Malia Chun
Name Malia Chun
Age 44
Town/Moku Ahupuaʻa o Wailuanuiahoano, Moku o Puna
Island Kauaʻi
Social Media Handle @npnkauai
Nominated by Marion Ano
Leadership Category Education
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
Aloha kākou, I am from the moku of Puna and the ahupuaʻa of Wailuanuiahoano, but I currently reside in the moku of Kona and the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻawa, where I raise my two daughters, Leiʻohu and Laʻakea. I have had the privilege of serving my kaiāulu for over 21 years, as the Program Coordinator of Nā Pua Noʻeau Kauaʻi. As the Coordinator of Nā Pua Noʻeau, I have worked with educators and cultural practitioners throughout the paeʻāina to provide cultural enrichment opportunities for keiki of all ages and their ʻohana, that touch on every educational subject within a cultural context. Through these grounding learning experiences, our goal is to grow and inspire future leaders for our lāhui.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
The work that I do has truly shaped all aspects of who I am as a person; an alakaʻi, an educator, a māmā, a wahine. It becomes a lifestyle that grows your consciousness. For instance, I cannot teach keiki about the value of wai, how to analyze and test water quality, the importance of maintaining a healthy aquifer and how our choices will impact the future of our water resources without actively fighting to protect wai in my personal life. This is why the work that I do is important, it brings learning and teaching back to itʻs traditional source...the ʻāina, wai, kai, back to the spaces and places that make us who we are as kanaka. In a society that places less value on substance and more on material...our keiki and ʻohana need these grounding experiences now more than ever. Our community needs to grow and inspire connected and conscious leaders in every aspect of life.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
If I had to narrow it down, I would say that the first quality I admire in a leader is Haʻahaʻa, humility is such a rare trait to come by. I believe it is the first quality required to be an active and engaged learner and listener. Next would be Hōʻihi, respect for self, mākua, kūpuna, ʻohana and community. This translates to having respect for the ʻāina, kai, wai. Last is ʻAhonui, patience is truly a virtue that I wish I had more of! ʻAhonui requires a maturity in understanding that there are some things you have no control over and that everyone gives and receives at their own pace and time. I suppose I admire these qualities so much because I truly wish I had more of it! Acknowledging that these our qualities I need to strengthen and actively practice in my life are how I express them.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
The first person that comes to mind is my life long mentor, Uncle David Kekaulike Sing. When I was just a young 22 year old, he saw leadership potential in me and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime at a career I am truly passionate about. Iʻve been working at it ever since! What Uncle David taught me is to have faith in the process, work with compassion and aloha and understand the purpose and value in the work that you do. He is truly an alakaʻi that possesses all the traits I admire in a leader. My two kaikamahine also inspire the work that I do. They have grown up in Nā Pua Noʻeau and are the result of the amazing people, places and experiences that have shaped the direction of our lives.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
Hoʻouluʻike
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
Ea (of the Mind, Body, Spirit)