Mililani Trask - Early Works With Indigenous Peoples

Early Works With Indigenous Peoples

In October 1993, Ms. Trask was invited to become a member of the prestigious Indigenous Initiative for Peace (IIP), a global body of indigenous leaders convened by Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu-Tum, the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador to the UN Decade on Indigenous Peoples. Since that time, Ms. Trask has worked in the global arena for passage of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In this respect, Ms. Trask attended and participated in the United National Global Consultations in Cairo, Beijing, Copenhagen and Vienna as a Pacific Delegate to the indigenous caucus.

In 1995, Ms. Trask was elected the second Vice Chair of the General Assembly of Nations of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), an international body composed of the unrecognized nations of the world. UNPO was founded in 1991 by his holiness, the Dalai Lama, as an alternative forum to the United Nations. Ms. Trask assumed the position vacated by Ken Sarowira, the Ogoni human rights' advocate, who was killed by the Nigerian Government.

Ms. Trask is a founding member of the Indigenous Women's Network, a coalition of Native American Women whose work includes community based economic development, social justice, human rights, housing and health.

Ms. Trask is an acknowledged Peace advocate and has studied and worked for seven years with Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Ms. Trask is the Convener for a Native Hawaiian NGO entitled Na Koa Ikaika o Ka Lahui Hawaii and the Director of an NGO ECO-SOC, Indigenous World Association, that has worked in the international arena on the Draft Declaration for Indigenous Peoples and the World Conference on Racism for 18 years.

From 1987-1998, Ms. Trask served and the Interim and elected Kia'aina (Governor/Prime Minister) of Ka Lahui Hawaii, the Native Hawaiian Nation, with a citizenry of over 20,000 Hawaiians. From 1998 – 2000, Ms. Trask was elected to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as Trustee at Large. Ms. Trask has served as the Executive Director of the Gibson Foundation from 1987 to present, a private, non-profit dedicated to assisting Native Hawaiians with housing issues, and housing programs.

In 2001, Ms. Trask was nominated and appointed as the Pacific representative to Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to serve a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2002. Ms. Trask was appointed to the position by the President of the Economic Social Council of the United Nations and is currently considered an indigenous expert to the United Nations in international and human rights law.