Bio
Donavan Kamakani Albano is the Policy Fellow at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, where he supports legislative and advocacy efforts to protect civil rights and liberties in Hawaiʻi. Raised in the ahupuaʻa of Kalihilihiolaumiha, he is a Kanaka ʻŌiwi passionate about demilitarization, MVPFAFF+ and LGBTQIA+ rights, and the sovereignty of Hawaii’s lands, waters, and bodies.
Prior to joining the affiliate, Donavan served as a Program Specialist and Graduate Research Assistant for the Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao: Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. There, he supported relationship building across differences on an institutional committee and strategic initiatives grounded in Native Hawaiian principles.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Donavan was president of the undergraduate student government and a student researcher for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education’s Office of Hawaiian Education.
A first-generation college graduate, he received a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and an M.A. in Political Science, specializing in Indigenous Politics, from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. During his free time, Donavan enjoys reading and writing poetry, moʻolelo, and watching Studio Ghibli movies.