes feel overwhelmed with schoolwork and question myself, "What am I doing? Am I even worthy or capable?" The one thought that always got me refocused was that I was doing this for my future keiki. I didnʻt even have children yet but I already knew the life and experiences that I wanted to provide them. Being able to witness the light being ignited in a keiki or ʻōpio, that moment when they recognize their full potential through Aloha ʻĀina and creativity, that is what makes it all worth it.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
Hoʻoulu - Thriving
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
ʻĀina