Personal statement:
Aloha mai kākou.
My name is Zuri "Z" 'Aki and the 'āina for whom I belong is Waipi'o, O'ahu. I am a Hawaiian Studies graduate from the University of Hawai'i and a J.D. candidate at William S. Richardson School of Law.
This process is about you and your 'ohana. It is also about us, the nation, the Lāhui Hawai'i - those who came before, all those here now, and all those who have yet to be born. This process has everything to do with our best interest and our continued existence as a people in perpetuity. This is our moment in time to better our condition and advance ourselves. Let us do that together.
As a law scholar, my area of focus has been in constitutional law, international law, environmental law, federal Indian law, Hawaiian law, and the legal status of the Hawaiian State - disciplines necessary for the level of expertise needed at this up-coming convention. As a traditional cultural practitioner, I can better serve our progressive movement though the guiding principles in our cultural values - so that our foundation is firmly rooted no matter how great we grow.
This is our time. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. Mahalo nui loa.