Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 2, 1 February 2011 — LEADING OHA WITH AN [ARTICLE]

LEADING OHA WITH AN

By Francine Murray

Colette Yvette Pi'ipi'i Maehado was only 25 when Gov. George Ariyoshi appointed her the youngest Native Hawaiian woman to ever serve on the Hawai'i State Land Use Commission. It was an honor and a privilege she recalls, "At the time it was the most powerful commission anyone (in Hawai'i) could serve on. It was responsible for all the state land use boundaries. I leamed quite a bit at that time." After serving on the commission for more than six years, she heard a position opened up on the Hawaiian Homes Commission. Excited about the opportunity to serve Native

would like to serve on and then learn more about its roles and what it affects. "It will have an impact on your learning curve of the politics in Hawai'i," says Machado, who has also served on the Moloka'i Burial Council, the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission, the Moloka'i Fishpond Restoration Task Force and the Governor's Moloka'i Subsistence Task Force. "Find something that moves you, get involved and make this a better plaee. Volunteer. My level of service and commitment comes from many years of volunteering on state commission and boards." A life-long learner, as a teenager Machado was akamai ( smart) yet rebellious. Although she dropped out of high school in the ninth grade,

forms of eeonomie development. Hawaiians need to build wisely, for the generations to eome. Machado believes one way to do that is through mentorship, working with individuals that share your core values, have standards that you feel match yours, or that you want to apply to your everyday life. "My mom has taught all of us humility, to be humhle in what you do," saidMachado. "That's the grounding I believe is very critical for any leader to have - humility and unconditional love. For me, it's serving our people and what the outeome of that service will be in my lifetime." "In the words of the Haudenosaunee, their decision making is called The Great Law," she