Episode 11 – Kaniela Ing
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Kaniela Ing is a Native Hawaiian community organizer, movement builder, and policy expert born and raised on Maui, Hawaii. He currently serves as Senior Fellow at the Democracy Revival Center and cofounder of Our Hawai'i. Previously, Kanela has led various local, statewide, and national campaigns for social, economic, and environmental justice and served three terms in the Hawaii State Legislature.
In this episode of Pilali, cohosts Ashley and Wren sit down with community organizer and former state legislator Kaniela Ing to talk about political power, grassroots organizing, and the future of democracy in Hawaiʻi. Kaniela reflects on his path from working in the pineapple fields and student activism at the University of Hawaiʻi to becoming one of the youngest legislators in state history. He shares how experiences inside government shaped his understanding of power and led him to focus on building movements outside traditional political institutions.
The conversation explores Kaniela’s work with Our Hawaiʻi and the importance of base building, community trust, and participation in shaping public decisions. Ashley and Wren discuss lessons from movements such as Mauna Kea and disaster response efforts in Lahaina, and how communities can organize to both stop harmful projects and build alternatives. Kaniela reflects on the need for multiracial working class movements, deeper civic participation, and new forms of leadership that empower communities to reclaim influence over the systems that affect their lives.