News Briefs | August 2025

Hōkūleʻa Lands in Tahiti

Pūʻōhala Cuts Pūnana Leo Classroom

Pūnana Leo families and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi supporters gathered in front of the Department of Education building in downtown Honolulu on July 10 to protest the loss of a preschool classroom at Pūʻōhala Elementary School in Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu.

The decision by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education to cut one of Pūnana Leo’s two preschool classrooms at Pūʻōhala will affect about 20 preschoolers from Pūnana Leo o Koʻolaupoko. This loss not only affects the students, but the entire pipeline of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi education in Windward Oʻahu.

At Pūʻōhala, Hawaiian language immersion students comprise more than 75% of the school’s enrollment. Without the kaiapuni program, Pūʻōhala would arguably be listed among campuses targeted for closure due to low general education enrollment.

“We’re not asking for special treatment — we’re asking the state to recognize the truth: this is an issue of equity and commitment,” said one Pūʻōhala parent. “It’s unjust that our youngest learners are pushed aside when our program is thriving.”

The group called for the creation of a dedicated, DOE- operated Hawaiian Language Immersion site in Kāneʻohe within the Castle Complex.

Limited space in existing Hawaiian immersion programs is affecting Hawaiian families across the state, as demand for Hawaiian language medium instruction is growing.

In Clarabel v. State of Hawaiʻi, a lawsuit brought by a mother on Lānaʻi, the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the state is constitutionally required to make reasonable efforts to provide access to Hawaiian immersion education.

Quiocho Named TNC Marine Program Director

Kalani Quiocho was named the Hawaiʻi Island marine program director at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Hawaiʻi and Palmyra.

Prior to his appointment, Quiocho was at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for more than 10 years serving as a marine program analyst, as NOAA’s first cultural resources coordinator, as a Native Hawaiian program specialist and a cultural advisor, infusing federal decision-making with Indigenous knowledge.

Born and raised in Hilo, Quiocho graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and went on to earn a BA in Hawaiian studies from UH Mānoa and a BA in marine science from UH Hilo. After graduating, he was selected in 2014 to TNC’s Hawaiʻi Marine Fellowship Program.

“Kalani’s experience helping NOAA to include Indigenous knowledge in federal decision-making is a tremendous gift,” said TNC Hawaiʻi and Palmyra Executive Director Ulalia Woodside Lee. “We are thrilled to grow our capacity to partner with local communities and collaborate to restore abundance and health to Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs and nearshore ecosystems.”

“We are the culmination of our ancestors and their lived experiences and now we have an important opportunity and responsibility to take care of people and the places that have continued to bring us life,” Quiocho said. “I am proud to perpetuate this cherished tradition of aloha ʻāina with The Nature Conservancy.”

Quiocho is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at UH Mānoa.

BLNR Rejects Army EIS for Oʻahu Leases

Citing significant gaps in environmental analysis, on June 28 the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted to reject the U.S. Army’s final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for state lands currently leased on Oʻahu. Their decision came after hours of impassioned public testimony.

Three sites were covered under the FEIS: state-leased portions of the Kahuku Training Area, the Kawailoa-Poamoho Training Area, and the Mākua Military Reservation. Significantly, the Army did not pursue lease renewals of Kawailoa-Poamoho (4,390 acres) or Mākua (782 acres). The FEIS only sought lease renewal of 450 acres (of the current 1,150 acres leased) at Kahuku.

In May, BLNR also voted to reject the Army’s FEIS for state lands leased at the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island.

DLNR’s Land Division consulted with the Commission on Water Resources Management, the Division of Aquatic Resources, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands and the State Historic Preservation Division in reviewing the FEIS. Its recommendation to BLNR not to accept the FEIS represented a consensus among all DLNR divisions.

BLNR found that the FEIS did not adequately account for known and likely archaeological sites, lacked recent data for biological resources, and did not include stream aquatic surveys. Each of these concerns was raised in the draft EIS phase but went unaddressed in the final report.

The Army’s current leases for the more than 6,000 acres of state-owned land at the three Oʻahu sites, and for 23,000 acres at the Pōhakuloa Training Area, expire in 2029.

BWS Sues the Navy

On July 1, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Navy for its releases of petroleum and other hazardous chemicals into Oʻahu’s drinking water supply.

The Navy acknowledged responsibility for the massive environmental and human health crisis caused by the November 2021 Red Hill fuel release but has refused to accept responsibility for the costs incurred.

Past, ongoing, and future restoration, remediation and mitigation efforts will cost BWS about $1.2 billion. To minimize the burden of these costs for Oʻahu taxpayers, BWS is holding the Navy accountable.

Nearly four years ago, BWS was forced to shut down its Hālawa Shaft and the ʻAiea and Hālawa wells. BWS also implemented enhanced water quality testing, started planning for additional groundwater monitoring wells, and shifted to alternate water sources to provide safe drinking water to Oʻahu residents.

“This is not an issue that will be solved quickly or cheaply. Every action must be taken to protect the purity of Oʻahu’s water, and it is only right that the Navy assume financial responsibility for its actions that put water purity and the safety of everyone on Oʻahu at risk,” said BWS Manager and Chief Engineer Ernie Lau.

“Litigation was our last resort and comes after months of futile negotiation with the Navy and [its] refusal to pay for any of the costs incurred – even while publicly [acknowledging] its responsibility for this disaster and subsequent contaminant releases,” said BWS Board Chair Nāʻālehu Anthony.

12 ʻŌiwi Named to PBN’s 2025 “40 Under 40”

The Pacific Business News “40 Under 40” is an annual program that recognizes 40 outstanding young professionals in Hawai’i under the age of 40 who have demonstrated leadership, significant career achievements, and community involvement in their individual fields. This year, 12 Native Hawaiians were among PBN’s honorees. They will be recognized at a banquet on August 14 at the ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Ballroom. Pictured (L-R) beginning with the top row are Kayla Keehu Alexander, Aloha United Way; Kapua Chandler, Nāmāhana School; Alexis Charpentier, Waikīkī Health; Zane Dydasco, Chick-fil-A Makiki; Ilihia Gionson, W.M. Keck Observatory; Tyler Gomes, Kilohana by Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; Alexarae Kam, ALTRES; Kimeona Kane, 808 Cleanups; Christopher Lum Lee, TriSec, Inc.; Brittany Montilliano, YWCA Oʻahu; Skye Kolealani Razon Olds, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; and Sage Kealohilani Quiamno, Future for Us and Amazon. – Photos Courtesy of Pacific Business News

State Leaders Vow to Mitigate Impact of Tax Bill

Gov. Josh Green, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie K. Hirono, and U.S. Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda released the following statement after Congress passed a Republican tax bill that will cut healthcare coverage through Med-QUEST for more than 40,000 people in Hawaiʻi, gut food assistance programs (e.g., SNAP) that more than 20,000 Hawaiʻi families rely on, and raise the national debt by an estimated $3.3 trillion. The bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4.

“The Republican tax bill breaks promises, and guts funding for healthcare and food assistance that thousands of Hawaiʻi families rely on every day. It’s a terrible bill that we all strongly opposed.

“While it won’t be easy to stop all the damage from these cuts, we’re moving quickly to protect our communities. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be meeting with state and local officials, community partners, and service providers to assess the fiscal impact on Hawaiʻi and develop operational plans to blunt the harm.

“That includes coordinating resources, setting local priorities, and making sure the most vulnerable aren’t left without support. These next few years won’t be easy, but we are mobilizing now to respond, protect our people, and make sure Hawaiʻi can weather what’s coming.”

September Proclaimed Hawaiian History Month

In June, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs (AOHCC) celebrated Gov. Josh Green’s signing of Act 167, designating September as Hawaiian History Month.

The legislation reflects decades of community-driven education, cultural observances, and advocacy efforts championed by the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, established in 2007 to educate residents and visitors on Hawaiʻi’s true history and the culture that makes our islands unique.

The coalition, of which AOHCC is a founding member, launched the annual ʻOnipaʻa Celebration at ʻIolani Palace in September 2007 to honor Queen Liliʻuokalani and spark public engagement through history, culture, and the arts.

“This recognition is long overdue,” said Dre Kalili, AOHCC president. “Our organization was created to elevate the voices of Native Hawaiians in government, education, and society. Securing Hawaiian History Month is not just a symbolic act – it’s the continuation of a kuleana we’ve carried for more than a century.”

In 2019, delegates to the AOHCC’s 60th Annual Convention passed a resolution calling on the state to officially designate September as Hawaiian History Month. That call to action, aligned with the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition’s long-standing work, culminated in this past legislative session with overwhelming support.

The AOHCC acknowledged Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who was lead sponsor of the bill. “By designating September as Hawaiian History Month, the state affirms our collective responsibility to tell the full story of Hawaiʻi,” Keohokalole noted.

Actions of Aloha Relaunches Under DeSoto

Actions of Aloha, which began as a social media challenge during the pandemic and inspired thousands to practice intentional kindness, recently appointed Pua DeSoto its new chief executive officer.

A professional surfer and rising business leader, DeSoto brings fresh vision and a sense of purpose to the organization’s next chapter. Actions of Aloha will relaunch this summer with new products, partnerships, and digital experiences to “activate” aloha in everyday life.

“Actions of Aloha was born at a time when our community needed hope,” said DeSoto. “Today, aloha remains our greatest strength – and I’m honored to help lead this movement forward.”

Since its formation, Actions of Aloha has raised and donated over $45,000 to institutions such as ʻIolani Palace and Bishop Museum. Its signature card decks, apparel, and guided content have inspired small but meaningful acts of kindness that ripple through communities.

The organization’s mobile app – free on iOS – features daily aloha challenges, guided meditations, and cultural affirmations that have been used in classrooms, team settings, and homes to build stronger relationships and promote emotional wellbeing.

Actions of Aloha plans to grow its impact through new initiatives focused on wellness and Hawaiian language revitalization in collaboration with Hawaiʻi nonprofits, businesses, and educators to scale its reach in promoting aloha, not just as a value, but a daily practice.

To learn more visit actionsofaloha.com and follow @ActionsOfAloha on Instagram.