DLNR Nominee Dawn Chang Faces Tough Questions About Her Past Work 0 Native Hawaiians are split on her nomination to lead one of the state’s largest and most impactful agencies.

A groundswell of opposition is growing among local conservationists and some prominent Native Hawaiians who want to see Gov. Josh Green withdraw Dawn Chang, a former deputy state attorney general and private consultant, as his nominee to lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Chang’s history working on behalf of some of the state’s most powerful developers and her record on Hawaii’s unique burial site matters, including a saga in which crews unearthed hundreds of remains at Kawaiahao Church for a facility that ultimately was never built, should disqualify her from overseeing DLNR, they say.

As of Friday, more than 800 people had signed an online petition started by Hui Iwi Kuamo‘o, a grassroots group that aims to protect ancestral Hawaiian burial sites, calling for Chang to leave.

But others in the Native Hawaiian community and those who are involved in land use and environmental issues called Chang a consistent advocate for Hawaiians and the environment. They’re not bothered by actions that happened decades ago or her work for the business community.

DLNR Nominee Dawn Chang Faces Tough Questions About Her Past Work