About The Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Vision

"Ho'oulu Lāhui Aloha" - To Raise a Beloved Nation.  OHA's vision statement blends the thoughts and leadership of both King Kalākaua, and his sister, Queen Lili'uokalani.  Both faced tumultuous times as we do today, and met their challenges head on.  "Ho'oulu Lāhui" was King Kalākaua's motto.  "Aloha" expresses the high values of Queen Lili'uokalani.

Mission Statement

To mālama (protect) Hawai'i's people and environmental resources and OHA's assets, toward ensuring the perpetuation of the culture, the enhancement of lifestyle and the protection of entitlements of Native Hawaiians, while enabling the building of a strong and healthy Hawaiian people and nation, recognized nationally and internationally.

Overview

Under the direction of nine trustees elected statewide, OHA has functioned operationally as both a government agency with a strong degree of autonomy, and as a trust. Unlike the Bishop Estate, the Queen Emma Foundation, the Queen Lili'uokalani Trust, the Lunalilo Trust and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands—with their specific, respective purposes of education, medical care, children’s welfare, kūpuna care and homesteading—OHA has a much broader mandate. Its purpose is to provide the opportunity for a better life and future for all Hawaiians.