By Kaulu Luʻuwai, Esq.
NaHHA would like to share an article from one of our Lamakū Hoʻokipa, our Beacons of Hospitality, who are making a positive impact through the value of mālama and as a contributing member of the Native Hawaiian community.
On January 4, 1976, nine brave individuals landed on the shores of Kahoʻolawe with a single purpose: to stop the bombing.
Guided by a deep sense of kuleana, their stand against U.S. military occupation sparked a movement that awakened the consciousness of the Hawaiian people. Their legacy continues through the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO), also known simply as “the ʻOhana.” Its mission is to perpetuate aloha ʻāina through cultural, educational, and spiritual practices that restore Kahoʻolawe’s natural and cultural resources.
Three interconnected elements guide the ʻOhana’s work: hana kaulike (work which restores the ʻāina), kilo (observation), and ʻaha (ceremony). For the ʻOhana, ceremony is essential, summoning elemental forces needed for restoration after decades of abuse.
Two ceremonies, Makahiki and Ipu A Kāne, are regularly practiced on Kahoʻolawe. Revived by the ʻOhana in 1982, the Makahiki ceremony “calls upon Lono to bring the winds that bring the rains, that raise the water table so new plants on Kahoʻolawe can grow,” said the late Dr. Noa Emmett Auwae Aluli.
Ipu A Kāne honors the relationship between Kahoʻolawe and Maui, calling upon Kāne to send moisture across the ʻAlalākeiki Channel through clouds, wind, and rain. For the ʻOhana, ceremony is as vital as removing invasives or planting natives. These ceremonies are uniquely Kānaka solutions rooted in ancestral knowledge and adapted to solve modern problems.
Since the first landing nearly 50 years ago, the island has transformed from a barren landscape to growing stretches of native vegetation. This renewal shows that cultural practice and land stewardship are inseparable. As Dr. Aluli reminds us, “The health of the land, is the health of the people, is the health of the lāhui (nation).” Restoring ʻāina restores the wellbeing of Kānaka. In practicing our traditions on Kahoʻolawe, we further exercise our ea (sovereignty) as a lāhui.
Today, Kahoʻolawe stands as a powerful example of potential for healing when we look to cultural practice. Ceremony, once nearly lost, is now an essential tool of healing, resilience and resistance.
While we continue to strategize against the abuse of our precious natural resources, such as the reclamation of thousands of acres of land under military exploitation, Kahoʻolawe is a reminder that reviving something as practical as a ceremony is a radical act of self-determination. Let us continue to draw strength from our traditions, restore what is damaged, and reclaim our ea as a lāhui grounded in aloha ʻāina.
Kaulu Luʻuwai is an attorney whose ʻohana is deeply committed to healing Kahoʻolawe under the leadership of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. To join this inter-generational effort to reclaim, restore, and reawaken ea, visit www.protectkahoolaweohana.org.
The ʻOhana is planning a fundraiser on July 26, 2025. Email lanakila.kahoolawe@gmail.com if you are interested in supporting.
