Maui County is mourning the loss of Councilmember Natalie “Tasha” Kama, who died Sunday night at age 73. Kama was a central figure in Kahului politics — serving as the council’s presiding officer pro tempore and chair of the Housing and Land Use Committee — and was widely known for her advocacy on behalf of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries and struggling local families. County leaders described her as a steady, faith-driven presence who helped guide fraught housing debates in recent years.
Her family announced she passed at 9:25 p.m. Oct. 26 at Maui Memorial Medical Center, surrounded by loved ones, according to Maui Now. The family’s post said Kama “dedicated her life to her family and community with love and compassion.” Condolences and comments flowed quickly on her social pages as the island reacted to the news.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen called Kama “a woman of deep faith, compassion and aloha” and ordered flags at the county building lowered this week in her honor, according to the County of Maui. “Her wisdom, warmth and unwavering faith touched countless lives,” Bissen said in the release. The county also said plans to announce public ways to honor Kama’s life will be made in the coming days.
State and federal officials joined local leaders in praising Kama’s service. Gov. Josh Green said she “devoted her life to public service,” and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz highlighted her work on housing and Native Hawaiian health care, as reported by The Maui News. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier also extended condolences and called Kama a “true advocate for our community.”
From pastor to policymaker
Before elected office, Kama served as the senior pastor at Christian Ministry Church and led the Sovereign Councils of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, roles that informed her longtime focus on housing, social justice and inclusion, according to Hawai'i Public Radio. She moved to Maui in 1983 and later served as student body president at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. Voters first sent her to the County Council in 2018; she won re-election in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Who could replace Kama on the council?
Kama’s family and the county said her final request to the Maui County Council was that Kauanoe Batangan be considered to continue her work, according to The Maui News. Batangan serves as executive director of the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization and previously worked in county transportation and recovery roles, per the Maui MPO staff listing. Under the Revised Charter of the County of Maui, the remaining council members have 30 days to appoint a replacement when an unexpired term is less than 15 months; if they do not, the mayor must appoint someone to fill the vacancy, as explained by Maui Now.
Kauanoe Batangan | Source: County of Maui
Housing fights and council shifts
Kama chaired the council’s Housing and Land Use Committee and played a key role in deliberations over Bill 9, the mayor’s proposal to phase out certain transient vacation rentals to free up housing for residents, as outlined by the Maui County Council. Her committee’s work on the bill — including an amendment she pushed to extend the phase-out timeline — underscored how central housing policy has been to her tenure. Council members said her steadiness and faith-informed approach often tempered heated debates at the dais.
Plans for a memorial and public remembrances were not finalized, and family and county officials said details would be announced in the coming days, according to Hawaii News Now. For now, island residents and leaders are reflecting on a career that braided faith and public service at a critical time for Maui’s recovery and housing debates.
