Hawaiian Leaders Attend NHPI Convening in D.C.
Molokaʻi Fishpond and 300 Acres for Sale
In August, Sotheby’s International Realty listed 300 acres of land in Kūpeke on Molokaʻi’s southeast shore for $2 million. The listing is comprised of 12 parcels, including the 33.8-acre Kūpeke Fishpond.
Community nonprofit, Kūpeke Ahupuaʻa, whose members have been stewarding the fishpond and surrounding area for six years hope to purchase it. However, the group fears that outside interests may purchase the land before they can raise the money, bringing more unwanted development to the area.
Already, million-dollar homes, mostly owned by outsiders from the continent, line Molokaʻi’s southern coast adjacent to Kūpeke Fishpond.
“We’ve been managing it for so long, and it’s going to be really disappointing to lose it to any type of foreign investment,” said Kūpeke Ahupuaʻa board advisor Lori Buchanan in an article published last month by the Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative, a Maui-based nonprofit.
Attorney and Associate Professor of law Malia Akutagawa, who is from Molokaʻi, is quoted in the same article. “We on Molokaʻi have learned to be very vigilant. This sort of public sale is really scary for us, and so it’s important that the community in some way be able to secure these lands.”
Most of the land has been owned for generations by members of the Buchanan family. Both the fishpond and the largest parcel (253.8 acres) are jointly owned by Namahana Buchanan Estate, Buena Ventura Properties and Clifton Steward. Several other parcels are owned by heirs of the late Stanwood Buchanan Formes.
For more information: www.kupekelokoia.com/.
Maui Wildfires the Result of Multiple Factors
Last month Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez announced the results of the Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report, the second report of the three-part evidence-based investigation into how state and county governments responded during the Maui wildfires.
The report concludes that no single factor led to the devastation. Instead, a complex set of factors including weather and its impacts, risk and preparedness, decades-old infrastructure, organizational structure and incident management and coordination created the historic disaster. Moreover, the wildfire cannot be connected to one specific organization, individual, action or event, noting the conditions that made it possible were years in the making.
The report was prepared by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), which has extensive experience researching fire dynamics, structure- to-structure fire spread, and near-miss firefighting incidents.
“Our Phase Two report shows that Lahaina lacked the level of cohesive fire prevention, preparedness, management strategy, resources and investment necessary to protect the population from an extreme wildfire event,” said FSRI Vice President and Executive Director Dr. Steve Kerber.
“This investigation serves as a wake-up call for the state and county governments to learn from the past and urgently prepare for the future,” said Lopez.
The focus of the Phase One Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Report and timeline was to identify the facts. The Phase Two Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report is the scientific analysis with recommendations that can be implemented more quickly. Phase Three will focus on broad systemic recommendations for the future.
Kauʻi Nishizaki New VP at Queen’s
The Queen’s Health Systems (QHS) has named Laura Kauʻionalani Nishizaki as its new vice president of Native Hawaiian Health; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice; and Caregiver Wellness.
In this capacity, she will also oversee research in those fields and will provide leadership in the development and implementation of strategic and initiatives to further the organization’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of Native Hawaiians and all the people of Hawaiʻi.
Nishizaki joined Queen’s in 2017 as a project coordinator and clinical social worker for Ke Kuʻuna Nāʻau Native Hawaiian Patient Navigation Program. Most recently she served as director of the Native Hawaiian Health Program. Nishizaki was part of Pacific Business News’ prestigious “40 Under 40” 2022 cohort.
Nishizaki replaces Dr. Naleen Naupaka Andrade who is leaving QHS and returning to UH Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine effective in December. QHS has also announced the retirement of Dr. Gerard Akaka, vice president of Native Hawaiian Affairs and Clinical Support Services.
New HCA Office Will Help Wildfire Survivors
Last month, Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA) celebrated the opening of its newest office at 1950 E. Vineyard Street in Wailuku, Maui, with a special grand opening ceremony and blessing.
In 2000, HCA co-founders Blossom Feiteira and Kehaulani Filimoeʻatu opened their first office on Vineyard Street in Wailuku. By opening their new location on the same street, HCA celebrates a full-circle moment, honoring over two decades of service to the community.
The new office will serve as a collaborative office model and incubator designed to support grassroots organizations aiding the victims of the recent Maui wildfires and fostering the development of organizations committed to rebuilding and enhancing the community.
“This new space represents our commitment to providing comprehensive support to our community, ensuring that families have the resources and education they need to thrive,” said Chelsie Evans Enos, HCA executive director. “We look forward to making a lasting impact in the lives of Maui’s residents.”
As a nonprofit organization and HUD-certified housing counseling agency, HCA provides much-needed support to residents facing high living expenses and a shortage of affordable housing. Since 2002, HCA has specialized in offering free homeownership resources to assist low- and moderate-income individuals and families to contribute to the overall wellbeing and stability of the community.
HCA has four locations throughout Hawaiʻi offering services to build generational wealth and establish financial stability. For more information visit: https://hawaiiancommunity.net/.
Third Annual Aloha Shirt Festival
The Third Annual Aloha Shirt Festival, Vintage Wear Collector’s Exhibit and Kona’s own “Fashion Week” will be held Oct. 3 – 6, 2024, from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. daily at the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa. Under the guidance of George Naʻope and Cyril Lani Pahinui, the festival focuses on wearable arts traditions, history and the local garment industry.
The event offers vintage aloha wear exhibits, sales and appraisals, live music, hula and celebrity appearances, a Fashion Fair/Pop-up Marketplace, silent auction, traditional workshops and demonstrations, a lei competition, speakers and resource providers, food and beverage events, hair and makeup shows, professional photo workshops, and fashion shows featuring vintage collections, repurposed clothing collections, contemporary designers and more.
The event will feature exclusive multimedia content with elements of the event available to both the public and trade audience globally to enable collaboration and bring together fashion, culture and technology. Designers can sell to attendees and online through Runway Buy, a shop-able proprietary app for online sales. Runway Show events will be livestreamed globally and cross posted through social media.
More than 57 individual businesses are involved in the presentation with a focus on partners who offer youth development, mentorship and entrepreneurial training, and sustainably. For more information and updates go to: www.alohashirtfestival.com.
Six Organizations Receive HŌʻIHI Grants
The Department of the Interior’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR) announced the award of $1 million in grants to six Native Hawaiian organizations to implement the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act.
This funding enables Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals and strategies while seeking to enhance and integrate native tourism, empower native communities, and expand unique cultural tourism opportunities.
The value of hōʻihi (respect) represents the core principle of ONHR’s Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi (HŌʻIHI) program.
Since 2021, ONHR has administered NATIVE Act funding and the HŌʻIHI program has supported visitor programs that showcase the heritage, places, art, foods, traditions, history and vibrance of the Native Hawaiian community.
“The HŌʻIHI grant puts Native Hawaiian culture and traditions at the forefront of Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry,” said Keala Fukuda, HŌʻIHI grant manager. “This year’s awardees are great examples of Hawaiʻi’s overall shift towards regenerative tourism.”
The 2024 HŌʻIHI grant awardees are: The Hawaiʻi Island Land Trust, Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana, Koa ʻIke, Kumano i ka Ala o Makaweli, Mana Maoli and Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association.
NATIVE Act funding is critical to bolstering Indigenous heritage and cultural tourism opportunities. For more information visit www.doi.gov/hawaiian/grants.
Latest Hana Keaka Production “Puana” Playing Now at UH Mānoa
