Hāʻena, located at the end of the road on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, is one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic and sacred places. But beyond its scenic beauty lies a living landscape of cultural history, ecological abundance, and resilient community care. At the center of that care is Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana, a Native Hawaiian nonprofit working to restore and steward Hāʻena as a living ahupuaʻa.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Hāʻena several times – including as a member of Congress – where I spent time with Uncle Presley Wann and the Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana ʻohana. Their deep kuleana and vision for self-determined stewardship left a lasting impression on me. It’s a model rooted in ancestral wisdom and built for modern resilience.
Founded in 1998 by lineal descendants of Hāʻena, the Hui was created in response to decades of ecological degradation and cultural erasure. By mid-century, Hāʻena’s loʻi systems had fallen into disrepair, and traditional knowledge of land management had been marginalized. In 1999, the Hui signed a curatorship agreement with the state to care for over 15 acres of cultural sites, loʻi kalo, and burial grounds within Hāʻena State Park.
Since then, the Hui has led loʻi restoration, educational programs, and monthly volunteer workdays. Their efforts have not only restored native food systems and cultural landscapes, but also strengthened generational knowledge transfer.
One of their most groundbreaking achievements is the creation of the Hāʻena Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) – the first of its kind in Hawaiʻi. Like the recently designated CBSFA in Miloliʻi, this initiative blends traditional Hawaiian practices with modern science to regulate fishing in a way that restores abundance and puts management power back in the hands of local communities.
After the devastating 2018 floods, the Hui played a critical role in reshaping the future of Hāʻena. They helped implement the Hāʻena State Park Master Plan, which now includes a reservation system, daily visitor caps, shuttle access, and community-led management of park entry operations. It’s one of Hawaiʻi’s most successful examples of balancing cultural preservation with visitor impact.
Hāʻena is not just a place of natural beauty – it is a piko, a spiritual and ecological center. From the legendary cliffs of Makana to the remnants of loʻi kalo and ancient springs, it is a place of deep stories and living traditions.
The work of Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana reminds us that the best models for conservation are led by the people who know the land best. And when those people are empowered, supported, and trusted, the results can transform not just a place, but a future.
