Gender

Female

Location

Wailuku, HI

'O wai kou inoa? What's your name?

o wau e Tasha Kama

No hea mai 'oe? Where are you from?

I am the 4th of 11 children born to Rev. Clarence and Lei Kamai. My father was the 8th child and raised in Kakaako by his mother Rose Maiki (Gilman) Aipa who was a divorcee with 7 children. She had 5 children by Kalanui Wakinekona and later married William Kalihiola Kamai who legally adopted her 5 children and later had a child together. My mother was the second oldest of 7 children born to William Kalaiku and Rose (Kauwe) Kamai of Wailupe, Oahu. She was later adopted by Pedro Kaili and Elizabeth Keapoulaokalani (Kamai) Ewaliko and raised in Waialae, Oahu. I graduated from Kalani High School in 1970 and married that same year to David Kama of Waimanalo. I have 11 children ages 15-37 (2 boys, 9 girls) of which 4 live on the continent. I am running for the State House of Representatives for District 8 which emcompasses the area from Kahakuloa to Waikapu on the island of Maui.. I am running for this seat because as kanaka maoli we are the stewards of this place. Our ancestors settled this place for us. If we are not in the position to make laws and policies to manage our natural resources then we will have nothing to leave our descendants. Those who are in power today know nothing to very little about the fragility of our islands' ecosystems and this is our time, the kanaka maoli time to ho'a the passions within us so we may perpetuate our language, culture, traditions and quality of life.. I encourage my sisters and brothers to take the challenge of leading Hawaii nei by 1) registering to vote if you are not a voter already 2) consider running for your County Council seat or State House seat (all 51 seats in the State House are up for re-election) 3) support and give money another kanaka maoli in their bid for public office 4) urge another kanaka maoli to take this challenge. If na kanaka maoli registered to vote and ran for public office we could make great changes in and for Hawaii nei. There was a time in our history when every seat in the legislature was occupied by a kanaka maoli. We are the ones that we have been waiting for and this is our time. If there was ever a time to do something for our ancestors, our kupuna, our keiki, our mo'opuna, ourselves and our future generations, this is it. I pray that deep deliberations go on in the hearts and minds of each of you as you consider these words today. Mahalo ia oe, Tasha Kama

ʻO wai ke ahupuaʻa āu e noho nei? Where do you live?

Wailuku