OHA Revives ʻAha ʻŌpio Civic Engagement Program After 20 Years

RIMPAC Protested Across the Pae ʻĀina

On June 24, kiaʻi from the Hoʻopae Pono Peace Project, a coalition of organizations, gathered just after sunrise outside the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters near Pearl Harbor to bless and honor the lands, creatures and people harmed by RIMPAC. Meanwhile, in Kailua and Kāneʻohe, members of Hui Aloha ʻĀina o Koʻolaupoko hung banners protesting RIMPAC from overpasses. On June 28, kiaʻi from Malu ʻĀina and Protect Pōhakuloa organized an afternoon RIMPAC protest along Bayfront Highway in Hilo.

RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), is the biennial international military exercise conducted in Hawaiʻi. This year, it began on June 24 and will conclude July 31. Military personnel from 31 countries are currently in Hawaiʻi, at the invitation of the U.S., for five weeks of war games that will include over 30 surface ships, 206 aircraft, at least five submarines and about 30,000 personnel.

The protests are part of a larger, decentralized movement of organizations and individuals working to stop RIMPAC. The Stop RIMPAC website says, in part, “the bombing of a peaceful, neutral country under an illegal occupation has already gone on too long … killing dolphins and whales, destroying sacred places, and polluting the ocean with tons of toxic chemicals to better prepare for war is unacceptable.”

In addition to raising awareness of the harm that RIMPAC causes, the movement is circulating an “END RIMPAC” sign-on letter online. Key areas of concern outlined in the letter are RIMPAC’s negative environmental, social and political impacts.

Addressed to Gov. Josh Green, Hawaiʻi’s Congressional Delegation, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Admiral Stephen T. Koehler, and the heads of states of all countries participating in RIMPAC, the letter calls for the immediate and permanent termination of RIMPAC, restoration of the lands and waters affected by RIMPAC, and for the return of all Hawaiian lands in safe and healthy condition once leases expire.

RIMPAC includes amphibious operations, gunnery and missile exercises, anti-submarine warfare and a sinking exercise (SINKEX) of a decommissioned naval ship. The devastation to the marine ecosystem cannot be overstated.

According to the letter, during RIMPAC, a “take” (i.e., kill) permit is granted to the military by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) allowing for the deaths of over a million marine animals per cycle as acceptable collateral damage from the missiles, explosives and gunfire deployed during live-fire exercises.

SINKEX bombing exercises release large quantities of toxins into the water including PFAS, PCBs, asbestos and heavy metals that poison fish and contaminate the marine food chain. Turtle nesting areas and coral reefs are severely harmed by amphibious landing exercises. And sonar used during naval war games terrify and disorient cetaceans like whales and dolphins, often resulting in death.

The letter states that besides the devastating environmental consequences, sex trafficking increases dramatically during RIMPAC. Bars and strip clubs even hang “Welcome RIMPAC” banners outside their establishments during the exercises. For more information or to sign the letter go to endrimpac.org.

Oʻahu Rainwater Capture Program

Nonprofit Mālama Maunalua recently launched its Get Rain Ready Rainwater Capture and Incentive Program in collaboration with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Facility Maintenance. The program’s goal is to help Oʻahu’s communities reduce flooding and pollution in our waters.

They are currently seeking applicants from homeowners for the free direct-install program. Selected applicants will receive a free rain barrel installed on their property, a rain garden, or a native tree. Each of these rainwater capture solutions help to reduce storm water runoff within that watershed.

“Rainwater catchment systems, like rain barrels, are crucial for mitigating storm water runoff, especially during heavy rainfall events like we’ve been experiencing,” said Mālama Maunalua Executive Director Doug Harper. “Whether the homeowner chooses the rain barrel, a rain garden, or a native tree, these systems will work together across a watershed to capture and manage rainwater, protecting the waterways that feed into the ocean.”

Rainwater capture solutions are a cost-effective way for residents to protect Oʻahu’s precious groundwater, reduce localized flooding, mitigate storm water pollution in streams and the ocean, and potentially save money on water bills.

For more information or to apply, go to rainwaterhawaii.com and click the “Apply Now” button. The application window is open now through July 15. Program requirements and application instructions are on the website. To qualify for the rain barrel installation, applicants must have an existing rain gutter and downspout.

Blaisdell-Brennan Receives National Honors

Dr. Helen Kaleleonalani Blaisdell-Brennan, MD, has received multiple honors from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), including recognition as a Mental Health Equity Champion and Resident Fellow Mentor. In May she was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the APA and granted the 2026 APA Rural Psychiatry Award.

The Distinguished Fellow designation is among the organization’s highest honors. The Mental Health Equity Champion recognition highlights leadership in advancing culturally responsive care and reducing disparities in access, while the Rural Psychiatry Award recognizes outstanding contributions in rural and underserved communities.

Blaisdell-Brennan is a two-time past president of the Hawaiʻi Psychiatric Medical Association and has served on the boards of numerous organizations including: Ke Ola Mamo Oʻahu Native Hawaiian Health Care System; Hui Hānai; St. Andrew’s Schools; the Honolulu County Medical Society; and ʻAhahui o nā Kauka, the Native Hawaiian physicians association.

Now in private practice, she served for 17 years as a psychiatrist at Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center focusing on mental health equity, suicide prevention, physician workforce development, and improving access to care for rural and underserved populations.

Blaisdell-Brennan graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and Harvard College. She earned her medical degree from UH’s John A. Burns School of Medicine and served as chief resident at the University of California, Los Angeles Neuropsychiatric Institute.

Freitas Appointed to UH Board of Regents

Makai Freitas has been appointed to the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents by Gov. Josh Green. The Board of Regents is responsible for the general management and oversight of the University of Hawaiʻi system.

Freitas is a distinguished labor leader with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union with more than 20 years of experience in organizational leadership and workforce advocacy. He has a track record of cross-sector collaboration, working with educators, public agencies and community organizations, and has spearheaded complex negotiations and strategic workforce development initiatives that have strengthened economic opportunities for Hawaiʻi families.

In addition to his leadership in the labor sector, he is the West Hawaiʻi representative on the Hawaiian Homes Commission within the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. In this role, Freitas advocates for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, focusing on affordable housing, community development and educational advancement.

A graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and the University of Arizona, Freitas brings a balanced perspective of statewide advocacy and local community insight. He resides in Waimea with his wife, Aulani, and their two daughters.

“Higher education plays a vital role in Hawaiʻi’s future. I look forward to strengthening the university’s mission of teaching, learning and community service,” Freitas said.

Hoʻomaikaʻi to Pūʻōhala’s First Graduating Class!

Kanakaʻole Named DLNR Chair

Ryan Kanakaʻole has been appointed by Gov. Josh Green to serve as chairperson and director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), effective July 7, 2026. Kanakaʻole replaces Dawn Chang who has retired.

Kanakaʻole has been acting chairperson since December 2025. Prior to that, he served as DLNR first deputy. He is on the advisory committee for military leased lands and represented DLNR on the Mauna Kea Stewardship Oversight Authority, Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Agribusiness Development Corporation Board and the Commission on Water Resource Management.

Before joining DLNR, Kanakaʻole was a deputy in the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General. From 2017 to 2023, he was a deputy attorney general for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Kanakaʻole is from Waiʻōhinu on Hawaiʻi Island. He graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, has a BA in Political Science from UH Hilo, and a Juris Doctor, along with a certificate in Native Hawaiian Law, from William S. Richardson School of Law at UH Mānoa.

“Serving the people of Hawaiʻi is an enormous responsibility, one I take very seriously. Our public trust duty to protect the cultural, historical and life-giving resources of these islands is the legacy we pass on to our children. I remain committed to leaving this place better than we found it,” Kanakaʻole said.

Keaulana Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

On May 16, Waikīkī Film Awards, in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Film Alliance, presented world-renowned Mākaha waterman Brian Keaulana with a Hawaiʻi Lifetime Achievement Award.

Born and raised in Mākaha, Keaulana is one of the most influential watermen of all time and is widely recognized for revolutionizing ocean safety practices, including the use of jet ski rescue techniques.

Over the decades, Keaulana’s ocean expertise in the waters of the west side was parlayed into work in the film industry when he was tapped to provide critical support and consultation to major film and television productions including Waterworld (1995), 50 First Dates (2004), Jurassic World (2015) and Hawaiʻi Five-O (2010-2020).

He has also acted, with appearances in movies including The Big Bounce (2004) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). And he played himself for two seasons on Baywatch: Hawaiʻi (1999-2001). Keaulana has also worked as a producer, a stuntman, and stunt coordinator in numerous other productions.

His work in the film industry and commitment to the Hawaiian culture and community inspired Keaulana to co-found the International Cultural Arts Network (ICAN), a nonprofit dedicated to elevating, educating and empowering diversity in Hawaiʻi’s television and film industry focusing on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

950 Acres of Kāneʻohe

ʻĀinapreneur Network Launched

Changemakers Hawaiʻi, an ʻŌiwi-led nonprofit, is launching the ʻĀinapreneur Small Business Network, a new community- rooted initiative designed to help Hawaiʻi entrepreneurs grow businesses that are connected to place, guided by values, and built for shared prosperity.

The network brings together small business owners, aspiring founders, creatives, makers, workforce participants, mentors, funders, and community partners to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Members will gain access to peer connection, mentorship, business education, capital-readiness support, resource sharing, visibility opportunities, and collaborative partnerships.

“For too long, our local founders have had to choose between growing their business and staying true to their cultural values. With the launch of the ʻĀinapreneur Network, we’re proving you can do both,” said Changemakers Hawaiʻi Founder Olani Lilly. “This is a collective of leaders who are as committed to the health of our ʻāina as they are to their bottom line.”

Grounded in the “4 Ps” – Place, People, Purpose, and Prosperity – the ʻĀinapreneur Network is built to help entrepreneurs move ideas into action while keeping capital, relationships, and opportunity circulating within Hawaiʻi.

“Capital should be a relationship, not just a transaction,” Lilly said. “Our goal is to see every dollar recirculate back into our islands, building a regenerative economy that honors our home.”

Changemakers Hawaiʻi hosted a virtual soft launch on June 25 for entrepreneurs and partners interested in becoming founding members.

For more info go to https://changemakershawaii.org/ainapreneurs

Another Attack on Pacific Marine Monuments

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The Trump Administration wants to open Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Sanctuary to commercial fishing. – Courtesy Photos

On June 11, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation intended to allow commercial fishing in the Mau and Hoʻomalu Zones of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, as well as in the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument.

The order threatens critical species habitat within and around the monument and disregards Native Hawaiian cultural practices, beliefs and conservation efforts in the region. Environmental law firm Earthjustice will take legal action in response.

Deputy Managing Attorney David Henkin from Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office asserts that not only would commercial fishing in marine monuments be disastrous for the environment, it does not help the fishing industry. “Without fishing in the monuments, U.S.-based fisheries hit their catch limits for tuna every year. Safe havens allow marine life to maintain healthy populations and prevent corporate greed from stripping the ocean of life,” he said.

Research shows that no-fishing zones in marine monuments significantly boost fish stocks. Establishing marine monuments as safe havens allow fish to grow larger and reproduce more successfully which leads to a spillover effect in which excess fish migrate to adjacent waters ultimately increasing commercial catch rates.

This latest order follows similar attacks on the environment by the Trump Administration, including the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument in early 2025. In that case, Earthjustice sued on behalf of Kāpaʻa, the Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi, and the Center for Biological Diversity, and in August 2025 a federal district court struck down the resumption of commercial fishing in the monument.

The post News Briefs | July 2026 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Honoring the Lives of MMIWGM in Hilo

POL Defends Health Scholarship Program

On May 15, the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC), the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), and Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Papa Ola Lōkahi (POL) in a federal lawsuit brought by the conservative organization Do No Harm to challenge the constitutionality of the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP).

In recognition of the U.S. government’s trust responsibilities to Native Hawaiians, Congress established the NHHSP more than 30 years ago as part of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act to increase the number of Hawaiian health care professionals in medically underserved areas across Hawaiʻi.

“The program exists because Congress recognized a critical need and a trust obligation to address severe healthcare shortages in Native Hawaiian communities,” said Makalika Naholowaa, NHLC executive director.

Papa Ola Lōkahi jointly administers the program with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. Since its creation, the program has helped more than 300 scholars pursue health care profession education.

“This program helps strengthen healthcare access in medically underserved communities across Hawaiʻi, and we remain committed to that work,” said Papa Ola Lōkahi CEO Sheri Daniels,

“The U.S. has acknowledged and affirmed its trust responsibility to Native Hawaiians for decades,” added NARF Executive Director John Echohawk. “Defending these promises is a matter of justice and dignity and is critical for the wellbeing of Native communities.”

Two ʻŌiwi Named 2026 FPF Fellows

The First People’s Fund, a national organization dedicated to uplifting Indigenous artists and culture bearers, recently announced their 2026 fellows and two ʻŌiwi are among them: Pua Case was named a Cultural Capital (CC) Fellow, while Nāwāhineokalaʻi Lanzilotti was named a Native Performing Arts (NPA) Fellow.

Case, from Hawaiʻi Island, is a kumu hula, public school teacher and Maunakea kiaʻi. She has interwoven her college education with traditional teachings from her kūpuna. Active in the Maunakea movement for the past decade, Case currently serves as the lead coordinator of Mauna Kea Education and Awareness.

The CC Fellowship offers financial support and guidance to culture bearers and artists rooted in their communities and committed to passing on ancestral knowledge to future generations.

Lanzilotti is a sound artist and director from Mānoa, Oʻahu, and founder of nonprofit Pulse Oceania – an Indigenous performance incubator rooted in aloha ʻāina. Her art explores transformations of sound inspired by the movement of light across the clouds, rain and ʻāina using vocals, electronics and the cello.

The NPA Fellowship helps Native Artists create and perform in theatre, music, dance, etc. It provides network-building, professional development training, and funding to work toward a career in performing arts.

Since 1999, First Peoples Fund has honored over 550 artists, distributing over $10 million. This year, 35 artists in three categories were named FPF fellows, each of whom received a $10,000 grant to pursue their work.

Celebrating Traditional Storytelling

On June 20, the PAʻI Foundation will present a special oral storytelling event, Ola Nā Moʻolelo, featuring Kealoha Kelekolio at the PAʻI Arts & Cultural Center in Kakaʻako.

Long before adopting the Latin writing system introduced to Hawaiʻi by missionaries, our history, stories and genealogies were memorized and carried forward from one generation to the next.

In this vein, Kelekolio, a respected cultural practitioner and storyteller, invites audiences to step into the rich world of Hawaiian oral tradition as he presents an evening of moʻolelo that have been passed down over centuries.

Kelekolio will guide listeners on an immersive journey, bringing to life the epic battle between Pele and her sister, Nāmakaokahaʻi, and captivate them with the fascinating world of kupua – the demi-gods who embody the connection between nature and the divine.

Throughout his career in performing arts – which includes theatre, dance, and Hawaiian cultural education – Kelekolio has performed with Tau Dance Theatre appearing on stages across the continent including Lincoln Center. He also worked as a storyteller at Disney Aulani Resort.

For information or to purchase tickets go to paifoundation.org.

EPA Rejects Hawaiʻi’s Clean Air Plan

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected Hawaiʻi’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan on May 15, illegally overriding the state’s plan to clean up haze-causing pollution from aging oil-burning power plants on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui.

Without the plan in place, 8,500 tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides will continue to pollute the air around these plants each year, adversely affecting nearby communities and resulting in dirtier air at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā national parks.

“This action is another in a string of EPA efforts to keep old, inefficient power plants running no matter the costs to the people and places those facilities harm,” said National Parks Conservation Association Clean Air Program Director Ulla Reeves.

Under the Clean Air Act, states develop plans every 10 years to reduce the haze pollution that obscures views in national parks and wilderness areas. Hawaiian Electric (HECO) proposed, and agreed, to retire plants instead of installing the required pollution controls.

But then in August 2025, HECO reversed course asking the EPA to release it from its commitments, citing speculative “grid reliability” concerns. EPA accepted those claims without independent analysis.

“Once again, the law and facts don’t matter at Trump’s EPA, which would rather protect the fossil fuel industry instead of our environment,” said Isaac Moriwake, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office.

“What’s worse is that the EPA is letting HECO renege on its own promise to shut down these plants, which are among the costliest, most unreliable plants in the nation.”

“Their legal theory won’t hold up in court, but in the meantime, families will keep breathing the pollution the Clean Air Act was supposed to clean up,” added Abi Vijayan, senior climate attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

New ʻŌiwi-Owned Soil Lab Opens in Honolulu

Pieper Named Senior VP at ASB

Billy Pieper has been named senior vice president, director of commercial banking at American Savings Bank (ASB). Pieper has more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Prior to joining ASB in 2021, he held positions at Barclays Bank and Bank of Hawaiʻi.

At Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Pieper was a stand-out athlete in both football and baseball and won a football scholarship to UCLA. After earning his BA, he played minor league baseball for a couple of years, then enrolled at UH Mānoa earning an MBA.

Pieper serves as board chair for Hawaiʻi Community Lending and RiseHI Collective. He also serves on the boards of ʻIolani Palace, Positive Coaching Alliance, and ʻAha Pūnana Leo, and on the advisory council for Housing Hawaiʻis Future.

He has also served on the boards of Pacific Islanders in Communications and Ke Aliʻi Pauahi Foundation, as a Bishop Museum trustee, and a member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s advancement committee.

Pieper is an Omidyar Fellow, a Pacific Century Fellow, and in 2024 was named a Hawaiʻi Business magazine “20 for the Next 20” leader.

Lipe Appointed Poʻo Kula of KS Kapālama

Dr. Punihei Lipe has been appointed poʻo kula (headmaster) of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama (KSK) overseeing the 600-acre campus that enrolls some 3,200 haumāna in grades K-12.

She was selected after a rigorous search that spanned months and was informed by input from more than a thousand community members including current haumāna, kumu, parents, and alumni.

Lipe has an extensive background in Hawaiian culture-based education and more than two decades of leadership within the UH system, serving in various roles including: director of Hawaiʻi Papa o ke Ao Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office; director of the Institute for Hawaiian Language Research and Translation; and director of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center.

Her own educational journey began at Pūnana Leo o Honolulu. From there she attended Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Waiau before enrolling at KSK. After graduating, Lipe attended UH Mānoa earning a BA in Hawaiian studies and later a Ph.D. in educational administration. She also holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Chaminade University. She begins her new role on June 15.

Award-Winning Film From ʻŌiwi Producer Lucero

Paper Bag Plan, an independent film from Blue Sun Pictures produced by Executive Producer Keʻalohi Lee Lucero, and written and directed by her husband, Anthony Lucero, is now streaming internationally.

The film has won 17 awards on the film festival circuit and was screened at Consolidated Theatres at Ward in September 2025. The poignant and moving drama tells the story of a terminally ill father who teaches his wheelchair-bound adult son to bag groceries in preparation for a life of independence once he is gone.

Lucero grew up in Kaʻaʻawa on Oʻahu, graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and went on to UH Mānoa earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication. While attending school she interned at Hawaiʻi Public Television and eventually become the station’s youngest director.

After college, she moved to the continent to pursue a career in the film industry, starting as an assistant editor on Baywatch Hawaiʻi and eventually working her way up to co-executive producer of America’s Got Talent.

Paper Bag Plan can be viewed on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, and iTunes.

Race Honors Late Waterman Kalā Kukea

McClellan Named 2026 Communicator of the Year

Makana McClellan, director of communications for Gov. Josh Green since 2022, has been named the 2026 Communicator of the Year by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). She is the first person from Hawaiʻi to receive this honor.

NAGC advances excellence in government communications across federal, state, county, local, military and tribal governments, and recognizes leaders who demonstrate innovation, professionalism and exceptional service in public sector communications.

McClellan leads external communications for the governor’s office, coordinating with public information officers across every department in the executive branch. Under her leadership, a more unified statewide communications network has been established, improving coordination and consistency across agencies.

Prior to working for the governor, McClellan held positions at Shriners Children’s Hospital and The Queen’s Health Systems.

A graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, she has a BA in journalism from Hawaiʻi Pacific University and an MBA from Chaminade. She served on the state Board of Education for four years, was recognized in 2025 with a President’s Leadership Award from PRSA Hawaiʻi, and received a Women Who Mean Business award from Pacific Business News in 2020.

Feds Reverse NH Education Cuts – For Now

Following a request by Sen. Brian Schatz in early May, U.S. DOE Secretary Linda McMahon has agreed to keep Native Hawaiian educational programs fully funded for at least another year.

Some $46 million in federal money that Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, previously secured in Congress is guaranteed to continue funding more than 60 early childhood education sites across Hawaiʻi, along with home visiting programs for keiki under 5, workforce development for parents, and Hawaiian language immersion programs. These programs serve more than 3,000 families.

“This is good news for Hawaiʻi,” said Schatz. “This money helps thousands of young kids develop learning skills and gives Native Hawaiian families more affordable child care options.”

The looming threat of federal funding cuts put a number of Native Hawaiian programs at risk – including the popular Tūtū and Me program operated by nonprofit Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF). In April the organization announced the closure of 17 of its 25 sites.

In a formal statement in response to the May 7 announcement, PIDF CEO Shawn Kanaʻiaupuni expressed gratitude to Schatz but cautioned, “we still do not know how much funding will ultimately be released, when funds would become available, or whether PIDF will receive the support necessary to sustain all current programs, staffing, and sites.

OHA Trustees Visit Maui and Kauaʻi

During the month of May, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees and select staff traveled to the islands of Maui and Kauaʻi for the organization’s first two annual island community meetings of 2026. While on Maui during the week of May 4, trustees traveled upcountry to the Waiohuli Community Center on Hawaiian Homes Land in Kula, and also visited the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Kahului – described as the artistic and educational heart of the community. In the top photo, MACC President and CEO Art Vento provided OHA with a personalized tour of the center. During the week of May 11, trustees traveled to Kauaʻi. There, they had the opportunity to visit the Peʻe Kauaʻi Farm Site on the west side of the island managed by nonprofit Kumano i ke Ala which serves as a community space for cultural education and kalo farming. They also visited the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) at Barking Sands, where they were met by Kaulana Mossman, PMRF community planning liaison officer, and a small hui of PMRF staff. In the bottom photo, Kauaʻi and Niʻihau Trustee Dan Ahuna spoke briefly to the group about Native Hawaiian concerns relative to the military’s land stewardship and questions around whether military bases make Hawai’i more – or less – safe. – Photos: Nelson Gaspar

The post News Briefs | June 2026 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

OHA Delegation Travels to D.C.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele led a delegation to Washington, D.C., the week of April 20 to engage with congressional leaders and Department of Defense officials on critical issues impacting Native Hawaiians, including military-leased lands in Hawaiʻi and proposed federal funding cuts to Native Hawaiian programs. The delegation met with Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation, bipartisan lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, and other senior federal leaders. The delegation included (l-r): Associate General Counsel Rozelle Agag, Trustee Keoni Souza, Interim Chief Administrator Summer Sylva, Kahele, and Trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey. – Courtesy Photo

Kamāwaelualani and UIHI Collaborate on Survey

Kamāwaelualani Corp and the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) are collaborating on a survey to better understand how traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or both. The information gathered will help improve culturally relevant services, prevention efforts, policy, and healing support for Indigenous communities. Kamāwaelualani is a Kauaʻi-based nonprofit that stewards Missing Murdered Native Hawaiian Women, Girls and Māhū research and education efforts here in Hawaiʻi. UIHI is a nonprofit committed to decolonizing data for Indigenous people by Indigenous people. The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, begins with a vetting process to ensure that survey questions are being answered by actual human beings (not bots) who meet the requirements to take the survey. Individuals who complete the survey will be offered a gift card. To complete the survey, scan QR code or go to uihi.org.

Conservation Grants for Maui Nui

The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) approved recommendations in March from the state Legacy Land Conservation (LLC) Commission and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) to award up to $7 million in state grants for five conservation projects across Maui and Molokaʻi.

LLC grants provide state funding for land acquisition, supporting the preservation and protection of pristine coastal areas, culturally significant shorelines, native forest habitat and lands that support traditional practices and community access. The five projects, and their respective grantees, are:

Honolua Bay (Save Honolua Coalition): A 17.8-acre collection of parcels, both coastal and ma uka, in Lahaina, Maui. The area supports critical habitat, cultural sites and public use. Protection will enable coordinated access management, natural resource restoration, and cultural preservation.

Mālama Kaunakakai (Hui Waʻa o Molokaʻi): About 23 acres on Molokaʻi’s south shore including wetlands, native waterbird habitat, and a traditional canoe landing area. The project will protect open space and establish a permanent base for Molokaʻi’s voyaging community.

Kalokoʻeli Shoreline (Ka Honua Momona International): A 7.2-acre stretch of shoreline parcels on Molokaʻi adjacent to Kalokoʻeli Fishpond. The area forms a cultural and ecological corridor supporting traditional aquaculture, shoreline habitat and community-based stewardship.

East Maui Coastal Forest (DLNR DoFAW): More than 540 acres along Maui’s Hāna Highway. This mixed native forest provides habitat for endangered plants, native seabirds and the Hawaiian hoary bat, and protects streams and nearshore ecosystems. The acquisition will maintain critical watershed functions.

Haneoʻo ʻĀina (Ke Ao Haliʻi): About 115 acres in Hāna, Maui, including areas with significant cultural and historical significance, including burial sites and other wahi pana. The project will help preserve Hāna’s rural character, protect cultural landscapes, and support stewardship and education.

The legislature established the LLC grant fund in 2005 to provide permanent, dedicated funding for land conservation through a portion of the real estate conveyance tax. Since then, the program has helped protect 37,000 acres statewide.

Hawaiian Scholarship Program Challenged

Last month, Bloomberg Law reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) scholarship for Native Hawaiians has been hit with a federal lawsuit by “Do No Harm,” a Virginia-based group that fights affirmative action efforts in health care and medical education.

Do No Harm claims that the HHS Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program violates both the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fifth Amendment. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The organization, comprised of conservative-leaning medical professionals and “concerned citizens,” was formed in 2022 By Dr. Stanley Goldfarb to “expose and advocate against the invasion of identity politics in healthcare” and to “ensure that harmful ideologies are not degrading the quality of medical education” according to its website.

Claiming they are fighting to protect health care, Do No Harm exists to “counteract divisive trends in medicine, such as ʻDiversity, Equity and Inclusion’ and youth focused gender ideology.”

The challenge directly impacts funding for nonprofit Papa Ola Lōkahi (POL), founded in 1988 to improve the comprehensive health and wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. Responding to the challenge, POL CEO Dr. Sheri Daniels said, “Efforts to dismantle programs like this ignore both the historical context and the ongoing need to safeguard equitable access to care throughout Hawaiʻi.”

The group’s board includes conservative affirmative action opponent Edward Blum whose organization, “Students for Fair Admission” filed the lawsuit challenging Kamehameha Schools’ Hawaiian preference admissions policy last August.

FEMA Assistance After Kona Low Storms

Federal disaster assistance is now available to help individuals and households recover from the impacts of the Kona Low storms and subsequent flooding that occurred March 10-24. Via a Major Disaster Declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is authorized to extend its individual assistance program to residents of Hawaiʻi, Maui and Honolulu counties.

Those with homeowners or renters’ insurance should file claims as soon as possible, as FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. FEMA can assist with damages not covered by insurance.

In addition, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans are also available for businesses of any size and nonprofits. Like FEMA, SBA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance.

To apply for FEMA assistance, go to DisasterAssistance.gov or call their toll-free hotline at 1-800-621-3362. To apply for an SBA low-interest disaster loan go to sba.gov/disaster. For assistance call 1-800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

The deadline to apply for FEMA and SBA disaster assistance is June 14, 2026.

Supporting Flood Recovery in Waialua

17 Tūtū and Me Sites to Close

Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) has announced that 17 of its Tūtū and Me sites will be closed at the end of August after it lost $15 million in federal funding due to the assault on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs by the Trump administration.

Across the board federal funding cuts for Native Hawaiian programs has hit hard, affecting everything from education to health to housing. Tūtū and Me currently has 24 sites across five islands. Hardest hit will be ʻohana in remote, rural communities.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool is an internationally recognized, high-quality early childhood education program dedicated to supporting the critical early years of childhood development using Hawaiian culture-based curriculum and instruction. Since it began in 2001, the program has served tens of thousands of keiki and their caregivers throughout the pae ʻāina.

Hawaiʻi already has a severe shortage of early childhood education providers and facilities, especially for keiki ages 0-2. The extreme downsizing of Tūtū and Me due to funding leaves a glaring gap in services, especially to ʻohana in neighbor island communities.

Kamakau Haumāna Travel to NYC

Ten middle school haumāna from Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School (Kamakau) in Heʻeia, Oʻahu, recently traveled to New York City (NYC) to participate in the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) conference March 11-14, 2026.

This is the third year that Kamakau has participated in the conference – the only Hawaiʻi middle school to do so. MMUN is a multi-day global education experience designed to nurture the next generation of leaders through peace education. The program helps students develop empathy, critical thinking, negotiation and leadership skills.

This year, for the first time, MMUN hosted the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues as part of their conference, representing the perspectives and positions of 16 different Indigenous People groups from around the world.

As part of this learning experience, the Kamakau students had the opportunity to “represent” the following Indigenous People groups: The Wiradjuri (Australia); the Māori (Aotearoa); the Sami (Russian Federation); the Cree (Canada) and the Greenlandic Inuit. MMUN topics follow the UN agenda, focusing on real-world global issues like sustainable development, human rights, peace security, and international law.

This year, students were assigned to study one of two topics: 1) Financing the future: the financial needs of Indigenous Peoples to support their actions for biodiversity, climate and the protection of Mother Earth and; 2) Guiding principles for the implementation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights to autonomy and self-government.

Kamakau’s MMUN program leads are Coordinator Kuʻulei Akaka and Kumu Kaipoʻi Kelling. The students are grounded in a Hawaiian worldview and from this foundation they build on ʻike kūpuna such as mālama ʻāina and mālama lāhui to deepen their understanding of the perspectives of the Indigenous Peoples they were assigned to represent.

“Hawaiʻi’s independence was recognized by England and France on Nov. 23, 1843, via the Anglo-Franco Proclamation which affirmed Hawaiʻi as an independent nation among other civilized nations. Hawaiʻi was the first non-European nation recognized,” noted Kelling. “Diplomacy is a legacy rooted in our moʻolelo and now we have a road to follow and to pave at the same time. Timoteo Haʻalilio, who led the delegation to Europe, spent a good amount of time in New York City and to have our haumāna in the same space is surreal.”

Normalizing ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at HoMA

In February, the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) marked Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi by creating its first-ever publication in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi to accompany a featured exhibition.

“We wanted to celebrate Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at the same time we were mounting Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within and brainstorming ways we could enhance the exhibition experience,” said Lesa Griffith, HoMA senior PR and communications manager. “The artist’s close connection to ʻāina and the influence the Hawaiian landscape has on her work made the show the ideal focus for a self-guided tour in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, with multiple layers of connection and meaning.”

The exhibition, which runs through July 26, highlights the work of the late Toshiko Takaezu, an internationally recognized artist born in Pepeʻekeo and raised on Maui. Known for reimagining the ceramic vessel as a form of artistic expression, she approached her sculptures as three-dimensional abstract paintings, using clay as her canvas. Takaezu was an instructor at Princeton University from 1967 to 1992.

“Visitors to the show have said they appreciate the brochure and the way it added meaning and connection for them,” said Griffith.

As HoMA approaches its centennial in 2027, visitors can expect more initiatives that bring a Hawaiian perspective to the interpretation of the museum’s collection, exhibitions, and programs.

Cazimero to Receive Honorary Doctorate

Renowned musician and Kumu Hula Robert Cazimero will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Hawaiʻi during Leeward Community College’s fall convocation.

The UH Board of Regents approved the honor at its April 16 meeting.

Cazimero is known for his leadership of Hālau Nā Kamalei o Līlīlehua, his influence on generations of haumāna, and his celebrated career in Hawaiian music. His work has helped strengthen the continuity and global reach of Hawaiian cultural traditions.

Throughout his career, he has been a steadfast partner to UH, supporting its mission to nurture knowledge, improve cultural identity and inspire future generations. Across UH’s 10 campuses, he has shared his time and expertise through guest lectures, workshops, performances and mentorship. Cazimero’s engagement in cultural learning and mentorship has helped deepen students’ experiences with ʻike Hawaiʻi.

The honorary doctorate recognizes individuals of national or international distinction whose contributions have had a significant impact in areas such as business, public service or scholarship.

Got a Minute for Mele?

Kāhuli Leo Leʻa, a nonprofit that aims to accelerate aloha ʻāina through the education, composition and presentation of mele and other cultural practices, has recently introduced a new social media series, Mele Minute.

Designed to use mele as a teaching tool using social media, over the next few months, Mele Minute will promote the educational value of mele through 1-minute social media “challenges” incentivized with prizes.

The idea is to spend 1 minute a day to test your knowledge of Hawaiian mele. Each post will present the lyrics to a mele (in both Hawaiian and English), pose a series of questions about the mele (e.g., places mentioned in the mele), and then share additional moʻolelo about the wahi pana or history represented in the mele. The final slide asks a special question.

People who take the time to answer have a chance to win a prize. The first Mele Minute post dropped in mid-April and the prize was a pair of tickets to Hawaiian Airlines’ May Day concert.

To participate, check out @kahulileolea on IG or search #meleminute.

The post News Briefs | May 2026 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

ʻŌiwi Women Who Mean Business

For 28 years, Pacific Business News’ Women Who Mean Business program has honored some of the outstanding women shaping Hawaiʻi’s business landscape. To mark the award’s 28th anniversary, this year, 28 women were honored representing a range of industries, from finance to education. Among these mana wāhine are seven ʻŌiwi whose professional excellence, vision, and commitment to their organizations and communities are creating lasting, positive impacts. The honorees were celebrated at a gala on March 12. The Hawaiian women in the 2026 cohort of Women Who Mean Business include (top row, l-r): Lindsay Ah Loo, executive director of The Nakupuna Foundation; Phyllis Freitas, director of sales at Hawaiian Telcom; Charmaine Hauanio-Kuewa, divisional director of development at The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division; Jan Kaeo, owner and master trainer for Dale Carnegie Training Hawaiʻi and Guam; (second row, l-r): Genesis Nicklaw, senior vice president of operations at Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union; Makana Reilly, director of advancement and communications at Hawaiian Community Assets; and Attorney Crystal Rose, founding partner of the legal firm Lung Rose Voss & Wagnild, who was named PBN’s 2026 Career Achievement Honoree. – Photos: Courtesy of PBN

EPA Gives Navy a Pass on Red Hill

The Star-Advertiser reported last month that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that the U.S. Navy is no longer required to meet with the community regarding the Red Hill water crisis – an announcement that came as a surprise to members of the Community Representation Initiative (CRI).

The CRI is a panel comprised of 10 community members – formed under a 2023 EPA consent order – who were tasked to engage directly with the Navy in the aftermath of the water crisis. The consent order was issued as an enforcement action against the Navy in response to its handling of the 2021 crisis during which some 20,000 gallons of jet fuel were released into the environment from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

The fuel spill contaminated the drinking water of some 93,000 Oʻahu residents, sickening people and killing pets. Per the consent order, the CRI met weekly and the Navy was required to attend one meeting per quarter (four per year). However, the Navy did not attend any of the required meetings in 2025.

According to the article, CRI member Michell Poppler said she felt that the EPA allowed the Navy to pull out of the meetings because the Navy did not like answering challenging questions. Former CRI Chair Marti Townsend added, “this really cements the EPA as an apologist and a shield for the Navy as opposed to a regulator [that] holds them accountable.”

Daniel New Ke Ola Mamo ED

Ke Ola Mamo, the Native Hawaiian Health Care System serving Oʻahu, has named Maile Daniel as its new executive director. Daniel has nearly two decades of leadership experience in nonprofit service, behavioral health, and program administration.

Prior to joining Ke Ola Mamo, Daniel served as program administrator for Steadfast Housing Development Corporation, overseeing statewide programs, supervising multidisciplinary teams, and working with government agencies and community partners to support housing stability and behavioral health services.

“Maile brings both heart and experience to this role,” said Karen Fetzer, chair of the community relations committee. “Her commitment to serving Oahu’s Native Hawaiian communities, combined with her proven leadership and insight into the challenges facing the individuals and families in Hawaiʻi, make her exceptionally well-suited for this position.”

Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, and master’s degrees in social work and business administration from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is also a licensed social worker and a certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner.

Under her leadership, Ke Ola Mamo will build on its foundation to expand access, elevate care, and strengthen community – ensuring that Native Hawaiian health and wellbeing are supported through culturally grounded services and strategic partnerships.

Yeaman Selected as Newest KS Trustee

Eric Yeaman has been selected by the state Probate Court as the newest member of Kamehameha Schools’ Board of Trustees. He fills the vacancy created upon the closing of Robert Nobriga’s term, which ended on June 30, 2025.

Yeaman has more than three decades of executive and board leadership experience across Hawaiʻi’s financial services, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, real estate and investment sectors. He is currently the founder and managing partner of Hoku Capital LLC, a firm that provides strategic advisory services and pursues strategic investments in Hawaiʻi-based companies as well as national private equity and real estate funds.

Previously, Yeaman served as president and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank, as president and CEO of Hawaiian Telcom, and as chief financial officer at Kamehameha Schools. He has also held senior leadership roles at Hawaiian Electric Company and Hawaiian Electric Industries.

In addition to his professional experience, Yeaman currently serves on the boards of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, Friends of Hawaiʻi Charities, and the Hawaiʻi Asia Pacific Association. He previously served on the Kamehameha Schools Audit Committee and on the boards of The Queen’s Health Systems and The Queen’s Medical Center.

Born and raised in Kona, Yeaman is a graduate of UH Mānoa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with distinction. He is a certified public accountant in the State of Hawaiʻi.

Avian Malaria Affects All Birds

A new UH Mānoa study shows that avian malaria can be transmitted by nearly all forest bird species in Hawaiʻi, which explains why the disease is present almost everywhere mosquitoes are found. The research, published February 10, found avian malaria at 63 of 64 sites tested statewide, including areas with very different bird communities.

“Avian malaria has taken a devastating toll on Hawaiʻi’s native forest birds, and this study shows why the disease has been so difficult to contain,” said Christa Seidl, mosquito research and control coordinator for the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, who conducted the research.

Avian malaria damages birds’ red blood cells, leading to anemia, organ failure, reduced survival and, in some species, death. Studies show that ʻiʻiwi have a 90% mortality rate if infected.

“We often think first of the birds when we think of avian malaria, but the parasite needs mosquitoes to reproduce and our work highlights just how good it has gotten at infecting them through many different birds,” Seidl said.

The study analyzed blood samples from more than 4,000 birds across Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.

The broad ability of avian malaria to infect and spread explains why the disease is so widespread. The findings also suggest there are few, if any, mosquito-infested habitats free from transmission risk. Worse, mosquito-free habitats are rapidly disappearing as warming temperatures allow both mosquitoes and avian malaria to develop in former refuges.

IJA Fellows Arakaki and Chai-Andrade

Two ʻŌiwi, Connor Arakaki and Kalani Chai-Andrade, are among the nine emerging journalists selected to the Indigenous Journalists Association’s (IJA) 2026 Indigenous Journalism Fellowship cohort for undergraduate and graduate students from Indigenous communities who aspire to careers in broadcast, radio, print, visual and digital media.

Each student is paired with an experienced Indigenous journalist as their mentor. Over the course of the program, fellows receive virtual training and mentorship designed to strengthen reporting skills, build confidence and prepare them for their careers.

Arakaki, from ʻEwa Beach, Oʻahu, is a student at Yale University double majoring in ethnicity, race, and migration and English. During the 2024-25 school year, Arakaki was editor-in-chief of the Yale Herald, the university’s weekly magazine, and more recently, was a reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat and the Yale Investigative Reporting Lab. Their writing can also be found in The Nation, The New Journal, Hawai’i News Now, DIAGRAM, HIFILM, and elsewhere.

Chai-Andrade, from Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi Island, is a photojournalist at KVAL-TV based in Eugene, Oregon. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism and cinema studies from the University of Oregon and is currently pursuing a master’s in advertising and brand responsibility. He specializes in sports photography and has also worked with the Northwest Indigenous Language Institute in Eugene and reported on local communities in Accra, Ghana (West Africa).

The fellowship culminates at the 2026 Indigenous Media Conference in Portland, Oregon, where fellows will create content across digital, social, and multimedia platforms highlighting the importance of the ongoing work of Indigenous media.

A Collection of Writings by Meyer

Hoʻopono: mutual emergence is a collection of writings and ruminations by Indigenous scholar, Hawaiian systems thinker, and author, Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer.

Since 1998, Meyer has shared her Indigenous knowledge-based concepts and lived principles with thousands of people through hundreds of talks, gatherings and conferences. Her teachings and ideas have been published, cited and delivered through a variety of national and international journals, books, lectures, videos and conferences around the globe.

The manaʻo shared in this touching and meaningful collection helps “ground us” in this fluid time of global uncertainty. From a Hawaiian perspective, Meyer posits that we are in a species-based “huliau,” an opportunity for humanity to welcome change, and experience a shifting of priorities and possibilities that seeks a “mutual emergence” of our best and most generous and joyful selves in relationship to the living world.

The articles and writings in hoʻopono: mutual emergence lay the foundation for an expansive and inclusive system of thinking, being, and doing based on ʻike Hawaiʻi. The book also includes photographs, tables and content that triangulate and unpack a variety of comparisons and observations. Her writings encourage readers to believe in their own capacity to internalize ideas and welcome change, growth and inclusion.

Published in 2025 by ʻAi Pōhaku Press, hoʻopono: mutual emergence is available at Native Books.

Chief of War Wins at Spirit Awards

The cast of the Apple TV series Chief of War, headlined by Jason Momoa and co-written by Momoa and Paʻa Sibbett, was named “Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series” at the 41st Annual Spirit Awards Ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, in February.

The Spirit Awards are presented by Film Independent, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, and in amplifying the voices of independent storytellers and celebrating their diversity, originality and uniqueness of vision.

The award celebrated the predominantly Pacific Island cast that includes, in addition to Momoa: Charlie Brumbly, Luciane Buchanan, Cliff Curtis, Brandon Finn, Siaosi Fonua, Roimata Fox, Ioane Goodhue, Moses Goods, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Benjamin Hoetjes, Siua Ikaleʻo, Keala Kahuanui-Paleka, Mainei Kinimaka, Kaina Makua, Temuera Morrison, Branscombe Richmond, Te Kohe Tuhaka, and James Udom.

Curtis, Goods and Kahuanui-Paleka were on hand to accept the award. Curtis read a statement by Sibbett that said, in part, “Quite often, Pacific artists are asked to play a background role in other people’s stories … with Chief of War we weren’t asked to play small-time criminals or hula dancers. We weren’t cast as ʻBouncer Number Two’ or as musicians. We were asked to showcase people [and] language never [before] captured on screen in this way.”

Toves Named a Champion for Change

Kaylah Toves from Oʻahu has been named one of six 2026 Champions for Change (CFC) – a Native youth leadership initiative of the Center for Native American Youth designed to highlight positive stories of impact from Indigenous communities.

Toves, who is Kānaka ʻŌiwi and Acoma Pueblo, is a senior at Cornell University double majoring in government and American studies with a minor in American Indian and Indigenous studies.

At Cornell, she serves as a student leader and advocate, acting as co-president of the university’s American Indian Science and Engineering Society and its Hawaiʻi Club, and as a student ambassador for the Brooks School of Public Policy’s Cornell in Washington program. She also conducts legal research with Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute analyzing gender-based inequities across the United States.

During Fall 2024, Toves served as a legislative intern in Sen. Brian Schatz’s Washington, D.C., office supporting policy research and constituent services on issues impacting Hawaiʻi and Indigenous communities. She aspires to pursue a career in public policy in Washington, D.C.

Use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in Homes Increasing

A recent column submitted by UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani to the Star-Advertiser notes that ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is the fastest-growing non-English language spoken in Hawaiʻi homes according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

From 2016 to 2024, the number of residents age 5 and older speaking Hawaiian at home rose from 18,400 to 27,338 – a 48% increase (+8,938 speakers). No other non-English language matched this growth.

The surge is most dramatic in Hawaiʻi County, where speakers jumped 125.6% (from 5,000 to 11,279). Maui and Kauaʻi counties combined grew 48.3% (3,500 to 5,191), while Oʻahu saw a 9.8% rise (9,900 to 10,868). Among children ages 5-17, Hawaiian now ranks as the most spoken non-English home language across the pae ʻāina.

This revival began in 1983 with ʻAha Punana Leo preschools, operating in defiance of the 1896 law banning the use of Hawaiian as a medium of instruction in schools. After the ban’s repeal in 1986, Hawaiian medium pathways expanded from Pūnana Leo into public schools via kula kaiapuni (Hawaiian immersion) programs.

Chock Wins Olympic Medals for Skating

Olympic ice dancer Madison Laʻakea Te-Lan Hall Chock is the first and only Native Hawaiian to ever win a medal at the Winter Olympics.

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in February, she and Evan Bates, her husband and skating partner, took the silver medal in ice dancing. The couple was just 1.34 points behind the gold medal winners, France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron – a ranking that was disputed by fans.

This was not Chock’s first Olympic medal. She is also a two-time gold medalist in the team event at both the 2022 and 2026 Olympics. Since she began competitive skating in 2006 at the age of 14, Chock has won more than 40 medals for skating – 24 of which are gold medals. She is a seven-time U.S. Champion and a three-time World Champion.

Born in Redondo Beach, California, Chock began skating at the age of 5, and, as her interest and prowess developed, her ʻohana moved to Michigan so she could receive top tier coaching. In a USA Today article, Chock expressed her joy at being able to be part of the Winter Olympics as a Hawaiian saying, “It means so much to have that representation of Hawaiʻi on the ice.”

UH Survey Seeks Input from Mahiʻai

Co-cropping – the cultivation of multiple plant species in the same field to increase yields and increase biodiversity – is at the cutting edge of science. Long a traditional Hawaiian practice, western research now recognizes the complex interactions between crops in polyculture systems.

However, the infinite variations in crop combinations, spacings, timing, and management mean that a western science framework will never be able to examine all options. This is where farmer observations and accumulated knowledge play a critical role.

To identify how intercropping indigenous plants affects Hawaiian cultivation characteristics such as soil water retention, crop yield, soil fertility and input requirements, University of Hawaiʻi student researcher Ella Hazen, supported by Dr. Noa Lincoln of the Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory, has developed a 10-minute survey and is seeking responses from mahiʻai (farmers) and others who plant traditional Hawaiian crops together (co-crop) here in Hawaiʻi.

This voluntary survey is anonymous and open to individuals 18 years or older. Survey responses will help researchers compile high-quality data, which will be distributed back to the community to make traditional Hawaiian co-cropping information more accessible.

To participate in the survey go to: surveymonkey.com/r/6RQZXFZ

11th Annual Manu o Kū Festival

The post News Briefs | April 2026 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

OHA Hosts the Revival of Lā Kūkahekahe

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Auhea ʻoukou e nā manu, nā alo leo o ka ʻāina. Lele mai! Lele mai! E nā manu lele mai i ka Lā Kūkahekahe! On February 14, as part of the month-long celebration of Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) hosted the first Lā Kūkahekahe in nearly a decade. First established in the 1970s by ʻAhahui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Lā Kūkahekahe was a day dedicated to celebrating ka leo o ke ola (the voice of life) through meaningful conversation, friendly competitions, live music, games, and food. OHA presented Lā Kūkahekahe in partnership with ʻAhahui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, ʻAha Pūnana Leo, Hawaiian Council, Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Kanaeokana, Kāhuli Leo Leʻa, Kui Leo Hawaiʻi, and Kuini Piʻolani Hawaiian Civic Club. It was one of a series of gatherings last month that support the strengthening of Hawaiian language efforts and relationships across the pae ʻāina. Notably, this Lā Kūkahekahe honored our mānaleo (native speakers) and the original members of ʻAhahui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi for their contributions to the perpetuation of our language. In the top photo, representatives of the original steering committee that met in May 1972 and eventually established the ʻAhahui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi are honored. (L-R): OHA Trustee Dan Ahuna, Marvi Rosehill Ching (representing her mother, Violet Māhela Rosehill), Sarah ʻIlialoha Keahi, ʻAimoku McClellan (representing his mother, Esther Waiheʻe McClellan), Kamaluapāwehi Abad (representing her grandfather, Fred Cachola), and Dr. Larry Kimura. Also remembered at Lā Kūkahekahe were late steering committee members Dorothy Kahananui and Carinthia Harbottle. In the bottom picture, our remaining manaleo (native speakers) are honored. Sitting (l-r) are Louella ʻŌpuʻulani Albino, Karin Haleamau, Kahu David Kaupu, Kahu Charles Milikaa Yabui, and Carnation SaiFarr Harvest. Standing behind the manaleo are (l-r) Keala Kaupu, representing his aunt, Mable Paupalai Kaupu Boyd, and Kanoah Stevens representing his grandmother, Irene Nohokaha Midel. – Photos: Nelson Gaspar

Waimea Valley Indigenous Economic Resiliency Project

In a joyful January blessing ceremony, Waimea Valley launched its Indigenous Community Economic Resiliency Project, Hoʻopōmaikaʻi ʻĀina a Papa Hana o Waimea Ma ʻĀina Puʻukua – one of the most significant investments in the valley in over 50 years.

The process began in 2021 with the U.S. Economic Development Administration grant of $3.75 million, augmented by funding from the State of Hawaiʻi Grant-in-Aid program, the Hawaiʻi Legacy Lands program, the City Clean Water Natural Lands program, and generous community contributions.

These funds will be used to create a Hawaiian educational complex featuring an agroforestry garden and traditional Hawaiian hale – a multi-million-dollar investment in cultural education, infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and long-term community resilience.

“This project will help prepare Waimea Valley for the next 20 years, ensuring the valley thrives while continuing to support the nearly 200 individuals and their ʻohana who rely on Waimea Valley for their livelihood. Community and community partners have always been central to who we are. The work being done through this project is for the community,” said Waimea Valley Executive Director Richard Pezzulo.

The Indigenous Community Economic Resiliency Project is more than a capital improvement – it reflects a long-term commitment to cultural perpetuation, environmental stewardship, workforce development, and community wellbeing. The creation of educational spaces, infrastructure modernization, and preservation of sacred lands, allows Waimea Valley to continue its mission to serve as a living cultural landscape.

Waimea Valley is owned and managed by Hiʻipaka LLC, a subsidiary of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Old EIS Used to Approve Kahuku Development

A lawsuit filed in February challenges the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s approval of a new Ritz-Carlton resort at Kuilima on Oʻahu’s North Shore.

The lawsuit, filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi, and community group Kūpaʻa Kuilima, asserts that the county relied on an outdated supplemental environmental impact statement issued in 2013.

Meanwhile, another parcel closer to Kahuku and the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is also slated for development. The cumulative stressors on the area’s ecosystem were never properly analyzed.

“Hawaiʻi’s environmental laws exist to protect our ʻāina and the native species that are inseparable from Native Hawaiian culture and identity,” said Jonee Kaina Peters, executive director of Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi.

“When agencies allow large-scale resort development to move forward without accounting for impacts to endangered species and culturally important ecosystems, they are failing both the law and their kuleana to future generations.”

New information about native wildlife in the project area includes the presence of endangered yellow-faced bees, a breeding colony of Mōlī (Laysan albatross) established at nearby Kahuku Point, and the use of the beaches fronting the development area by endangered Hawaiian monk seals to birth and rear their pups. None of this was addressed in the 2013 environmental review.

“Hawaiʻi’s environmental review laws are only as strong as the government’s willingness to enforce them,” noted Earthjustice attorney Dru Hara.

Sproat Honored by HILT

Kapuaʻala Sproat, Director of the Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law and a professor of law at UH Mānoa’s Richardson School of Law was honored by the Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) at its 24th Annual Buy Back the Beach benefit lūʻau on January 24 on Maui.

Each year, HILT recognizes people or organizations that have made a substantial impact on the health of Hawaiʻi’s lands and communities with its Champion of the Land award.

Sproat and co-awardee Earthjustice attorney Isaac Moriwaki worked for years on Maui’s landmark Nā Wai ʻEhā case which helped restore stream flows and water rights on Maui and provided a powerful legal and community precedent for other water restoration cases across the islands.

Sproat joined the law school as an assistant professor in 2007. She currently teaches courses in Native Hawaiian and environmental law, and legal research and writing. She is also co-director of the Native Hawaiian Rights Clinic.

Prior to that, she served for almost a decade as an attorney with Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office. She has worked to preserve the resources necessary to perpetuate Native Hawaiian culture by litigating state and federal cases under the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, State Water Code, and various Hawaiʻi environmental laws. Sproat is from Kauaʻi’s North Shore in Kalihiwai, but now resides on Oʻahu with her ʻohana.

Ka Lāhui Travels to Waitangi Standing in Solidarity with Māori

Mahuna Appointed Police Chief

Following a nationwide search, on January 30 the Hawaiʻi County Police Commission named Hawaiʻi Island kupa Reed K. Mahuna the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s (HPD) new police chief.

Mahuna has served as interim chief since last September. He was appointed deputy chief in January 2024.

He was selected from a competitive group of eight finalists. Members of the commission said that Mahuna’s extensive experience in the department, as well as community input, were major factors in their decision.

He joined HPD in 1998 and, in addition to serving as deputy police chief, Mahuna has served as an officer, detective, lieutenant, and captain in multiple districts and divisions. More recently he served as major of the Technical Service Division overseeing criminal investigations, communications, records and traffic operations.

Born and raised on Hawaiʻi Island, Mahuna has an associate’s degree in liberal arts and administration of justice from Hawaiʻi Community College and a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Lindenwood University. He is the son of retired Hawaiʻi Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna who led HPD from 2002-2008.

Federal Funding for Pūnana Leo

The office of Sen. Brian Schatz has announced that $1.3 million in congressionally directed funding has been secured for ʻAha Pūnana Leo. The funding will be used to train teachers, support families, and develop new early childhood educational Hawaiian language teaching materials such as books and videos to help keiki build literacy and math skills.

Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said, “This new earmark funding will help revitalize the Hawaiian language while making sure more kids have the resources to learn and grow.”

ʻAha Pūnana Leo CEO Kaʻiulani Neff Laeha expressed gratitude towards Schatz and the rest of Hawaiʻi’s Congressional delegation for their support saying, “ʻAha Pūnana Leo was built from the ground up by families and community members committed to restoring and strengthening ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and this funding continues that vision … ensuring that ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi continues to flourish in our classrooms, homes, and communities statewide.”

Hana Keaka’s Lele Wale Premieres in March

FEMA Assistance Extended for Maui

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a one-year extension of its temporary housing assistance to survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires through Feb. 28, 2027. The housing assistance, set to expire in February 2026, was extended under the Robert T. Stafford disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act at the request of the State of Hawaiʻi.

The program extension was deemed necessary as Maui continues to face severe housing supply constraints following the wildfires combined with prolonged rebuilding timelines and limited affordable rentals, which has made it difficult for many displaced households to secure permanent housing without continued FEMA support.

Survivors with demonstrated need residing in any FEMA-provided temporary housing may remain for another year, provided they maintain eligibility. Additionally, households participating in FEMAs rental assistance program may continue receiving financial assistance to help pay their rent if they continue to demonstrate need and meet eligibility requirements.

FEMA is working with state and county officials to help ensure all survivors transition to permanent housing in the next year. For more information call your Recertification Advisor or the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

Ke Kilo Lani Exhibit at WCC Honors the Life and Legacy of Robert Cazimero

Hāpai Women Sought for Research Study

ʻŌiwi Ph.D. candidate Christina Young is seeking participants for a UH Mānoa research study centered on strengthening the health and wellbeing of our lāhui through a deeper understanding of hānai waiū (breastfeeding) experiences among Kānaka ʻŌiwi.

Her research entails conducting talk-story sessions with ʻŌiwi women who are hāpai for the first time to learn about their perspectives around infant feeding practices.

This work is grounded in the understanding that Hawaiian health and infant nutrition are deeply connected to ʻohana, community, and culturally aligned practices. Young hopes to use this research to uplift the voices of Kānaka ʻŌiwi mothers and contribute to research that reflects our values, informs future programs, and supports initiatives that prioritize Native Hawaiian health across the pae ʻāina.

Native Hawaiian women who are currently pregnant may be eligible to participate in this study. For more information, please complete the screening form or contact Young at chyoung3@hawaii.edu.

Lono Ku Mana Hawaiian Gods Calendar

As we move from Lono into Kū, a unique wall calendar by artist Jackie Kahookele Burke offers a fresh way to track the passage of time. The calendar features an original painting of “unity and aloha” by Burke. Her vision was to create a representation of Hawaiian gods that would “vibrate a message that would bring together and create a unifying moment in time that reflects ancient wisdom and ritual into modern day consciousness.” Her artwork is abstract and symbolic and represents the connection of energies. Presented on a single sheet, front and back, the calendar begins with the current Makahiki season and ends in November 2026 when the next Makahiki season will begin. For more information or to purchase go to jackieburkedesigns13.com or email jackieburkedesigns13@gmail.com.

ʻIolani Celebrates the Birthday of Kamehameha IV

The post News Briefs | March 2026 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Marking the 133rd year since the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

Each year, Kānaka ʻŌiwi observe the anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the sovereign Hawaiian Kingdom and the coup d’état against Queen Liliʻuokalani which occurred on January 17, 1893.

This act of treason was perpetrated by a group of foreign businessmen living in Hawaiʻi and backed by armed United States Marines from the USS Boston which was, by design, anchored offshore of Honolulu at the time. The traitors numbered 13 and included six kingdom subjects of American descent, five Americans, one Scotsman and one German, and were led by Sanford B. Dole, a Hawaiʻi-born descendant of American missionaries.

Ostensibly, the coup was to secure lower tariffs on their sugar exports, but the American military already had designs on securing Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor) for a military base as part of its Pacific expansion. Annexation to the U.S. was always the long-term goal, but the timing of their insurrection was prompted by the queen’s attempt to replace the 1887 “Bayonet Constitution” that expanded the rights of foreigners with a new constitution to restore the rights of ʻŌiwi.

The annual march from Maunaʻala to ʻIolani Palace honors the enduring resistance and resilience of our lāhui. This year, two marches were held – the ʻOnipaʻa Peace March on Friday, January 16, and the ʻOnipaʻa Lōkahi March on Saturday, January 17 – with nearly 8,000 people participating altogether.

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2026 Opening Day of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature

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The post News Briefs | February 2026 Events appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Hoʻomaikaʻi to 2025’s Koʻi Award Honorees

The Koʻi Awards are conferred by the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce to honor excellence in leadership and to recognize individuals and organizations who incorporate traditional knowledge and practice in business, honor and uplift Hawaiian culture, and dedicate their lives to the betterment of their community. The Koʻi Award recipients were honored at an award celebration on November 14 at the Grand Wailea Maui. The 2025 award recipients include (Top L-R; bottom L-R) Kumu Hula Hokulani Holt-Padilla; Mercer “Chubby” Vicens, president of the Living Pono Project Board of Directors; Clifford Naeʻole, cultural advisor at Ledcor Maui; Bobby Pahia, founder of Hawaiʻi Taro Farm; OHA Maui Trustee Emerita Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey; and Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Director Wayne Wong. In addition, a special award was presented to honor the late Hoapili Ane and the Living Pono Project. – Courtesy Photos

Maui County Council Passes Bill 9

On December 15, in a 5-3 vote, the Maui County Council passed Bill 9, a controversial and historic piece of legislation that will phase out thousands of vacation rentals. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen signed it into law on the same day.

Bill 9 is intended to help restore housing availability for residents and realign zoning policy with its original residential purpose.

Transient vacation rentals (TVR) make up 21% of the available housing in Maui County – more than any other county in Hawaiʻi. In the aftermath of the 2023 Maui wildfires, which exacerbated Maui’s longstanding housing crisis, in May 2024 Bissen introduced Bill 9 hoping to restore balance and prioritize the needs of Maui County residents over investors or visitors.

“For far too long, short-term rentals, offshore investors, and private interests have overwhelmed our housing inventory,” Bissen said.

Bill 9 corrects a long-standing zoning exemption that has allowed TVRs to operate in apartment-zoned districts – areas originally intended to provide long-term housing for local families. The legislation is expected to return more than 6,000 units to long-term residential use.

The legislation does not eliminate short-term rentals in Maui County. Some 6,500 TVRs outside of apartment-zoned districts along with timeshares and bed-and-breakfasts will continue to operate.

Tario Wins Hawaiʻi to the World Talent Competition

Classically trained pianist, cultural practitioner, artist and drag queen T.J. Keanu Tario has been named the first winner of Hawaiian Council’s new talent competition, Hawaiʻi to the World. In the qualifying round for Oʻahu Tario, who goes by the stage name Laritza, impressed judges Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom, Lehua Kalima, Patrick Makuakāne, and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu with their performance of Oli Aloha followed by excerpts from Sergei Rachmanioff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. In the final round, which aired on December 14, Tario performed an excerpt from the musical score of Standing Above the Clouds, a short film about the fight to protect Maunakea, to win the competition. Tario is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and the Julliard School of Music in New York City. Tario’s film credits include Jimmy Kimmel Live and HBO Max’s Generations. Tario has also appeared as a guest artist for the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra.

BLNR Reconsiders Aquarium Fishing

Late last year, the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted to advance a petition to re-open Hawaiʻi’s waters to the commercial extraction and export of Hawaiʻi’s native reef wildlife as aquarium pets. This would allow hundreds of thousands of fish to be taken from Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs over the next five years.

Commercial aquarium collection has been banned since 2017.

BLNR’s decision comes despite their 2023 vote to prohibit commercial collection. Polling suggests 84% of Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island residents support permanently banning the capture of reef fish for the aquarium pet trade.

The BLNR vote initiates public hearings that will provide two opportunities to comment on the proposed regulations: an in-person public hearing in West Hawaiʻi Island (the industry’s main target area), and a virtual statewide hearing.

The proposed rules may be revised based on public testimony.

“We need the public to show up in force at these hearings and to push for better protections of our reefs,” said Earthjustice attorney Mahesh Cleveland.

Healthy reef fish populations are crucial for supporting ecosystems already weakened from rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and decades of commercial extraction. Despite the 2017 ban, the species and reefs targeted by the industry have not recovered.

Collectors target juvenile native fish species, including species that local communities rely on for sustenance. The fish are bagged, shipped via air freight, and sold to pet stores around the world. Studies show that 50% or more die during capture and transport, and most of the survivors die within the first year of captivity. Left in the wild, some species, like Yellow Tang, can live for 40 years.

The public hearings will take place between January and March 2026, but specific dates have not yet been announced.

ʻŌiwi Named Obama Foundation Leaders

Kepa Barrett and Keʻalohi Reppun have both been selected as 2025-2026 Obama Foundation Leaders for the Asia-Pacific.

Leaders for the Asia-Pacific is a six-month, virtual leadership development program that brings together a small, international cohort of 35 emerging leaders. The program is designed to ground emerging leaders in a values-based leadership framework to advance inclusive and lasting change in their communities, in the Asia-Pacific region, and around the world.

Participants gain tools to advance their leadership and impact to include understanding power dynamics and communicating across differences. They are paired with a leadership coach and meet with prominent regional leaders, from activists to business executives.

Barrett is the manager of sustainability and ʻāina-based learning for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. In this role, he helps students learn more about their culture through land- and sea-based learning opportunities. Prior to joining Kamehameha, Barrett was a program coordinator and external affairs officer at Kupu, a nonprofit that helps youth explore career opportunities in sustainability and environmental conservation.

Reppun is the director of the Kuaihelani Learning Center of ʻIke Hawaiʻi at Punahou School with kuleana to develop and deliver Hawaiian language and culture curriculum to grades K-12. Her efforts to implement Hawaiian language proficiency assessments are being adopted by immersion schools across the pae ʻāina. Reppun is also the co-founder of Kauluwao, Inc., a nonprofit that supports teachers to deepen the cultural origin of their language and pedagogy.

OHA Trustees Make Oʻahu Site Visits

Konanui Publishes Memoir

Hānau Hou: Rebirth is the powerful, personal story of Malulani “Uncle Malu” Konanui. Orphaned as an infant, Konanui was adopted and grew up in the small, remote fishing village of ʻOpihikao in the moku of Puna on Hawaiʻi Island. He was raised in the old way, immersed in Hawaiian values and traditions.

Sharing family memories, anecdotes, and moʻolelo, he recounts his life as a young boy fishing off the Puna coast, as a Navy serviceman during the Vietnam War, as a dedicated police officer serving in his community, and eventually, as a master woodturner.

To overcome the hardships experienced along the way, he reflects on the Hawaiian values he has embraced – lōkahi (harmony), hōʻihi (respect), aloha, maopopo (understanding), and haʻahaʻa (humility) – which have shaped both his personal journey and his contributions to his community.

Now retired, Konanui describes the joy of discovering his true calling and reviving a nearly forgotten Hawaiian tradition through his creation of pola hānau (birth bowls) – crafted to honor the birth of each keiki. For almost 30 years, he has shaped bowls from native hardwoods, reviving an ancient practice and reconnecting families to their cultural heritage.

Imbued with spiritual insight, Hānau Hou: Rebirth is more than a memoir, it is a legacy of light, love, and cultural renewal. Hānau Hou: Rebirth is available on Amazon.

Playing Pro Volleyball for Kosovo

Late last year, Chloe Paige Hoku Kaʻahanui signed on to play international professional volleyball for the nation of Kosovo in southeastern Europe, becoming one of a tiny handful of female ʻŌiwi professional volleyball players to compete at the international level. The next season begins this month and will continue through May.

After graduating from Punahou in 2020, Kaʻahanui went on to play Division 1 collegiate volleyball at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Since arriving in Kosovo, Kaʻahanui has competed in Super League A, the league’s highest level of competition. She has expressed gratitude to her ʻohana as well as to her many coaches, teachers, mentors and teammates over the years for this opportunity and for helping her to develop confidence and resilience.

“This milestone represents both an incredible challenge and a responsibility I embrace fully. I am committed to representing Hawai’i with pride, gratitude, and the same aloha spirit that has shaped me throughout my life,” Kaʻahanui said.

Climate Solutions Survey

Nonprofit ʻĀina Momona invites community members across the pae ʻāina to participate in a public survey to help them shape a community-led framework for climate solutions.

The group is prioritizing community voices in an effort to ensure that decisions that impact Hawaiʻi’s oceans, coastline and future are guided by the people who live here. Community feedback will directly inform the development of a locally grounded, culturally responsive framework centered on justice, transparency and long-term stewardship.

In 2025, ʻĀina Momona became a partner in Carbon180’s Making Waves initiative, a program that explores equitable approaches to climate action that includes ocean-based strategies such as marine carbon dioxide removal.

The community is encouraged to take a brief online survey to share their manaʻo. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and all responses are confidential. To take the survey, go to surveymonkey.com/r/2YNK8L7. The survey is open now through January 31.

DNC Condemns SFFA Lawsuit Against KS

At its December meeting, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) passed a resolution condemning the lawsuit filed by Students for Fair Admissions against Kamehameha Schools.

In a unanimous vote, the DNC reaffirmed the unique political status and inherent sovereignty of the Hawaiian people.

Hawaiʻi DNC National Committee Member Bronson Silva introduced the resolution which was co-sponsored by the state’s DNC delegation. Silva and Hawaiʻi DNC Vice Chair Mina Morita are both graduates of Kamehameha Schools.

In a Maui News article Morita is quoted as saying, “The resolution recognizes that Native Hawaiians hold a distinct political status, as consistently affirmed by federal law, and that Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy is rooted in this political classification, not race.”

Last October, Students for Fair Admissions filed a lawsuit against Kamehameha Schools. The conservative organization is headed by Edward Blum whose singular mission is to dismantle school admissions policies he perceives as “race conscious.”

Three ʻŌiwi Named PBN Power Leaders

Pacific Business News (PBN) has named 12 Hawaiʻi business leaders as its 2026 “Power Leaders.” This annual award recognizes individuals who have excelled in their careers, industries and in the community – and who are likely to continue to be leaders in Hawaiʻi in the years to come. This year’s awardees include three prominent ʻŌiwi: Michelle Kauhane, sr. vice president and chief impact officer of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation; Aaron J. Sala, president & CEO of the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau; and Lance Wilhelm, president of The Wilhelm Group. In 2023, to mark its 60th anniversary, PBN launched the Power Leaders feature in its Book of Lists which spotlights Hawaiʻi’s most influential executives – individuals whose visionary leadership has shaped Hawaiʻi’s business landscape, and who will continue to drive innovation, economic growth and community impact. – Photos: Pacific Business News

The post News Briefs | January 2026 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

New Immersion Preschool Classroom Opens in Hāna

Nakoa Named VP at Kupu

Keone Nakoa was recently named vice president of external affairs for Kupu, an Oʻahu-based nonprofit that develops youth training programs across the pae ʻāina in the field of environmental stewardship. Prior to his appointment, Nakoa was deputy assistant secretary for Insular and International Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior and a senior advisor in the Executive Office of the President under the Biden administration.

Nakoa is also a former executive at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs having served as the organization’s Washington, D.C., bureau chief for more than three years from 2018-2021. He has also worked as a private practice attorney and clerked for Chief Judge Craig Nakamura and Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald and, in early in his career, he served as speechwriter and media assistant for the late Sen. Daniel K. Akaka.

A graduate of ʻIolani School, Nakoa went on to attend Harvard University where he earned a bachelor’s degree. From there, he returned to Hawaiʻi and pursued a law degree from UH Manoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law, and then an MBA from UH’s Shidler College of Business.

HC Acquires Hawaiʻi Staffing and Services

The Hawaiian Council (HC), through its for-profit subsidiary, Hawaiʻi Holdings & Investments, has acquired Hawaiʻi Staffing and Services (HSS). The acquisition marks the Council’s commitment to building a workforce ecosystem rooted in local values, cultural understanding, and community advancement.

Acquired earlier this year, HSS employs some 400 individuals. Since the acquisition, HSS has undergone a comprehensive restructuring and rebranding.

Samlynn Kubota will serve as HSS executive director. Staffing services range from filling short term staffing needs to assembling specialized teams for complex initiatives. They also offer contract-to-hire placements, giving employers the opportunity to assess candidates on the job before extending permanent offers.

HSS also partners with businesses in co-employment relationships to manage critical HR and administrative functions including payroll, benefits, compliance, and employee relations.

“When we approach workforce development and human resource management through a cultural lens, we’re not just filling jobs — we’re investing in Hawaiʻi’s people, our values, and the future of our islands. We see a tremendous void in this market that we plan to fill,” said HC CEO Kūhiō Lewis.

The acquisition expands HC’s efforts to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s workforce infrastructure through education, training, and employment. Its other workforce initiatives include the Hawaiian Trades Academy, Maui Workforce Development Program, and other culturally informed training and certification opportunities.

Pauʻole Prevails at 4th Annual Falsetto Contest

Youth-Driven Zero Waste Initiative in Kaʻū

A group of students from Kaʻū are leading Mālama ʻĀina Compostables, an ambitious youth-driven zero waste initiative. So far, they diverted over 19,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill and organized a Youth Convergence focused on zero waste and plastic reduction policy.

The Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary students work closely with Recycle Hawaiʻi to transform cafeteria waste into compost for the school’s agriculture program and local farms. Partnering with community mentors, they developed a model that is now being shared with other schools.

“Sometimes people think you have to start big,” said youth organizer Kona. “But we started with lunch trays. That’s how you build momentum — one meal, one bin, one community at a time.”

This fall, they convened 70 young leaders from Hawaiʻi – and from “Cancer Alley,” Louisiana – to connect the dots between where plastic is made and where it ends up. The four-day event in Nāʻālehu featured workshops and presentations from policy experts and kūpuna. “Bringing youth from Louisiana and Hawaiʻi together closed the loop on plastic’s life cycle, from production to pollution,” said Recycle Hawaiʻi Program Director Ulu Makuakāne. “That’s how movements are born.”

The youth are also supporting Bill 83, a Hawaiʻi county initiative to ban single-use plastics in food service. “This generation isn’t afraid of change,” said Laura Acasio, County Office of Environmental Resilience. “They know it’s necessary for their health, their island, and their future.”

With landfill space running out and global plastic negotiations stalling, this next generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead.

Papahānaumokuākea Cultural Working Group Meets at OHA

TMT Being Discussed Again

An October 24 letter signed by all four Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegates and Gov. Josh Green to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) board of directors has reignited concerns in the community.

The letter stated that the governor and his administration will work with the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority (MKSOA) and the University of Hawaiʻi to “promptly establish a clear and transparent procedure for obtaining the necessary permits associated with a decommissioned site.”

Act 255, passed in 2022, established the MKSOA as the sole authority for managing Maunakea and prioritized the “reuse of footprints of observatories scheduled for decommissioning, or [that] have been decommissioned” as sites for future observatories instead of on undeveloped land.

Recently decommissioned (and removed) observatories Caltech Submillimeter Observatory and UH Hilo’s Hōkū Keʻa are being eyed as possible locations for a relocated TMT – but community advocates note that neither site is large enough to support TMT without extending the existing “footprints.”

Some 300 written testimonies – the majority in opposition to TMT and the contents of the October 24 letter – were submitted ahead of a November 13 MKSOA meeting, with dozens more testifying in person or online. Cultural concerns and past mismanagement issues were frequently cited.

After funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) was cut earlier this year as part of sweeping federal budget cuts, NSF announced they would pull funding for TMT and redirect their available funding to building the Magellan Telescope in Chile. However, backers of TMT have since approached Congress requesting funding via the NSF.

Hawaiʻi Exhibit at the British Museum

Sanders Selected to the AIANTA Board

Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) Executive Director Mālia Sanders was recently named to the board of directors of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA).

Sanders has been with NaHHA for over 14 years, is an expert in regenerative tourism, and holds multiple professional certifications: sustainable tourism and destination management from Cornell University; sustainable tourism for Native Nations and communities from Arizona State University; and cultural heritage tourism from George Washington University. NaHHA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for authenticity in the promotion of Native Hawaiian culture in the visitor industry.

A graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and UH West Oʻahu, Sanders was named Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year by the Hawaiʻi Venture Capital Association in 2022. That same year she also received a Pineapple Award, which honors tourism professionals, from Pacific Business News.

In 2023, Sanders was selected as a Pacific Century Fellow, and last year she was recognized as one of Hawaiʻi’s “20 for the Next 20” by Hawaiʻi Business Magazine. Sanders currently serves as president of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu.

Founded 27 years ago, nonprofit AIANTA is governed by an all-Indigenous board of directors and serves as a united voice for the $11.6 billion Indigenous hospitality sector. AIANTA envisions Indigenous tourism as a catalyst for Native economic sovereignty.

Minn Appointed RAM CEO

Malama Minn is the new chief executive officer of the REALTORS® Association of Maui (RAM). Born and raised in Hāna, Maui, Minn will lead RAM’s strategic direction, government relations and member engagement efforts.

Minn has an extensive background in renewable energy projects and policy development, working at the intersection of energy, environment, and equity. She had led efforts in clean energy policy, Indigenous land and water management, and energy education and outreach.

Prior to joining RAM, she served as executive director of the Hawaiʻi Construction Alliance, project development specialist at the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, energy consultant with Johnson Controls, a transformational outreach specialist with Hawaiʻi Energy, and a wind energy specialist with the State of Hawaiʻi.

Minn has the distinction of being the first kupa of Hāna to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law. Her journey from Hāna High & Elementary School to becoming a respected leader in environmental policy and land stewardship is a testament to her dedication, grit and passion.

Three ʻŌiwi Win Literary Awards

Native Books Hawaiʻi Publisher Maile Meyer and Poet Laureate Kealoha Wong were honored last month by the Hawaiʻi Literary Arts Council with Loretta D. Petrie Awards for outstanding service to Hawaiʻi’s writing community. Megan Kamalei Kakimoto, author of Every Drop is a Man’s Nightmare, received an Elliot Cades Award for Hawaiʻi Literature. The awards were presented on November 1 at a public event at the Hawaiʻi State Library by the Hawaiʻi Literary Arts Council in concert with the library and Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi. Also honored with an Elliot Cades Award last month were Larry and Rosemary Mild, a husband and wife duo residing in Honolulu who write cozy mysteries and thrillers. – Courtesy Photos

Yuen to Serve as Gemini Cultural Resident

Kumu hula and cultural practitioner Leilehua Yuen of Hilo has been tapped to serve as Gemini Observatory’s first Hawaiian culture and language resident.

Yuen has a long history of working on Maunakea and one of her main projects for Gemini will be to reimagine NOIRLab’s 88 Constellations map from an ʻŌiwi perspective. She will work with Hawaiʻi Education and Engagement Manager Leinani Lozi to help ground the observatory “in Hawaiian values and knowledge” and “provide advice and a unique perspective” to its leadership.

Projects include creating monthly star charts that begin on the Hilo moon. Community can access these charts and their related moʻolelo on maunakea- observatories.org.

Via the observatory’s Malalo o ka Lani Maunakea program, the community can learn about Hawaiian constellations, while the Papa Wahi Pana program will train people to properly enter the sacred space that is Maunakea with oli and hoʻokupu.

Gemini’s Hawaiʻi Culture and Language Residency program offers one-year, full-time positions to members of the community who are experts in Hawaiian language and culture.

“Culture and science are not mutually exclusive,” Yuen said.

OHA Trustees Travel to Hawaiʻi Island

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Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees (BOT) and a contingent of staff spent most of the week of November 3 traveling to communities across Moku o Keawe to listen to community concerns with evening meetings scheduled in Kona, Waimea and Hilo. While on-island, they took the opportunity to visit various sites and projects and meet the ʻŌiwi leading stewardship efforts in their respective kulāiwi. The first day they visited LaʻiʻŌpua 2020 Community Center in Kealakehe and Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa in Kahaluʻu ma uka, both in Hawaiʻi Komohana. On day two they traveled north where they visited Puʻukoholā Heiau, Māhukona – a Hawaiʻi Land Trust site stewarded by Nā Kālai Waʻa – and then met with Waimea Homestead Association leadership. The next day, before heading to Hawaiʻi Hikina, they traveled to Pōhakuloa to see the impact of the military training for themselves. In Hilo, they spent most of their time in Keaukaha, visiting Wai ʻUli, Ka Ana Laʻahana Public Charter School, and Kawānanakoa Gym. The huakaʻi culminated on November 6 with a well-attended BOT meeting hosted by UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language. – Photos: Jason Lees and Lehua Itokazu

The post News Briefs | December 2025 appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Celebrating Excellence at the ʻŌʻō Awards

Mainland Group Sues Kamehameha

On October 20, a conservative organization from Virginia calling itself “Students for Fair Admissions” filed a lawsuit challenging Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy which gives enrollment preference to students of Native Hawaiian ancestry.

In response, Kamehameha Schools’ Board of Trustees emailed a statement to parents and alumni that evening saying, “We are ready for this challenge. We are resolved to vigorously defend our admissions policy and will engage every legal and operational resource to protect Ke Aliʻi Pauahi’s kauoha (will).

“The facts and the law are on our side, and we are confident that we will prevail. In kapu aloha, we will stand strong together.”

The lawsuit announcement generated a quick community response. On the morning of October 21, hundreds of Native Hawaiians and supporters converged on ʻIolani Palace for a rally and show of support for the schools while another 20,000 tuned into the event’s livestream.

And later that day, the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives issued their own statement in support of Kamehameha which read, in part, “We stand in support of Kamehameha Schools’ mission and its unwavering commitment to the Native Hawaiian people. When Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous community thrives, all of Hawaiʻi thrives.”

“Students for Fair Admissions” is headed by Republican activist Edward Blum who has made it his mission to dismantle school admissions policies he perceives as “race conscious.” He normally targets colleges and universities (e.g., Harvard), but in September turned his attention to Kamehameha.

Blum’s organization solicits individuals who claim to have been rejected by university admissions departments because of race, and then files lawsuits on their behalf. With assembly-line speed and precision, on September 4 the organization launched a website seeking plaintiffs for the lawsuit against Kamehameha – just two weeks after concluding a lawsuit against West Point and the Air Force Academy in mid-August.

In a press release announcing the lawsuit Blum writes, “Kamehameha can keep its mission, its culture and its curriculum but it cannot bar children because of their race,” adding “America’s civil rights laws and Constitution do not permit any public or private school to operate a system in which race or bloodline determines who may be admitted.”

The Indigeneity of Native Hawaiians, Hawaiʻi’s history of Native dispossession, and Native Hawaiian political status are not considerations in the lawsuit.

Kamehameha’s admission policy was last challenged in 2006, at which time the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted to uphold the preference policy, ruling that it did not violate federal law and that the admissions policy was part of a unique remedial mission.

“Let us draw strength from our faith in Ke Akua, our ancestors, and in one another,” Kamehameha’s statement read. “Together, we have the collective resolve to defend Ke Aliʻi Pauahi, her kauoha and Hawaiʻi. E ola koa, e ola ke ea!”

Hawaiian Midwifery Practices Protected

In October, the State of Hawaiʻi agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC), and the law firm Perkins Coie. The case challenged the Midwifery Restriction Law, which effectively limited midwifery in the state and threatened Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners of traditional Hawaiian birthing practices with criminal liability.

The law, which was effective July 2023, prevented anyone from providing advice, information, or care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum without a specific state license. However, there were no such licensing programs available in Hawaiʻi, meaning that Native Hawaiian midwives already trained in traditional practices would need to travel to the continent at their own expense to be re-trained in western midwifery practices.

With the case now settled, Native Hawaiian midwives can continue providing culturally informed care without being threatened with prison. The agreement also ensures that prospective midwives can train locally through traditional pathways without having to travel to the continent for western training programs.

While this protects Native Hawaiian traditional birthing practices, financial penalties remain for midwives who practice in Hawaiʻi without a license.

“We finally have a way forward to protect and pass down our sacred practices. I can continue to serve my community with the compassionate, culturally informed care they deserve,” said Kiʻinaniokalani Kahoʻohanohano of Maui a practicing midwife for more than 20 years.

Gabriel Named NFL Starting Quarterback

ʻŌiwi professional football player Dillon Gabriel became the second Native Hawaiian and the first Hawaiʻi public high school graduate to become a starting quarterback in the National Football League (NFL).

As a freshman player at Mililani High School in 2015, Gabriel took over for an injured Mc- Kenzie Milton and went on to set the Hawaiʻi high school passing yardage record with 9,948 yards, according to Hawaiʻi Prep World. He held that record until 2024 when Campbell High School’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, finished with 10,653 yards following his senior season.

Gabriel attended the University of Central Florida in 2019 before transferring to Oklahoma. He finished his college football career at Oregon in 2024, where he broke the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision record with 155 touchdown passes and became a Heisman Trophy finalist.

In April, Gabriel was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft – the 94th overall selection. He was originally named backup quarterback and played in only two games this season prior to his first start on October 5.

The late Joe Naekauna Francis, Jr., a 1954 Kamehameha Schools graduate, was the Native Hawaiian to start an NFL game as quarterback, doing so for the Green Bay Packers in 1958. Saint Louis graduates Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa are also NFL starting quarterbacks.

Sonoda-Pale Receives Catalyst Award

Activist, educator, and community leader Healani Sonoda-Pale has been selected as one of six recipients of a 2025 Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award. Now in its seventh year, the Catalyst Award honors women leaders of color for their commitment to a healthy planet, and provides them with financial and leadership support, and public recognition.

Named after Rachel Carson, an ecologist and advocate whose work led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and modern environmental movement, Rachel’s Network is a nationwide community of women environmental funders.

For years, Sonoda-Pale has been an outspoken advocate for issues affecting Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous people. She is a spokesperson for Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi and a lead organizer for Oʻahu Water Protectors which successfully called for the shutdown and defueling of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage facility. Her advocacy has covered women’s safety, intellectual property rights, iwi kūpuna, climate change, environmental justice, and militarism.

Women of color are leading the environmental movement. Despite this, most do not receive adequate funding, support, or recognition; less than 1% of foundation giving goes to women of color and organizations led by people of color receive less than 1% of multiyear operational budget grants. Rachel’s Network aims to address this disparity.

The Catalyst Award was launched in 2019 to spotlight and honor women of color working in the environmental movement. Each year, for three years, awardees receive a personal prize ($10,000); a wellbeing stipend ($5,000); and an organizational grant ($10,000).

Soon Honored by JABSOM

The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) celebrated its 60th anniversary on October 11 and more than 500 guests packed the Royal Hawaiian Hotel ballroom for the occasion. As part of the celebration, JABSOM unveiled its first-ever Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Dr. Reni Aukai Soon, MD, an obstetrician, gynecologist, and 2001 JABSOM graduate was the inaugural recipient of the Hōkūhoʻokelewaʻa Distinguished Alumni Award, for being “a fierce warrior for reproductive rights” and a leading advocate in Hawaiʻi for women’s health. Only JABSOM MD alumni from the 2000 graduating class and forward are eligible for this prestigious honor. Soon was selected for her research and innovation in family planning, reproductive justice, Native Hawaiian health, and clinical excellence at The Queen’s Medical Center.

Soon, a Kamehameha Schools Kapālama graduate, completed her undergraduate training at Stanford University before attending JABSOM, where she currently serves as a professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, as associate chair of Native Hawaiian Health, and as the Complex Family Planning Fellowship Program director. For more than a decade, Soon provided women’s health services at the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.

Also honored was Dr. Neal Palafox (JABSOM 1980) with a Hie Distinguished Alumni Award. Palafox was selected for his innovation in improving health capacity and reducing health disparities in the Pacific region, and in particular for his work in cancer research and the consequences of nuclear testing in the Pacific.

Alvarez Wins Emmy for Work on PBS Documentary

Wright Recognized as a “Pillar of the Profession”

Dr. Erin Kahunawaikaʻala Wright joins a distinguished line of leaders from the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa who have been recognized nationally as “Pillars of the Profession” by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Wright, who serves as interim associate vice provost for Student Success and as dean of students, was honored this year for her sustained contributions to service, teaching, leadership and mentoring. She says the recognition is not just her own, but a reflection of the collective work of the UH community toward student success, especially those leaders also recognized as Pillars of the Profession.

“It’s a kind recognition of the work I’ve invested in student affairs and higher education…I’m proud, and honestly, very surprised to get it. It’s humbling to be recognized,” Wright said.

Wright began her career at UH Mānoa in 2008 as the founding director of Native Hawaiian Student Services and later served as an associate professor of educational administration in the College of Education. There, she taught courses and published on research design, research methodologies and Indigeneity in higher education.

Individuals selected as Pillars of the Profession are nominated for designation by colleagues and students for creating a lasting impact and a legacy of extraordinary service at the institutions at which they work.

Rock Wall Constructed to Secure Burial Vault at Pearl Harbor

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500 Show for Alakoko Workday

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OHA Staff Service-Learning Day at Kūkaniloko

27 Acres on Kona’s “Gold Coast” Protected

Some 27.38 acres of shoreline in North Kona will be protected in perpetuity thanks to the community, nonprofit Trust for Public Land (TPL), and Waikoloa Land. Previously earmarked for resort development, ʻAnaehoʻomalu Kapalaoa is now owned – and will be stewarded – by Nā ʻŌiwi o Puʻuanahulu, a nonprofit led by lineal descendants of North Kona.

ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay and the Kapalaoa Coastline, a wahi pana that includes heiau, wai ʻopae (anchialine ponds), petroglyph fields, and ancient trail networks, was the last remaining undeveloped beachfront parcel belonging to the Waikoloa Beach Resort.

Waikoloa Land chose to forgo proposed resort development and return the lands to descendant families for stewardship and community access. Under Nā ʻŌiwi’s stewardship, the site will function as a kīpuka (an oasis) where the community can perpetuate traditional ecological knowledge through educational programs, restoration work, and cultural practice.

This acquisition was made possible with monetary support from various sources, including the County of Hawaiʻi’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund, the state’s Legacy Land Conservation Program, and a grant from the Dorrance Family Foundation through its Marine Conservation Initiative.

TPL led and facilitated the acquisition and the community united to raise funds to protect the land and convey it to Nā ʻŌiwi o Puʻuanahulu. Hawaiʻi County now holds a conservation easement over the property, protecting it in perpetuity.

Three ʻŌiwi to be Honored by HHF

Shad Kāne, Thomas Lenchanko, and Kai Markell – Courtesy Photos

Three Native Hawaiians will be recognized by the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation (HHF) for their exemplary individual achievements and contributions to historic preservation in Hawaiʻi at HHF’s 2025 awards ceremony on October 18.

Presented since 1975, the Preservation Honor Awards program offers the community an opportunity to celebrate excellence in historic preservation. This year, the Individual Achievement awardees are Shad Kāne, Thomas Lenchanko and Kai Markell, all from Oʻahu.

Kāne, a respected cultural practitioner, historian and community leader has dedicated more than 40 years to preserving ʻEwa’s cultural and historical landscape, founding the Kalaeloa Heritage and Legacy Foundation, restoring sacred sites and mentoring younger generations through hands-on education and research.

For over 50 years, Lenchanko has dedicated his life to the protection and preservation of sacred Kūkaniloko in Wahiawā, transforming the site into a living classroom that honors its cultural, spiritual and historical significance. As a steward, educator and kūkaʻawe (guardian), he has safeguarded this wahi kapu, preserved its moʻolelo and inspired generations.

Cultural advocate, preservationist and attorney Kai Markell has worked for 30 years to protect Hawaiʻi’s historic and sacred places, most recently as the compliance manager at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs where he has worked for the past two decades to safeguard iwi kūpuna and sacred sites, inspiring others through his leadership, advocacy and dedication to mālama ʻāina.

The awards ceremony will be held at the Japanese Culture Center of Hawaiʻi. For tickets or information email awards@historichawaii.org or call 808-523-2900.

A Win for Water Advocates

On September 5, the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court confirmed that the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) violated water advocates’ constitutional rights when it permitted Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (A&B) to drain east Maui streams dry.

The court also affirmed the BLNR’s statutory responsibility to consider the mauka-to-makai impacts of its decisions, given the wide-ranging impacts of stream diversions on watersheds, estuaries, and the nearshore environment.

Notably, the supreme court also emphasized that the BLNR, as a state agency, must consider the “mauka to makai” impacts of its decisions under the Coastal Zone Management Act.

“This is about more than the impacts of dried out streambeds, disrupted cultural practices, and rampant water waste,” observed David Kimo Frankel, Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi attorney. “This is also about whether a government agency can simply deprive you of your constitutional rights – without any opportunity to present and examine facts or demonstrate the extent of the harm that you may suffer from its decisions.”

The controversy over the BLNR’s repeated issuance of “temporary” permits to allow A&B to continuously drain east Maui streams dry is long-standing, having spawned more than 20 years of litigation, highly controversial legislation, and multiple rebukes by the environmental court as well as the highest court of the land.

The supreme court opinion will likely influence the outcome of similar cases pending in lower courts.

Ka Lāhui Hosts Piko Gathering

About 100 ʻŌiwi from across the pae ʻāina gathered for three days in ʻAhupuaʻa Kawaihāpai on Oʻahu for Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi’s recent Piko Gathering: Hāpai ka Waiwai o ka ʻIke Kūpuna, August 29 – September 1. The intergenerational gathering of Aloha ʻĀina celebrated and shared ancestral knowledge through 18 workshops, led primarily by cultural practitioners working on the front lines of our community.

Participants engaged in meaningful discussions on iwi kūpuna, kuleana lands, wai, and more, fostering a culture of care, providing rest and respite as they learned about the pressing issues affecting our people today. The gathering provided an opportunity for ʻŌiwi to reconnect with one another and the ʻāina, and to affirm their commitment to mālama our resources and heritage, and to stand against injustice. On day three of the gathering, participants witnessed a hōʻailona from the kūpuna when they were visited by honu, monk seals, and a spectacular display by the hihimanu (sting rays).

The event was a collaboration of Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi People’s Fund and the Maui Medics Healer Hui, along with the various presenters and leaders. Due to the high interest, Ka Lāhui has decided to make this an annual event, and to host it on a different islands. For more information, visit kalahuihawaii.net or email kalahuihawaii@gmail.com.

Celebrating Pacific Innovation at Honolulu Tech Week

Lahaina Fire Documentary Wins Award

A PBS Frontline documentary, Maui’s Deadly Firestorm, recently won an Emmy Award for outstanding climate, environment and weather coverage. The award was presented last June during the 46th Annual New & Documentary Emmy Awards hosted by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in New York City.

The film is the result of a year-long investigation into the August 2023 wildfire that claimed 102 lives and razed the historic town of Lahaina.

The film examines the fire’s causes and how changes to the climate as well as to Maui’s landscape made the island increasingly vulnerable to wildfires. It also documents critical systemic failures in the emergency response, and explores the ongoing tensions as survivors work to rebuild their community in the aftermath.

Serving as the Hawaiʻi field producer for the documentary was Keoni Kealoha Alvarez, a cultural practitioner, filmmaker, artist, author and advocate for the protection of iwi kūpuna and Hawaiian burial sites from Hawaiʻi Island.

The documentary premiered online on Dec. 17, 2024, and on broadcast television on Jan. 7, 2025. It can be viewed at: pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/mauis-deadly-firestorm/.

Kaʻanāʻanā Named Green Growth CEO

Former Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) executive Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā took on a new kuleana this past July as CEO of Hawaiʻi Green Growth (HGG).

Nonprofit HGG is recognized by the United Nations as a Local 2030 Sustainability Hub, a public-private partnership committed to advancing economic, social and environmental sustainability goals as well as Hawaiʻi’s statewide Aloha+ Challenge sustainability and climate goals.

The Aloha+ Challenge is a statewide commitment to achieve Hawaiʻi’s social, economic and environmental goals by 2030 in areas such as clean energy transformation, local food production and consumption, natural resource management, solid waste reduction, green workforce and education, and creation of smart sustainable communities.

The hub brings together diverse stakeholders to connect generations of Indigenous knowledge and systems-thinking with modern science, technology and policy to support scalable solutions that can be applied globally.

Kaʻanāʻanā worked for nine years at HTA in various leadership roles including chief brand officer and chief stewardship officer. Kaʻanāʻanā is a graduate of Kailua High School and has a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies from UH Mānoa.

Kalāheo Hawaiian Studies Project Wins Award

Kalāheo High School on Oʻahu is one of three Hawaiʻi public schools awarded a 2025 Cooke Beautification Award for Public Schools in recognition of campus projects that blend environmental education, Native Hawaiian culture and student-driven creativity.

Kalāheo expanded its Hawaiian Studies program with the construction of a traditional Hawaiian hale, built with the guidance of cultural practitioner Keahi Piʻiohia and the support of Paepae o Heʻeia.

Students and faculty worked alongside community members to build Hale Kaleilenaoke- aloha (Yellowing Lei of Love) a 400-square foot structure named to honor the guardian of Kawainui Marsh and the many hands that made the project possible.

“Hale Kaleilenaokealoha is the first legal Indigenous structure on a Department of Education campus,” said teacher and project coordinator Tara Gumapac.

“It would not have been built without the ʻike, or knowledge, of our Master Hale Builder Keahi Piʻiohia, along with the support of our administrators, faculty, staff, students, community and our community partner organization, Paepae o Heʻeia.”

The biennial award, administered by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation on behalf of the Cooke Foundation, honors schools for transformative efforts that improve campus environments and foster educational enrichment.

The other two winners were Innovations Public Charter School in Kailua-Kona, and Mountain View Elementary School.

OHA Leaders Visit INPEACE

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