Aloha ʻāina kākou. Across our pae ʻāina, the strength of our lāhui continues to be carried forward with the ʻike, kuleana, and relationships we nurture with one another and with our ʻāina.
At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), we recognize that one of the most meaningful ways we can support our communities is by uplifting the work already happening on the ground. By sharing our platforms and creating space for these stories, we help strengthen the connections that bind our poʻe and places together.
On the island of Kauaʻi, two Native Hawaiian organizations — Ka Hale Manu o Lono and Ka Hale Papa o Anehola — are demonstrating what it means to mālama ʻāina through collaboration, humility, and deep cultural commitment. Their work reminds us that meaningful stewardship is rooted not only in restoring landscapes, but in restoring the pilina between people, place, and ancestral knowledge.
Pilina, the relationships we cultivate with each other and with our environment, is foundational to who we are as Kānaka. It guides how we gather, how we advocate, how we work together in meetings and collaborations, and how we remain present and accountable to our kānaka kaiāulu.
Spaces – like those being stewarded in Anahola – are powerful reminders that when relationships are nurtured with intention, they create pathways for ʻike, healing, and collective responsibility.
Restoration work being led in Moku Koʻolau on Kauaʻi, reflects this spirit of shared kuleana.
“In the Koʻolau district of Kauaʻi, Ka Hale Manu O Lono and Ka Hale Papa O Anehola, are collaborating to revitalize and restore with profound respect and humility an ancient Hawaiian village at the base on the slopes of Kalalea and Konanai/Koananai mountains, a very large heiau complex with numerous native trees and ferns,” said practitioner Noa Mau.
“As invasive trees like albezia, African tulip, java plum, Christmas berry and guinea grass are cut back and removed, the pōhaku (stone) work of this sacred wahi kapu is now being discovered and revealed to be much larger than expected.”
Mau adds that, according to legend, “in the Anahola ahupuaʻa there is a moʻo named ʻAnehola’ who could appear on land as human and in water as a mermaid, and that Kalalea was the first-born child to Kapaopao and Kahala, whose birth was accompanied by famous birthing kahuna Kanoeoalakai.
“Kalalea then married Koananai/Konanai and had ʻAʻahoaka, a warrior of Kauaʻi who later settled in Wailua ahupuaʻa. Kalalea is the tall upright mountain and Konanai/Koananai is the rounded mountain next to it, with Kalalea representing Kū (masculine) or Wākea (sky father), and Konanai/Koananai representing Hina (feminine) or Papa (earth mother).
“Kalalea mountain is also associated with a famous makaʻula (prophet) of Kauaʻi named Hulumaniani who constructed heiau and could predict events. The term ʻkalalea’ translates to the dorsal fin of a shark. Both Ka Hale Manu O Lono and Ka Hale Papa O Anehola are led by women. Ka Hale Manu O Lono has stewardship paperwork from OHA and also cares for other wahi kapu in Wailua ahupuaʻa. Ka Hale Papa O Anehola has stewardship paperwork from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. Mahalo nui.”
The ʻike and leadership guiding this work demonstrate the power of community-driven stewardship and the importance of supporting Native Hawaiian organizations who are caring for our sacred places.
As trustees, it is our responsibility to ensure that OHA continues to uplift and amplify these efforts. By sharing our platforms and honoring the work of our communities, we strengthen the ʻike, pilina, and kuleana that will sustain our lāhui for generations to come.
Mahalo to nā poʻe and organizations who continue to mālama ʻāina and mālama each other.
According to Mary Kawena Pukui, in the old days many kūpuna from the area pronounced “Anahola” as “Anehola.” In this column, “Anehola” references the legendary moʻo, while “Anahola” references the ahupuaʻa.
