Shae Kamakaala
Name Shae Kamakaala
Age 34
Town/Moku Kahana, Koʻolauloa, Oʻahu
Island Oʻahu
Social Media Handle @shaek
Nominated by Pomai
Leadership Category Civic Engagement/Emerging Law
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
Kahana Valley is my roots growing up cleaning net at the boat ramp, eating the abundance of our kai, opening ʻauwai and loʻi in our little slice of heaven. To experiencing lobsters disappear in my lifetime, attending community meetings from small kid days hearing about the loss of our lands and theft of our water, and those ever present hand painted signs along Kamehameha Hwy. Something deep down inside wouldn’t allow me to accept that life as a Hawaiian needed to be so painful.
As a Native Hawaiian Rights and Environmental Law attorney, I serve as the Director of ʻĀina Protection and General Counsel for Hawaiʻi Land Trust. Creating and holding space for indigenous peoples to care for the lands and waters that feed us. And “US” is a kākou thing--kākou includes the birds, the bees, see that tree? They are all a part of kākou (said a wise woman from Waiʻanae, Aunty Puanani Burgess).
At Hawaiʻi Land Trust, my team and I utilize legal tools to permanently protect Hawaiʻi’s coastlines (the most threatened for development), protect wahi kūpuna (cultural landscapes), and lands that grow healthy foods for our local families.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
Native Hawaiians have some of the strongest rights of indigenous peoples in the world. Steering Hawaiʻi back to a future of health and abundance requires at the core, three things: 1) access to a land base; 2) the ability to inform government’s and society’s ways of living reciprocity with the environment; and 3) in the ways our kūpuna imbedded in hundreds of chants and inevitably our DNA.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
Inspiring and inviting willingness--as opposed to leading by demand. The courage it takes to engage individuals, systems, businesses, agencies, or processes of “power”. And Aloha.
Honestly, it takes mental freedom and practice...lots of practice...to live these leadership values that I identify with. Meditating before each work day, sweating at hula, questioning and clarifying my intentions, listening deeply, trusting that I am worthy of living these qualities, and that Hawaiʻi and our families deserve this from me are all things that help me maintain the practice of these leadership qualities.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
My moʻokuauhau, namely my paternal grandma, Amy Kamakaala, my maternal grandma, Dorothy Kuulei Borges Lien, and my Aunties Keomailani VonGogh and Kealoha Pisciotta. ho run the world?
Every one of my grade school teachers left an impact on me, shout out to Sunset Beach Christian School, Kaaawa Elementary, Kahuku Elementary, and Kamehameha Kapālama.
Malia Akutagawa of Manaʻe, Molokaʻi and Puanani Burgess are treasures that have taught me the depth of beauty we hold as indigenous peoples and how to create space to create beloved communities. For the lawyers that uphold the highest standards of justice, my inspirations include but are definitely not limited to, Mari Matsuda, Melody MacKenzie, Williamson Chang, Lea Hong, the late Billy Richardson, Joe Kamelamela, Kevin Chang, Judge Henry Nakamoto, and my current boss lady, Laura Kaakua. There's so many more including Uncle Neil Hannahs, Maenette Benham, Malia Nobriga, the list is endless..
And as smooth as Native Hawaiian Rights law where culture dictates what the law protects, I mahalo my kūpuna above for the time spent with Uncle Mac and Aunty Kamalu Poepoe, Aunty Patti Ann Solomon, Uncle Shorty Bertelmann, Uncle Nana Gorai, Billy Kinney, Kapua Chandler, Anela Evans, Aunty Nalani Kanakaole, and Kuhaoimaikalani Zane.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
ʻĀINA!
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
Miscommunication.