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Brandon Makaawaawa is a Hawaiian sovereignty advocate, community educator, and digital equity innovator. As Vice President of the independent Nation of Hawaii, he works alongside President Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele to manage Puʻuhonua o Waimānalo, a 45-acre sovereign village on Oʻahu dedicated to restoring traditional Hawaiian land governance, stewardship and self-sufficiency. As a central leader in the Nation’s efforts, Makaawaawa has championed initiatives to educate communities about the Ahupuaʻa system — the traditional Hawaiian model of land and resource stewardship from mountain to ocean — and how it can be applied today to address modern challenges. By blending ancestral ecological knowledge with contemporary technology, this work helps build a sustainable, community-driven ecosystem.
Makaawaawa has also represented the Nation of Hawaii at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, delivering interventions on topics such as Hawaiian national sovereignty, peaceful coexistence, reconciliation, and indigenous economic development .In response to the digital divide, Makaawaawa spearheaded a community broadband project in Waimānalo in partnership with the Internet Society. This initiative provided the village with its own internet infrastructure, enabling remote education and work during the COVID-19 pandemic and laying the groundwork for future technological innovation . Through his work, Makaawaawa exemplifies a holistic approach to sovereignty that blends cultural revival, technological empowerment, and community resilience.
