Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 6, 1 Iune 2004 — Alakaʻi Maka Uʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Alakaʻi Maka Uʻi

Profiling today's young Hawaiian \eaders D. Kapua'ala Sproat Born: November 1, 1 973 on Kaua'i, raised in Kalihiwai

Education: Kamehameha Schools, 1991. B.A, Legal and Eeonomie Analysis, Mills College, 1995. J.D, University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law, 1998; with an environmental law certificate. Resume: As an attorney in the Honolulu office of Earthjustice, has litigated state and federal cases under the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, State Water Code and various Hawai'i environmental laws. Has also worked with a number of community-based organizations dedicated to protecting and defending Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources. Career goals: To empower and support Kanaka Maoli culture and people, and to preserve the resources necessary to ensure their survival. Viewpoint: "Working as an attorney provides an invaluable opportunity to give back to my community so that present and future generations ean continue traditional practices and, thus, live Hawaiian culture. Unless we preserve the natural resources upon whieh we depend, our culture cannot persevere." ■