Being a scholar in the Native American Political Leadership Program at the George Washington University has been a very surreal and rewarding opportunity for me. Never would I have thought that a local boy like me, who comes from a low-income Native Hawaiian family, would ever have the experience to live and work in Washington, D.C.

During my time here in Washington, D.C., I have been able to travel up and down the East Coast. I have also had the rare opportunity to meet with individuals such as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Stephanie Schriock (President, EMILYS List), Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (Founder, Center for Native American Youth at the ASPEN Institute) and I even had the chance to take a tour of the White House and meet with several members of the President’s staff from the Office of Science & Technology Policy and the National Economic Council.

The Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. , February 2015. The dome is undergoing restoration work.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Being the lone Native Hawaiian in the program, I have taken the responsibility to not only represent the lāhui well, but I have also taken full advantage of every opportunity that has been given to me. This program has allowed me to gain a valuable insight into the world of American politics. Through all of these experiences in Washington, D.C. and the valuable insights that I have been given through the program, I’ve come to a conclusion on one thing: More Native Hawaiians are needed to represent the interests of our people.

Native Hawaiian issues, along with Native American issues, are often the forgotten minority when discussing American politics. This is due to the lack of participation in the political and legislative processes. Whatever the cause, politician and government bureaucrats often ignore or try to diminish Native Hawaiians as a group when discussing minority and native politics.

To go along with the lack of acknowledgement in this system, we as Native Hawaiians have achieved very little representation at the national level. Former Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka was the highest ranking official of Native Hawaiian ancestry to ever represent the State of Hawaii (elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976; elected to the U.S. Senate in 1990). Since “statehood” in 1959, Sen. Akaka has been the only Native Hawaiian to serve in either chamber of national legislation.

Because of this, we are underrepresented in all realms of the federal government. This lack of national representation is a consequence of localized populations, dispersed interests and a lack of interest in national policy. However, if we want change to occur, we must have more Native Hawaiians working within the system.

In order to see change, we must continue to push for more Native Hawaiians graduating from universities with advanced degrees in various professional fields. We need more Native Hawaiians working in all levels and departments of the federal government. More importantly, we need Native Hawaiians to represent us in both chambers of national legislation.

With the indigenous people’s movement on a rise, there are now many opportunities for Native Hawaiian students to come to Washington, D.C., and represent our people at little to no cost.

It is vital to the success of our lāhui that more Native Hawaiians step up to become leaders and represent our interest in this current political state. The process of elevating to these high level positions will not be an easy one, but we owe it to our lāhui to try.

As I return to Hawaii on May 3, I will be on a mission to encourage more Native Hawaiians to take opportunities, like I have done, to dive into the realm of politics. I want to be able to show other students that despite your upbringings or current educational/financial situation, opportunities abroad are possible. I am ready to bring the knowledge and experience that I attained while in Washington DC back home and use it to contribute to the progress of our lāhui and Hawaii.

Click here for more information on opportunities in Washington, D.C.