When Hōkūleʻa arrived in Papeʻete, Tahiti, 50 years ago no one could have fully predicted the impact that this achievement would have – not only on Hawaiʻi, but on all of the peoples of Moananuiākea.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs traveled to the nation’s capital carrying a message grounded not in politics or ideology, but in trust responsibility and meaningful engagement.

Throughout the 2026 legislative session, Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) staff reviewed hundreds of bills to identify measures that would meaningfully advance the interests of the agency and its beneficiaries, while also working diligently to oppose legislation that could weaken longstanding protections for Native Hawaiian rights.

June 2026 Issue of Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs

This line from the Kumulipo underscores the connections our people recognize between ocean resources and the land and, by extension, with kānaka.

Many families in Hawaiʻi care for their kūpuna - balancing work, caregiving, and time with keiki. During the summer months – especially if families travel and must coordinate care of their kūpuna while they are away – it is important to plan ahead and ensure kūpuna continue receiving the support they need at home.

What does protection mean when even some of our most sacred and carefully protected ocean spaces are being reopened to commercial fishing?

i Hōlani ke kuʻina i Hōlanikū is a short film created to share our pilina (relationship) to Papahānaumokuākea through the voices of our ocean community and the next generation of ocean stewards.

In Parts I and II of this series, I shared reflections guided by the wisdom of our kūpuna and the values they instilled in us about service, humility, and our shared kuleana to the lāhui.

For many in Hawaiʻi, PMRF is a familiar name, yet few fully understand what the facility is, the role it serves, and why conversations surrounding its future are becoming increasingly important for our state.

he Board of Trustees of Liliʻuokalani Trust proudly announce the appointment of Jennifer K. Laʻa as its next president and chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2026.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) welcomes the recent action by the Conference Committee on SB903.

Public Notice | June 2026 Issue of Ka Wai Ola

Wildfire in Waiʻanae is not theoretical. It is a lived experience. Fire moves quickly across dry grasslands, threatens homes, and leaves ʻāina stripped and exposed.

I carry the culture and influences of my youth wherever I go, as I imagine other Kānaka Maoli who were born and raised in Hawaiʻi and then moved away also do

Most don’t think twice about the garbage thrown out throughout the day and then hauled away once a week by city refuse.

As a first responder during the recent Kona Low storms, I know that addressing the impact of natural disasters on human beings comes first: getting people to safety, protecting their homes when possible, and helping them begin the long road to recovery.

Marine debris - from lost or discarded commercial fishing nets to plastic and other waste carried to the ocean by streams, rivers and lakes - does not simply disappear at sea. Carried by circulating ocean currents for years - or decades - it collects in ocean garbage patches.

In September 1983, after returning from Basic Training and joining the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry of the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, I attended my first training weekend at Pōhakuloa Training Area.

As Kānaka working in community-facing roles within astronomy in Hawaiʻi, we carry kuleana into spaces not built with us in mind. That reality shapes how we show up and what is possible within our roles.