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Empowering Wahi Kūpuna Stewardship
By Huliauapaʻa Staff
Huliauapaʻa is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to grow Hawaiʻi’s communities through culturally based forms of innovative learning, leadership development, and collaborative networking in wahi kūpuna stewardship. To learn more about Huliauapaʻa workshops or our organization please visit www.huliauapaa.org.
In collaboration with...
Salt + Sea – Kauaʻi Boutique Makes a Splash
“Being Hawaiian is a big part of who I am and what I’m trying to do,” said Maile Taylor, owner of Salt + Sea. “I design and buy swimsuits for women here in Hawaiʻi so they can feel confident in their own skin. I...
OHA Determined to Restore its Wahiawā Lands
By Taylor Asao, OHA Legacy Land Specialist & Lori Walker, OHA Interim Legacy Land Manager
The birthing stones of Kūkaniloko are considered one of the most sanctified places in Hawaiʻi. Kūkaniloko is the piko of Oʻahu where the highest ranking aliʻi were born.
The legacy of...
Tipping the System to Benefit Native Hawaiians: Systems Mapping in Action
By Pālama Lee, Ph.D.
The current system reinforces injustices perpetuated against Native Hawaiians, disconnects them from their culture, and limits opportunities for their families to thrive.
In 2019, Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT) engaged over 300 stakeholders across five islands to identify the forces they see helping or...
Regarding SHPD’s Care, Management and Protection of Our Iwi Kūpuna
On Jan. 19, 2021, in proximity to the sacred ancestral interment site of Pohukaina located on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace, island burial council leadership announced a “Statewide Protest to Uphold Their Kuleana (Responsibility) to Protect Hawaiian Burial Sites from Systemic Mismanagement by the...
Remembering Prince Kūhiō
Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, defined by his name as a “royal chief without measure,” created a legacy for Hawaiʻi that is renowned, remembered and revered today.
In his lifetime, Kūhiō was a royal protégé, a prisoner, a politician, a musician, and most importantly, a prince of...
Why It’s Time for OHA to Develop Kakaʻako Makai!
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs was created to ensure the “betterment of conditions for Native Hawaiians.” That’s a daunting task because, tragically, the conditions of many Hawaiians are less than ideal.
Far too many Hawaiians lack economic mobility, are in poor health, or are trapped...
E Hoʻi Ka Piko: Returning to Piko
By Bronson Azama
It is in the stories of our kūpuna that we are reminded that our people were, and still are, true visionaries. Holding within us ideas that can shape the future of our islands, and arguably the world, for the better.
I frequently traverse...
OHA Releases Grant Solicitations Totaling $450,000
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has released two grant solicitations. The first is the ʻAhahui Grants program which provides financial assistance to support nonprofit organizations hosting community events that align with OHA’s 2020-2035 Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan and that provide significant benefits...
The Crown Jewels – Kakaʻako Makai
As you have probably already noticed, this edition of the Ka Wai Ola is heavily focused on OHA’s Hawaiian lands located on Oʻahu in Kakaʻako Makai.
OHA’s Kakaʻako Makai lands are the gateway from the downtown urban core of Honolulu to the waterfront, to the...
Kakaʻako Makai – Back to the Drawing Board
Welina! Aloha mai kākou! I have invited former OHA Trustee Peter Apo, who is very knowledgeable about this month’s topic, to write this column in my stead. Mahalo nui, Peter!
In 2012, after 31 years of brokering, the Legislature approved, and OHA accepted, a land-instead-of-cash...
‘Īlioholoikauaua: Protecting This Endangered Species
“He ʻiole ko uka, he ʻiole ko kai,He ʻiole holo i ka uauaA rat in the upland, a rat by the seaA rat running beside the wave.”- Kumulipo, lines 554 & 555
Īlioholoikauaua, the “dog that runs in the rough sea” is commonly known as...
Reflections on the Insurrection of January 6
By Kourtney Christen Kealohalani Kawano
On Jan. 3, 2021, members of the U.S. Congress welcomed Sen. Kaialiʻi Kahele into their ranks when he and other newly elected members were sworn in at the U.S. Capitol. As the second Native Hawaiian congressional member since 1959, Sen....
Ahead of Us
With the holidays behind us, the times we are used to enjoying together continue to pass us by.
Those of us born and raised here in Hawaiʻi miss the traditions that we would never have imagined would not be there. For those of us on...
OHA’s Papakilo Database: A User’s Experience
By Cody Pueo Pata, guest author
I have used the Papakilo Database for years, and have always been grateful for this resource. With that said, in November of 2019, I was contracted to compile a book on place names for the three moku of “West...
Public Notice | March 2021
Cultural Impact Assessment: Nanaikeola, Waianae District, Oahu
Scientific Consultant Services, Inc. (SCS) is preparing a Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) in advance of the proposed Nanaikeola Self-Help project, an 88 lot self-help housing subdivision affordable to low income families in Hawaiʻi. The subdivision will be located...
News Briefs | March 2021
Native Hawaiian Business Directory Launched
In December 2020, the Native Hawaiian Business Directory was launched. A project of the Kanaka Economic Development Alliance, the directory provides a beautiful and highly marketable online platform that allows business owners to self-publish and update their listings at any...
Kakaʻako Makai: A Chronology of Quick Facts
Click here to view the full special insert on Kakaʻako Makai
1978
In 1978, the people of Hawaiʻi voted to create the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Hawaiʻi’s constitution established OHA’s right to a portion of the Public Land Trust (ceded lands), however, many issues relating...
Kakaʻako Makai: Envisioning a Kīpuka Where People Live, Work and Play
Click here to view the full special insert on Kakaʻako Makai
After acquiring Kakaʻako Makai in 2012, OHA reached out to Native Hawaiians across the pae ʻāina via a series of "visioning" meetings to discuss ideas for development on these lands. The manaʻo shared by...
Mythbusters: Kakaʻako Makai
Click here to view the full special insert on Kakaʻako Makai
There has been an uptick in misinformation spread about OHA's intentions & capabilities within the Kakaʻako Makai area. This page has been created to address several of the most common myths being shared, and...