Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Agency overview
Formed1978 (1978)
Headquarters560 N. Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, Hawaii
Agency executives
Websiteoha.org

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is a self-governing corporate body of the State of Hawaii created by the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention.[2][3]

OHA's mandate is to advance the education, health, housing and economics (Kānaka Maoli) Native Hawaiians. It relies on ʻohana, moʻomeheu and ʻāina to effect change. OHA conducts research and advocacy to shape public policies. OHA works with communities to share information and build public support for Hawaiian issues.[4]

OHA was given control over certain public lands, and acquired other land-holdings for the provision of housing, supporting agriculture, and supporting cultural institutions.[5] The lands initially given to OHA were originally crown lands of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, which had gone through various forms of public ownership since the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

OHA is a semi-autonomous government body administered by a nine-member board of trustees, elected by the people of the State of Hawaiʻi through popular suffrage.

  1. ^ Hiraishi, Ku'uwehi (2 November 2023). "Who is Stacy Ferreira? Meet the new CEO at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs". Hawaii Public Radio. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. ^ Leanne Hinton; Kenneth Hale (8 October 2001). The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice. BRILL. p. 143. ISBN 978-90-04-26172-3.
  3. ^ No. 07-1372 State of Hawaii v. OHA Brief of the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, Na'a'ahuhiwa, the Native Hawaiian Bar Association Hui Kako'o 'Aina Ho'o Pula'pulai, and 'ahahui o Hawaii as AMICI CURIAE in support of respondents (Report). University of Hawaiʻi School of Law Library. Footnote 4. The Hawaii Supreme Court has described OHA as a 'self-governing corporate body'…
  4. ^ "What We Do". The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  5. ^ Boyd, Manu (July 3, 2006). "OHA gains Waimea Valley title". Honolulu, HI, USA: Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2012.