Nalani Minton

Name Nalani Minton

Age 72

Town/Moku Kailua

Island Oʻahu

Social Media Handle N/A

Nominated by Diane Peters-Nguyen

Leadership Category Mauli Ola - Health, Personal & Family Development

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.

I have been involved in Native Hawaiian health and social justice initiatives for over 45 years and was the designated 'Elele Pono for Kaho'okolokolonui Kanaka Maoli, the Tribunal at the UN Genenva WGRIP during the decade for Indigenous Peoples within which we drafted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I bring the advocacy and mana'o of that experience to my work as director of two Native Hawaiian programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, NAWSON, 'IKE AO PONO, and the Native Hawaiian Health Initiative. 'IKE AO PONO will have graduated 500 Native Nurses as of this year, 32 doctorally prepared,. I am also the first Native Hawaiian/Kanaka Maoli ever hired or tenured as faculty at my school in over 100 years. Through my leadership, there are now 8 Native Hawaiians in faculty positions at my school and hundreds of leaders in health and nursing that are making great contributions in urban, rural, at-risk, underserved, and marginalized communities. I am also a founding member of Kuali'i and Puko'a Councils who advocate for Native Hawaiian Programs throughout the UH System.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?

My focus as a Maoli Clinical Psychologist and Cultural Health Practitioner is to amplify the recovery of Kanaka Maoli and other Peoples from intergenerational trauma and historical grief through higher education. Through the collective work of all Native Hawaiian Programs and communities we are healing as a Lahui and contributing to the transformational work of all the people of Hawai'i to end structural and systemic racism and to renew our cultural kuleana as the first peoples of Hawai'i in Aloha I ke kahi I ke kahi and Malama Pono o 'Aina Aloha/Aloha 'Aina as the reciprocal spiritual relationship of our cultural identity and kuleana throughout time.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.

My kupuna have inspired me to be a collaborative leader who listens and creates harmonious pathways to create positive outcomes. Through positive visions and intentions, mana'o, actions, outcomes, we carry aloha in all that we do and enhance the collective achievements so that everyone feels the benefits of all they have contributed as a shared kuleana through all generations.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?

My kupuna includes my grandparents, parents, and my uncle, Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, Convenor of the Tribunal, who all advocated for and created the foundations for peace, sustainability, higher education, health and well-being, social justice, cultural self-determination, and Indigenous rights. I also lived with 12 kupuna la'au lapa'au, kahea, lomilomi, and ahupua'a loko i'a and lo'i over a 30 year period in my youth who guide and inspire my life and work. In honor of all they lived and shared I created three films in the 1980s on the aha councils, ahupua'a fishponds and lo'i, lana'i, and the spiritual nature of the eight realms, A Mau A Mau.

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?

Malamalama (enlightened ways of life)

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?

Lokahi (Unification)