When the sun rose the day after elections, just 107 votes separated the Green Party's Pāʻele Kiakona and Democrat Sne Patel.

"I'm just ecstatic. I am humbled. I am grateful, and I am ready. I'm ready to get to the real work," homegrown Lahaina candidate Kiakona told HPR, in reaction after early results changed overnight to flip in his favor.

The Native Hawaiian will be the first third-party lawmaker in Hawaiʻi's Legislature in over a century.

“I feel like this is a win not just for Lahaina, not just for my district, not just for Maui County, but statewide,” he said.

As of the latest results, Kiakona earned 2,991 votes, or 41.1%, Patel received 2,884 votes, or 39.4%, and Republican incumbent Elle Cochran finished with 1,236 votes, or 17%.

The Associated Press called the race a win for Kiakona on Thursday.

Ballot deficiencies

But technically, the results are not final yet.

There are 151 District 14 ballots that have not yet been counted because they're considered deficient. That often means they have a mismatched or missing signature. The Maui County Clerk's office, which handles elections in the county, has notified those voters, and they have until Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m. to fix, or cure, their ballots.

Deputy Maui County Clerk Richelle Thompson explained the situation.

“What that means just math-wise ... the challenger, Mr. Patel, would have to get at least 107 of those currently deficient ballot envelope votes plus one,” she said. “So to win, you need to close that gap and get more than 107 to be able to pull off a win in that district.”

It's an unlikely scenario, but it's technically possible.

Deficient ballots aren't unusual — there were over 800 of them across Maui County this year in the General Election, and about 1,500 on Oʻahu. But with such a close vote in this race, those outstanding ballots could play a more significant role than in races with a larger margin.

“We will definitely know the evening of Nov. 10 how everything shakes out,” said Thomson.

The county clerk's office confirms there will not be an automatic recount, even if the finalized ballots bring the results closer.

Patel said he recognizes he's currently behind and that a change in conclusion is unlikely.

“It's certainly been an emotional few days,” he told HPR by email. “I'm grateful to everyone who put their trust in me and to my family, volunteers and supporters who gave so much to this campaign.”

He said he respects the process and wants each voter to have an opportunity to have their ballot counted.

“What stays with me most are the conversations with people throughout our community,” he said. “It's getting harder and harder for many to afford to live here and build a good life, and many still need help rebuilding their homes and businesses. Whatever the outcome, I will continue to help and contribute the best I can.”

An uncharted path

For Kiakona, he considers it a win either way.

“We're celebrating where we're at in the first place. Nobody even thought we could get to this point.”

Kiakona said he was raised in Lahaina taro patches and majored in environmental studies. He became a leader in the Lahaina Strong initiative after the 2023 wildfire, camping on Kāʻanapali Beach for almost six months, taking a stand for long-term housing for displaced fire survivors.

“From the days on the beach with Lahaina Strong, to all of my experiences that I've garnered throughout the years working in the tourism industry, restaurants, bartending, I mean, you name it,” he said. “I've taken every moment as an opportunity to both educate people and educate myself on perspective and approach.”

Citing his work in community-led renewable energy for Lahaina, housing advocacy and water protections, he said he doesn't feel like his mission will change since being elected.

Kiakona feels running as a Green Party candidate was the best fit to represent his community.

“This community proved that when we stand together, it doesn't matter what party we're affiliated with. If the person wants to do what is right for the community, then they're going to take the path that they feel is most necessary,” he said.

A Green Party legislator is uncharted territory, but Kiakona said he plans to work across party lines to get the work done.

“I'm going to come into this willing to work with anybody who wants to do right by our community,” he said. “I have friends that are already in the (state legislative) building. There are Representatives that I know align with me, and more or less, most of my principles. So if I can't work through my own name, then I'm going to work through somebody else. Because at the end of the day, I'm not in it for the glory myself, I'm not in it for me to put my name in front of it. I'm in it to serve this community, and if it means me stepping back and helping somebody else get something pushed through, or if it means me stepping to the forefront and being bold and having to do that with them, then so be it.”

“I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that we are effective,” he added. “That this is not for nothing.”

History in the making

Not only is Kiakona the first Green Party candidate to be elected to state legislature, he’s also the first to serve as neither Democratic or Republican since the early 1900s.

In 1901 to 1904, several legislators were listed as independent, as well as those from Home Rule Party of Hawai’i, including Frederick W. Beckley, Jr., who represented the Maui district in the Hawai’i House of Representatives, according to records obtained by HPR from the state Legislative Reference Bureau. That was before Hawaiʻi was a state.

Home Rule was the same party that Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole first belonged to when he served as a Hawaiian delegate to the U.S. Congress during the same timeframe, according to U.S. House of Representatives archives.

Kiakona is full of gratitude, and said it “feels like I'm walking right alongside my kūpuna in this work.”

“I know a lot of community has expressed that they feel a lot of hope towards this movement and all that we're doing, and that's why they got engaged,” he said. “But it also gave me hope, seeing this community come out and going to bat for me like that. I’m just very humbled by the experience.”

Though he's confident in voter support of his election, Kiakona said the final results on Nov. 10th won’t alter anything for him.

“Regardless if we win or lose, the goal has been achieved, and that is change.”

West Maui has elected its first Green Party state representative.

On Thursday morning, the Associated Press declared the Green Party's Pāʻele Kiakona as the winner in the three-party contest for the West Maui seat in the state House of Representatives.

Early election results showed Democrat Sne Patel with a lead in the House District 14 race. But by the second printout, fewer than 100 votes separated Patel and the Green Party's Pāʻele Kiakona.

The latest results show that Kiakona has closed that gap and is now leading the other two candidates.

As of 2:35 a.m. Wednesday results, Kiakona is at 41.1%, or 2,991 votes, while Democrat Sne Patel is at 39.6%, or 2,884 votes — a difference of 107 votes.

Republican incumbent Elle Cochran trailed behind with about 17% of votes.

There is a slim chance that that may change. Maui's Office of the County Clerk said that, across the county, there are more than 800 ballot envelopes "with deficient conditions," which often means a mismatched or missing signature. In district 14, there are 151 deficient ballot envelopes.

"So 151 voters from that district have the opportunity to correct that deficiency so that their ballots count, and presumably they have voted in that race, so that would affect that number, that vote difference,” Deputy Maui County Clerk Richelle Thomson said. Even if the margin narrows after the finalized ballots are counted, there would be no automatic recount, Thomson said.

Kiakona believes that protecting water resources and the ʻāina is key. He has worked as a community organizer, led the Lahaina Strong initiative since the wildfires, and serves on the Maui Board of Water Supply.

He hopes to inspire his generation to go vote, get involved and show the success of a political option outside of the two-party system.

"I grew up in the taro patch, and I'm born and raised in Lahaina," he told HPR. "I feel like that is something that sets me apart. And I show up. I'm accountable, and I always put community first."

A win for Kiakona would be historic, and would make him the first Green Party lawmaker in the state Legislature. The last time a third-party lawmaker served in the Legislature was in 1904, when Hawaiʻi was a U.S. territory, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau.

He is the second Green Party candidate to run for the seat since 1992, according to available state election records.

District 14 includes Kahakuloa, Waiheʻe, parts of Waiehu and Māʻalaea, Olowalu, Lahaina, Kāʻanapali, Kahana, Lahainaluna, Māhinahina Camp, and Honokahua.

There are three candidates on the ballot for West Maui's House District 14 State Representative seat. That's unusual because one candidate is running under the Green Party. There's only been one other Green candidate for the seat since 1992, which is when the State Elections Office's online available records end.

Incumbent Elle Cochran was elected as a Democrat in 2022. She's seeking reelection as a Republican after switching parties earlier this year. Sne Patel is the Democratic candidate as a first-timer in the political arena with a background in small business advocacy. The Green Party candidate is Pāʻele Kiakona, who has been leading the Lahaina Strong initiative since the wildfires.

Republican Elle Cochran

Affordability is a key issue all three candidates recognize.

For Cochran, it's simple.

"I think it's just being able to live home," she said. "It's about being able to afford to live where we all grew up and what we want to call home."

She said she's running for reelection because "I want to make a difference in my community and stand up for the good things and hopefully leave a legacy behind to better where we live," Cochran told HPR.

"I think this is a place that you would think could make it happen, but ugly politics does get in the way. But every now and then, you can accomplish some things."

She left the Democratic Party earlier this year, calling it toxic, and said Republicans have been welcoming and supportive. She said she's now the only neighbor island Republican, and one of 10 in her party in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives.

"I was literally ready to throw in the towel and just resign, or at least be done with it in December," Cochran said of leaving the Democratic Party in the spring. "But you know, here I am, reinvigorated, running a new campaign, and hoping to get back in, with my new party."

Cochran was born in Wailuku and is a lifelong Lahaina resident. She previously served eight years as a Maui County Councilmember, where she learned a unique skill set.

"I have intimate knowledge about, not sexy subjects, but wastewater treatment plants and drainage plans and sewer and landfills," Cochran laughed. "Those are things I'm very knowledgeable about and have a lot of background on, so I think that I bring to the table."

She said overcoming past personal challenges has helped her connect with people.

"I bartended for 33 years. I feel like I know how to listen to people and get a read on them and be empathetic," she said. "No one's perfect, and I've learned from the school of hard knocks myself."

Democrat Sne Patel

Originally from India, Patel and his wife have raised their three children in Lahaina, where he’s lived for over 20 years. Most of that time, he worked in restaurants and Front Street art galleries.

"While I was managing those small businesses, I also became active in the community and started volunteering and then putting my time into the Lahaina Town Action Committee, which I've been a part of for the better part of 15 years, and have been the president for over a decade for that organization."

He has also served on several Maui County boards and commissions, including the post-fire Maui Economic Recovery Commission.

He explained what drew him to run for office.

"I think it was just at a critical point for West Maui, we've had longstanding issues even before the fire with our infrastructure, affordability, and some of those larger issues that still haven't been worked on in West Maui," he said. "We haven't, I feel like, had the strongest leadership at the state level to bring a lot of those larger projects moving forward. I felt like I no longer want to see West Maui get left behind."

He feels building more long-term housing is important, as well as a focus on infrastructure.

"The biggest issues that I get told about is just the safety component of our infrastructure, making sure as we're rebuilding back Lahaina and West Maui, we're building back more resilient and that we have adequate safety routes in and out of the West Side."

He said he also has experience with the post-fire rebuilding process.

"[I'm] also somebody that is a condo board president, and is going through the rebuilding workflow myself for the condominium community that I own at," said Patel of the burned Lahaina Spinnaker building. "So it's like having all of that collective knowledge and being able to then show that I can work with different types of people and groups in order to move things forward and find practical solutions to a lot of these complex issues."

Green Party Pāʻele Kiakona

For Kiakona, protecting water resources and the ʻāina is key.

"Environmental studies has been my major, my background," he told HPR. "I grew up in the taro patch, and I'm born and raised in Lahaina. I feel like that is something that sets me apart. And I show up. I'm accountable, and I always put community first."

He has worked as a community organizer, advocated to shift housing priorities to local ʻohana, and served on the Maui Board of Water Supply.
"If you look at a lot of our issues, whether it be cost of living, whether it be resiliency, regreening Lahaina, all of these things are almost always related right back to the health of our environment."

Kiakona believes his campaign's momentum has been building.

"I've seen a lot of people in my generation get so much more involved, and a lot of them getting even more involved because they know that I'm running for office. I've seen people come out and sign-wave when they've never done so before. I have people, hundreds of people that I know personally that are voting for the first time because they believe in what's happening here."

Kiakona hopes the education and awareness he's raised along the campaign trail will have wider-reaching impacts, regardless of next month’s results.

"Getting in is also the goal," he said. "But part of the goal was to educate community and show them I've been fighting every step of the way for this community. I've shown up to every single community meeting. We've had a lot of success just doing the work and not letting your typical politics get in the way of doing that work. If the community sees this person that they've seen for three years fight and had success take a different route and jump into a separate party of the two-party system, then at least, it is my hope."

Different views of politics

Cochran expressed frustration with the political system, describing a "consortium of unions and developers and money" that "fund campaigns, and get them into office," where they become "rubber-stampers" who are then "beholden to people who fund their campaigns."

Like Cochran, Kiakona doesn't feel that the status quo has been working effectively.

"I just saw how it was very much so relationships that put people in hard situations where they may not, say, support a bill because of the relationship with the person who wrote the bill, and I just didn't feel like that was the right way to go about it," Kiakona said, explaining his decision to run under the Green Party, while also describing it as "a much harder route."

Patel considers his party affiliation an asset.

"I think my strength coming in as a Democratic candidate is the fact that I will be part of that majority party that already has some of these larger issues highlighted and tracked as what they want to work on," he said.

Following the campaign money

One area that separates the candidates is their campaign contributions.

Patel tops the funding total with more than $62,000 received in 2026, according to state Campaign Spending Commission records. Labor unions and real estate agents are among his largest donor groups, as well as the campaigns of other state legislators.

Kiakona has received a little over $26,000 since January of this year, mostly from individual donors.

Cochran received $500 during the same period, which she herself donated to her campaign. She did not receive any other contributions during this period.

District 14 includes Maʻalaea, Olowalu, Lahaina and Kaʻanapali.

Voters in the district can select any of these candidates on their General Election ballot, regardless of their party affiliation.

A group of Lahaina residents are in New York City this week at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The U.N. event will feature a screening of "Lahaina Rising," an award-winning documentary directed and produced by Lahaina residents. The film’s team is joining members of the Nation of Hawaiʻi delegation at the event.

They’re seeking to raise awareness of the 2023 wildfires not as a natural disaster, but as a failure of human rights and the government. 

Lahaina community leader Paele Kiakona spoke before the U.N. earlier this week. He highlighted what he called a disregard for indigenous practices that led to recent fire and flood disasters.

“Lahaina was reopened only two months after our fire, despite 18,000 people signing a petition to dispute the decision. And this points to a broader pattern that has been going on for generations globally,” he said. “To some, this may look like oversight, but to us, is just part of the same system that has always forced more than half of our Native Hawaiian population to live far from our homeland.”

As Lahaina rebuilds, the group hopes to call attention to its ongoing recovery at the international forum, and highlight the need for Native Hawaiian decision-making. The event is one of the world’s foremost gatherings of international indigenous leaders.

“We believe the prolonged displacement of our people demands international scrutiny on the highest level,” Kiakona continued. “We respectfully request that the United Nations investigate the human rights and health impacts of the Lahaina fires and their aftermath to ensure rebuilding is indigenously led and compliant with the free and prior and informed consent, and to recognize the ongoing displacement of the Native Hawaiians as a violation of international human rights.”

Other Hawai’i delegation speakers include fire survivor and Lahaina Rising producer De Andre Makakoa, acclaimed Native Hawaiian actor and storyteller Moses Goods, and John Kealoha Garcia, 2nd Vice President of the Nation State of Hawaiʻi.

The group has also had a private meeting with Dr. Albert K. Barume, who serves as Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

After the special screening of Lahaina Rising on April 24, the team will lead discussion about Lahaina’s locally-led recovery.

The Lahaina Energy Partnership's energy plan is entering its second phase of development.

The group formed in response to the August 2023 wildfires to ensure that the Lahaina community played a central role in determining their town’s energy future.

The partnership, which includes Lāhainā Strong, Hā Sustainability, and Shake Energy Collaborative, has held community workshops over the past nine months to identify possible energy solutions for Lahaina.

Paʻele Kiakona of Lāhainā Strong said this work is an important part of addressing the systemic issues that helped to create conditions for a devastating blaze to burn through Lahaina almost two years ago.

“This is a very unique opportunity where the community actually gets a chance to speak on what they want their future to look like,” Kiakona said.

Hā Sustainability’s Alex de Roode said the first phase of partnership's work had dual goals: determining the energy needs of the Lahaina community, and educating the community on different energy strategies.

After the workshop series, the group assembled community feedback into a final report detailing several energy pathways the community wants to pursue.

The top picks are low-impact hydropower, microgrids, rooftop solar, undergrounding utility lines, and community ownership of energy infrastructure.

As the development process transitions into its next phase, experts with National Renewable Energy Laboratory will assist the partnership in assessing the technical feasibility of each of the strategies identified in the report.

A few of those experts will be present at the partnership's next community meeting. It will be held on Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the County of Maui Office of Recovery at Lahaina Gateway.

"We're really looking forward to hearing from the community at this workshop about anything that they think might be missing from the scope [of the report]," said Robin Burton with NREL.

Phase II is expected to take 18 months and will culminate in an implementation plan. Community engagement will continue throughout the process.

"One thing we are making sure we do along the way is not create this plan in a silo," said de Roode.

He also emphasized the importance of taking into account the Lahaina community's past experiences with different energy projects, especially hydropower.

Hydropower has a long history in West Maui 

The Pioneer Mill Company harnessed hydropower shortly after the turn of the century to support its sugar mill operations. De Roode said that while plantation hydropower offered local energy resilience, it had its drawbacks.

"It wasn't the cleanest form of power, and the ownership of that was not in the hands of the community," he said.

Kiakona said discussions about hydropower also need to reflect ongoing community concerns about water access in West Maui.

"If you've ever had any conversations with any of the leadership in Lahaina, it always ends up tying back to water availability, the inequalities of water ownership," he said.

Kiakona said the community is interested in the potential of using treated wastewater for energy generation.

Maui County previously pumped that water back into the ground, but it is phasing out that practice in response to a court ruling that found the county in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Kiakona said that water could be utilized for hydroelectric power.

"Rather than letting something go to waste, we try to look at it as a resource," Kiakona said.

As energy planning continues, the Lahaina Energy Partnership is encouraging more community members to get involved.

Keaʻa Davis works with Shake Energy Collaborative, which provides support to grassroots energy groups. She said that the partnership is working to ensure their process is accessible as possible.

"There is not an expectation that people are coming in with energy expertise. We bake the capacity building and education into the process itself. So don't worry if you're coming with minimal experience," she said.

Find details on how to register for the July 24 workshop here.

• Gov. Josh Green discusses security measures after a suspicious package of white powder was sent to state offices; Honolulu City Clerk Glen Takahashi shares plans to engage the next generation of voters | 2024 Voter Guide | Full Story
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• The Environmental Protection Agency's Amy Miller talks about enforcement actions against several Hawaiʻi supermarkets, including Times Supermarket and Don Quijote, for selling unregistered chemicals | Full Story
• Lahaina Strong's Paele Kiakona, Hā Sustainability's Alex de Roode, and NREL's Robin Burto discuss a new partnership to shape Lahaina's energy future | Attend Lahaina Energy Partnership's community workshop | Full Story
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• The Environmental Protection Agency's Amy Miller talks about enforcement actions against several Hawaiʻi supermarkets, including Times Supermarket and Don Quijote, for selling unregistered chemicals | Full Story
• Lahaina Strong's Paele Kiakona, Hā Sustainability's Alex de Roode, and NREL's Robin Burto discuss a new partnership to shape Lahaina's energy future | Attend Lahaina Energy Partnership's community workshop | Full Story
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There was cheering and tears of joy in the state Capitol conference room after a measure that would give counties more regulatory power over short-term rentals passed out of a key committee. It’s one of the last major hurdles of the legislative process.

Lahaina Strong, an advocacy group of Maui fire survivors, filled the room to hear the committee’s vote.

Pāʻele Kiakona, one of the group's co-organizers, said getting a better handle on short-term rentals will free up housing for displaced Maui residents.

“This is a huge opportunity to give them hope that if we continue to fight and stand up for what we believe in, we can make anything happen,” Kiakona said. “We all see this as an opportunity to bring our people home.”

The measure would allow counties to phase out short-term rentals of any classification — even those with non-conforming use permits.

Non-conforming use permits for transient vacation rental units were given to properties decades ago and allow certain properties to operate as short-term rentals, even in residential areas.

It also explicitly outlines that counties would be able to control the time, place, manner and duration in which uses of land and structures take place.

This provision targets a 2022 court decision that stopped Honolulu from enforcing its law that requires rentals to be leased out for a minimum of 90 days.

The measure will now go on to a final vote in both chambers before being sent to Gov. Josh Green. He has already committed to signing the legislation if passed.

How did we get here? Take a look back at past coverage of this bill:

A group of Lahaina fire survivors and supporters have been camping at Kāʻanapali Beach for 88 days. They’re taking a stand for long-term housing — because 6 months after the fire that destroyed their town, more than 2,000 families still live out of hotels.

Pā’ele Kiakona said he sometimes has trouble remembering just how long it’s been.

“The fact that we're losing track of how many days we've been down here just proves that we've been down here too long," he said. "Too many days without dignified housing for our people.”

Kiakona is an organizer of Lahaina Strong, the grassroots group that’s led the Fishing for Housing movement.

“We're down here on Kāʻanapali," he told HPR while sitting in a tent on the beach. "It's loaded with tourists. Currently down here looking at two catamarans coming in with about 100 people on board each."

"That being said, we just want more respectful tourism. Not saying all of them have been disrespectful — a lot of them have been awesome — but some people come here with almost a chip on their shoulder and entitled.”

In the three months Lahaina Strong has been staked out at the beach, storms have ripped their tents to shreds. High swells regularly come up too high for comfort. They dig deep trenches in the sand to keep from getting washed away. They have to re-dig them regularly, with the help of volunteers.

But it doesn’t always work.

“We had waves come through, literally carried me away in the middle of the night at 2 a.m. in the morning on my blow-up bed and I found myself floating down the beach,” Kiakona recalled.

Gov. Josh Green has promised to stop vacation rentals in West Maui if needed, but Lahaina Strong supporters say they have yet to see those promises fulfilled.

“Our people need the housing. They're still currently about 5,000 people still without long-term, dignified housing, a lot of them are still staying in hotels," Kiakona said.

There are 27,000 short-term rental units on Maui and a severe shortage of long-term housing for local families. Maui County offered a tax exemption to vacation rental owners who convert their units to long-term housing for fire survivors. That closed on Jan. 31.

Lahaina Strong organizers said it’s important for Lahaina residents to stay in Lahaina. The state’s current plan would relocate some to other areas of Maui.

“We made a statement in the beginning that we're going to stay here until our people get housed," Kiakona said. "Until we start seeing a plan being put together and those first few families being moved into their house, we're going to stay here and continue to demonstrate and occupy the beach.”

In the meantime, winter swells and recent rains continue to batter the Lahaina Strong headquarters.

“We did not expect that we would have to be here this long. So we set up in an area knowing the potential for sand to disappear and it's happening.”

Kiakona said they are now having to solidify the camp even more.

“It’s never a walk in the park. It’s never a walk on the beach, either. But we just take it day by day," Kiakona said.

Wednesday marked the anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom more than 130 years ago.

Thousands of Native Hawaiian students, teachers and community leaders from across the islands commemorated the date with the annual ‘Onipaʻa Peace March.

More than 200 middle school students from Ka Waihona O Ka Naʻauao Public Charter School made the trek to town from Waiʻanae to participate in the ʻOnipaʻa Peace March.

Kūpeʻehina Mcginn, an eighth grader at Ka Waihona, led her fellow schoolmates in chant and song as they made their way from the Maunaʻala Royal Mausoleum in Nuʻuanu to the gates of ʻIolani Palace. Some waved Hawaiian flags, others held signs that said “I am not American.”

"I feel like the reason why we’re here is that we never forgot. We’re here, we’re still representing. They didn’t want us to survive, and look at us. We’re thriving," Mcginn said.

Jennifer Wells, a third-grade teacher at the Hongwanji Mission School, lined her students up along the sidewalk to get a front-row seat of the march.

"It's just important for them to know you know the history of our Hawaiʻi and our island," Wells said.

Ka Waihona Principal Kalehua Krug said this year’s march gave students a unique perspective because the anniversary of the overthrow coincided with the opening day at the state Legislature.

"He huina kūpono kēia e ʻano ʻike ai ko lākou mau naʻau i ka hihia o ka nohona nei ma lalo o ka malu ʻAmelika. Ka ʻino i hana ʻia ma ka Hale Aliʻi a me ka ʻino e hana mau ʻia nei ma loko laila o ke Kapikala."

Krug said this convergence reminds students of the challenges of American occupation rooted in the injustice that occurred at ‘Iolani Palace, and that he says continues today at the Capitol.

This year’s march focused on the people of Lahaina and their continued struggle to recover from the Aug. 8 fires.

Lahaina Strong leader Pāʻele Kiakona was one of several dozen community members who flew into Honolulu for the march and an opportunity to meet with lawmakers.

"E holomua wale ana lākou inā ʻaʻole mākou hele i loko a hoʻokō i kō mākou makemake no ko mākou wahi."

Kiakona said if they don’t show up at the state Capitol, lawmakers will make decisions without them.

The march began at 9:30 a.m. at the Mauna ʻAla Royal Mausoleum in Nuʻuanu and ended at the ʻIolani Palace.