OHA delegation concludes high-level Washington, D.C. engagement on military-leased lands

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, led by Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele and Interim Administrator and CEO Summer Sylva, has successfully concluded a three-day strategic delegation mission to Washington, D.C., engaging senior Department of Defense civilian leadership and key members of Congress on the future of military-leased lands in Hawaiʻi.

The delegation held a series of bipartisan and bicameral meetings with top policymakers, including leadership of the House Armed Services Committee and members of the United States Senate. These engagements come at a pivotal time, as major military leases on Hawaiʻi’s Public Land Trust lands are set to expire between 2028 and 2031.

“This was a highly productive and timely engagement,” said Chair Kahele. “There is clear recognition in Washington that Hawaiʻi’s unique circumstances—and the historical, cultural, and legal framework governing these lands—require thoughtful collaboration with Native Hawaiians moving forward.”

Clear Message: OHA Has a Seat at the Table

Throughout the visit, OHA reinforced a consistent message: The military leases sit on crown and government lands that are part of the Public Land Trust, a condition established by Congress in the 1959 Admission Act which the people of Hawaiʻi reaffirmed in the 1978 Constitutional Convention.

OHA is a co-trustee of these lands alongside the State of Hawaiʻi and, by statute, the principal public agency representing Native Hawaiian interests.

Any future disposition of these lands must include OHA as a formal participant in negotiations, decision-making, and implementation.

Members of Congress from both parties acknowledged OHA’s representative role and the importance of ensuring Native Hawaiian trust, cultural, and environmental considerations are fully represented in negotiations.

Engagement with the Department of Defense

The delegation also met with senior Pentagon leadership, including assistant secretaries across the Army, Navy, and Air Force responsible for installations, energy, and environment. These discussions emphasized the need and urgency to involve vital stakeholders in ongoing negotiations.

“OHA is actively working with the Administration and the Department of Defense. There is a shared understanding and mutual interest in moving forward constructively,” said Kahele.“OHA’s involvement is rooted in our kuleana as co-trustees. We are moving beyond an advisory capacity to ensure Native Hawaiian interests are the foundation of all future military lease discussions. This is a strategic necessity for a just, equitable and lasting resolution.”

Key Outcomes and Next Steps

The delegation’s visit yielded several key outcomes:

• Strong bipartisan and bicameral engagement with senior congressional leadership.
• Broad acknowledgment of OHA’s seat at the table as a co-trustee representing more than 650,000 Native Hawaiians.
• Recognition that OHA’s seat at the table is grounded in the Hawaiʻi State Constitution and responsibility to the public land trust. “This is not an issue of federal status; it’s about the state’s obligation to its own laws and its indigenous people,” according to OHA.
• Shared interest among federal leaders in a pragmatic, fair, and solutions-oriented path forward.

OHA will now focus on advancing potential legislative language in the FY2027 NDAA to ensure that Native Hawaiian voices—historically excluded from these talks—are central to future decisions, and continuing education and outreach to key federal decision-makers throughout the remainder of this Congress.

A Critical Moment for Hawaiʻi

“As these leases approach expiration, we face a once-in-a-generation decision point,” said Interim Administrator/CEO Sylva. “This moment requires a just outcome and a decisive break from a history of exclusion. Native Hawaiian leadership must be central to what comes next. OHAʻs co-trustee role is as a principal decision-maker, ensuring the interests of our lāhui are foundational. We will engage in good faith to secure fair and equitable terms and remain accountable to our beneficiaries while rejecting any effort to marginalize Native Hawaiian voices in the process.”

The delegation’s trip marked a significant step forward in positioning OHA as a central and constructive partner in shaping the future of military-leased lands in Hawaiʻi.

Chair Kahele confirmed that OHA will return to Washington, D.C. in the coming weeks to sustain momentum and deepen engagement with Congress and the Administration.