Kānaka Forward on the Homesteads Archives - Ka Wai Ola https://kawaiola.news/category/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/ News for the Lāhui Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:56:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://kawaiola.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cropped-K-Logo-2-32x32.png Kānaka Forward on the Homesteads Archives - Ka Wai Ola https://kawaiola.news/category/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/ 32 32 A Home for Hope in Challenging Times https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/a-home-for-hope-in-challenging-times/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:00:52 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=25275 The Barack Obama Presidential Center just opened last month in Chicago; arriving at a moment when many of the values championed during the Obama years are under attack by the current presidential administration.

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The Barack Obama Presidential Center just opened last month in Chicago; arriving at a moment when many of the values championed during the Obama years are under attack by the current presidential administration.

Located on Chicago’s South Side, where Barack and Michelle Obama first built their careers in public service, the Center stands as a monument not simply to a presidency, but to the idea that democracy works best when ordinary people become engaged citizens.

The sprawling campus includes a museum, public library, community gathering spaces, athletic facilities, gardens and public art installations designed to encourage learning, reflection and action.

The exhibits highlight President Obama’s journey from community organizer to the White House and includes a replica of the Oval Office and documents key moments of his administration.

Yet the Center’s broader purpose extends beyond preserving history and seeks to inspire future generations to participate in shaping America’s future. That mission takes on added significance amid the political and cultural battles we face today.

Across the country, attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs have led to the dismantling of many initiatives in government, education and business. Objections surrounding the teaching of race and American history continue to be challenging.

And reproductive rights, same-sex marriage protections, transgender rights, voting access, immigration policy, and the role of government in addressing inequality all have become deeply contested issues.

We supporters of Obama’s legacy remember his presidency as an era that expanded access to health care, celebrated America’s diversity, advanced protections for LGBTQ+ Americans and emphasized civic participation.

Critics, meanwhile, have argued that some of those policies expanded federal authority too far and/or contributed to cultural divisions. These differing viewpoints continue to make our political landscape even more volatile.

The Obama Presidential Center serves as a reminder of a period in American history when the nation elected its first African American president and embraced a message of “hope and change.” The Center’s opening also offers an opportunity to reflect on a fundamental truth: democracy is not static. Every generation debates the meaning of freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice. Those conversations can be contentious, but they are also part of the American story.

For Native Hawaiians, the Center carries an additional lesson. Like many communities that have struggled to preserve their identity, culture and rights, we understand the importance of civic engagement and political participation.

Progress rarely occurs by accident. It is achieved when people organize, advocate, vote and work together toward a common purpose.

As visitors walk through the halls of the Obama Presidential Center, they will encounter the history of one presidency. More importantly, they will be challenged to consider their own role in the future of our democracy. In an era marked by division and uncertainty, that may be the Center’s most enduring contribution – a belief that citizens still possess the power to shape the nation they hope to leave for generations yet to come.

As for me, I agree and can’t wait to visit.

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I Mua Kamehameha https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/i-mua-kamehameha-2/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:00:08 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=24839 King Kamehameha I remains one of the most important figures in Hawaiian history because he united the Hawaiian Islands into a sovereign kingdom in 1810.

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King Kamehameha I remains one of the most important figures in Hawaiian history because he united the Hawaiian Islands into a sovereign kingdom in 1810. His leadership ended years of warfare among the islands and established a stable government, legal order, and international diplomacy that allowed the Hawaiian Kingdom to emerge as a respected nation in the Pacific.

We continue to honor him every year across our homesteads and across the state on June 11 with floral parades, lei draping ceremonies, hula and cultural festivals. His holiday was first established by King Kamehameha V in 1871 to honor his grandfather’s legacy.

King Kamehameha Day is more than a celebration for us. It’s a holiday that symbolizes our survival, unity and pride in our identity. The traditions associated with the holiday – especially the draping of lei over Kamehameha statues and the Pāʻū parades – reconnect us to our aliʻi heritage, Hawaiian language and cultural practices.

Long after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, the holiday endures because we never forgot the importance of our history and national identity.

The legacy of Kamehameha lives on through the work of The Kamehameha Schools (KS). Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I, established the Schools in her 1884 Will to educate Native Hawaiian children because she recognized that her people were suffering from population decline, land loss, poverty and cultural suppression.

Today, Kamehameha Schools provides education rooted in Hawaiian culture, language and values while also serving as one of the largest charitable educational trusts in the world.

Recent national legal attacks claiming that Kamehameha’s admission preference policy is “racial discrimination” ignores both federal Indian law and the unique political status of Native Hawaiians.

Native Hawaiians, like American Indians and Alaska Natives, are recognized by Congress as an Indigenous people with a special political relationship to the United States. Federal law has repeatedly acknowledged this status through legislation such as the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (HHCA), the Native Hawaiian Education Act, the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act, and the Apology Resolution of 1993, in which Congress formally acknowledged the United States’ role in the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

These laws are not based solely on race, but on the federal government’s trust responsibilities toward Indigenous Peoples.

In support of my beloved Kamehameha Schools, I’ll state clearly that Native Hawaiian preference policies are consistent with long-standing federal policies supporting our self-determination, education and cultural preservation.

Similar preferences exist in programs serving federally recognized Native American tribes and Alaska Native communities.

The argument that Native Hawaiian educational programs are merely racial preferences ignores the political, historical and legal realities that distinguish Indigenous peoples from ordinary racial classifications.

Defending Kamehameha protects the vision and legacy of our Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and preserves the future of our Native Hawaiian people. I certainly would not be the homesteader advocate and community leader I am today without my six years of education and personal development at Kamehameha!

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May Day is Lei Day on Our Homesteads https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/may-day-is-lei-day-on-our-homesteads/ Fri, 01 May 2026 18:00:21 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=24270 May Day in Hawaiʻi – known to all of us as Lei Day – is more than a celebration of flowers. It’s a celebration of who we are as a people.

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May Day in Hawaiʻi – known to all of us as Lei Day – is more than a celebration of flowers. It’s a celebration of who we are as a people. It’s the visible, tangible expression of aloha shared between ʻohana, across generations, and grounded in our deep connection to ʻāina.

Established in 1929, Lei Day came at a time when Hawaiʻi was rapidly changing. Yet even then, our kūpuna understood the importance of holding tight to culture. The lei, in all its forms, represents that continuity. Whether made from pua, lau, shells or seeds, each lei carries meaning: love, honor, remembrance, and relationship. It is something we give freely, but never casually.

For our Hawaiian Homestead communities, Lei Day has always been something more personal. It’s not just a festival, it’s a practice. It’s kūpuna teaching moʻopuna how to gather responsibly, how to prepare materials, how to haku, wili, and kui.

It’s learning not just the “how,” but the “why.” Why we mālama the plants. Why we honor the spaces we gather from. Why we give before we receive. Just last month, the world and all of us here at home were able to enjoy so many different, beautiful lei at the Merrie Monarch Festival.

Long before Lei Day was formally recognized, our aliʻi understood the power of cultural expression. King Kalākaua is well known for bringing back hula, chant, and ceremony during a time when they were being pushed aside. His commitment to our cultural practices helped ensure that traditions like lei-making and ceremonial exchange would survive and thrive.

Likewise, Queen Liliʻuokalani carried that same spirit through her music and leadership, grounding our people in identity during one of the most difficult periods in our history.

When Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole advocated for the 1921 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, his vision was about more than land – it was about restoring our people to ʻāina and, with it, restoring our practices, our dignity, and our ability to care for ourselves and each other. Over the past 100 years, homesteaders have carried that kuleana forward in very real ways.

Across our homesteads, from Anahola to Papakōlea and Waiohuli to Panaʻewa, we celebrate Lei Day in our schools, our churches, and our community gatherings. You’ll see keiki performing hula, representing each island with its own lei and color. You’ll hear mele that connect us to place. And you’ll see the quiet but powerful moments: kūpuna sitting with grandchildren, stringing lei and sharing stories.

Lei Day reminds us that culture is not something we inherit passively, but something we live day in and day out; something we protect by celebrating. For Hawaiian homesteaders, that responsibility is clear. As we fight for our homestead legacy birthright, we also fight for our culture.

We know a lei is never just a lei. It’s a connection to our kūpuna, to our ʻāina, and to each other. And that’s worth celebrating – not just on May Day, but every day! Happy Lei Day!

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Legislative Housing Support for Hawaiʻi https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/legislative-housing-support/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:00:47 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23933 Hawaiʻi continues to face one of the most severe housing shortages in the nation.

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Hawaiʻi continues to face one of the most severe housing shortages in the nation. What gives me hope is learning about a few housing-related bills introduced by my good friend, state Rep. Luke Evslin. These bills which recently crossed over from the House to the Senate include efforts to increase housing supply, reduce regulatory barriers, fund infrastructure, and ensure that more homes remain available for local residents.

HB2049 HD2 “Relating to the Conveyance Tax and Housing Infrastructure” restructures Hawaiʻi’s conveyance tax into a marginal rate system for residential property transactions. Conveyance taxes would be reduced for median-priced homes and multifamily housing while higher-value transactions would see higher tax rates.

The bill would create predictable, recurring funding for housing priorities by dedicating $60 million annually to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to help address our Native Hawaiian homestead waitlist and $40 million annually for housing infrastructure statewide. It would also help ensure long-term funding for both homestead development and the public infrastructure needed to support new housing.

HB1725 HD1 “Relating to Building Codes” seeks to streamline construction regulations and reduce costly delays. The bill locks in the applicable building code at the time a building permit is issued, preventing mid-project changes that can require expensive redesigns.

It also establishes a six-year statewide building code update cycle and allows the more affordable International Residential Code to be used for smaller multifamily housing projects such as triplexes and fourplexes. These changes are intended to reduce uncertainty and lower development costs for builders pursuing middle-density housing.

HB1739 HD1 “Relating to Transit-Oriented Development” encourages counties to allow higher housing densities near major transit hubs such as rail stations and key bus corridors. The policy is designed to support more walkable, transit-friendly communities while reducing reliance on cars and lowering infrastructure costs. More homes near transit hubs can help accommodate population growth while making better use of existing transportation investments.

HB2476 HD2 “Housing Infrastructure Growth Bonds” proposes a constitutional amendment that would authorize counties to issue bonds specifically for housing-related infrastructure. These bonds could help finance essential improvements such as roads, water systems, and wastewater facilities needed to support new housing developments. By providing counties with additional financing tools, the bill aims to remove a major obstacle to housing construction.

Finally, HB1740 HD1 “Relating to Resident-Only Housing Programs” promotes the creation of deed-restricted housing reserved for Hawaiʻi residents by expanding regulatory incentives for projects that include perpetual resident-only deed restrictions and streamlines ownership and buyer qualification processes that can slow housing transactions. The goal is to encourage the development of homes that remain permanently available to local residents and workforce families rather than being purchased by outside investors.

Please join me in pushing for the passage of these bills which represent a brave, new, multi-faceted approach to our housing challenges. Approaches that could accelerate housing production and help ensure housing for generations to come, as well as establish a significant regular annual investment to our Native Hawaiian homesteads!

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Prince Kūhiō and Me (A Hawaiian Home Lands Trust Beneficiary) https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/prince-kuhio-and-me-a-hawaiian-home-lands-trust-beneficiary/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:00:49 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23615 Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, a royal and a U.S. Congressional delegate, dedicated his life to improving conditions for Native Hawaiians following the overthrow.

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Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, a royal and a U.S. Congressional delegate, dedicated his life to improving conditions for Native Hawaiians following the overthrow. His legacy continues to shape our lives today in profound ways.

Prince Kūhiō’s most enduring achievement was the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921 (HHCA). The Act set aside 200,000 acres of former Hawaiian crown and government lands to create homesteading opportunities for Hawaiians with at least 50% Hawaiian ancestry, setting up the Hawaiian Homes Land Trust to support our self-sufficiency.

My family members and I, like thousands of other HHCA beneficiaries, can lease homestead lands for residential, agricultural, and pastoral uses for just $1/year for up to 99 years because of Prince Kūhiō and the HHCA.

The Act also set up a trust relationship between the U.S. and Native Hawaiians and is still the strongest federal recognition of our political status. Although waitlists and funding challenges persist, the HHCA is still a cornerstone of Native Hawaiian land rights and identity.

In Congress, Prince Kūhiō advocated for infrastructure and economic development in Hawaiʻi, helped secure federal funding for public works, and advanced Native Hawaiian interests within the U.S. political system.

He laid the foundation for ongoing federal programs and policies that acknowledge Native Hawaiian rights. Prince Kūhiō also helped set up civic institutions that continue to thrive, like the Royal Order of Kamehameha I and the Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

In my service as Kauaʻi County Council vice chair, Prince Kūhiō has always been an inspiration – especially regarding Native Hawaiian representation and the importance of having a seat at the table. Also, even more pointedly, he has inspired my service as a volunteer homestead advocate and leader in Anahola, on Kauaʻi, and across the state, for the past 25 years.

I’ve been a supporter of federal recognition since the Akaka Bill. Like Prince Kūhiō, I’m focused on helping improve the day-to-day lives of our people in practical ways. I believe wholeheartedly that a formal government-to-government relationship with the U.S. will absolutely help secure expanded rights and benefits for our people, while also helping defend against the misrepresented “racial discrimination” attacks we keep having to face.

For me, like Prince Kūhiō, it isn’t just political, it’s also cultural and land based.

Yes, we must reclaim our ancestral lands, advance environmental stewardship and revitalize our traditional knowledge. But we must also prioritize addressing our people’s quality of life basics like physical and mental health, education, housing, economic stability, sustainability, and upward mobility.

Prince Kūhiō’s work to secure land for his people helped preserve a land base tied to identity, community, and cultural resilience — foundations that many advocates point to in their calls for justice and self-determination today.

Our Hawaiian homestead trust is, itself, a living example of our Native Hawaiian rights within the U.S. system despite the fact the Congress didn’t support Prince Kūhiō’s desire for a 1/32 (3.125%) blood quantum and codified it at 50% instead.

Regardless, homesteaders across Hawaiʻi like me have better lives thanks to Prince Kūhiō. Join us in celebrating his life and legacy on Kūhiō Day (March 26)!

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E Hoʻokō i nā ʻŌlelo Paʻa o ka HHCA https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/e-hooko-i-na-olelo-paa-o-ka-hhca/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:00:40 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23213 ʻO ko Act 279 he 600 miliona kālā ʻo ia ka nui loa o ke kālā i hoʻohiki mua ʻia e ka mokuʻāina e hoʻoponopono i ka papa inoa kūkali no nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula.

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Read this article in English

Photo: Kainoa Lei Macdonald

Na Kainoa MacDonald a me Leiana Gonsalves

ʻO ko Act 279 he 600 miliona kālā ʻo ia ka nui loa o ke kālā i hoʻohiki mua ʻia e ka mokuʻāina e hoʻoponopono i ka papa inoa kūkali no nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula. Ua manaʻo ʻia e hoʻohana ʻia kēia kālā no ka hoʻokau koke i nā mea kuleana Hawaiʻi ma ka ʻāina ma o ka hāʻawi ʻana i nā ʻāina hoʻopulapula i hiki ke loaʻa ma ke kūpono o ke kumu kūʻai. Eia naʻe, ua hūhewa ka hana a eia ke waiho nei he mau kaukani Kānaka Hawaiʻi e kali ana no ka ʻāina.

Ua ʻike nā mea kuleana i ka hoʻoneʻe ʻia ʻana o nā kālā Act 279 mai nā papahana hale i mākaukau ke kūkulu ʻia i ke kūʻai ʻana i nā ʻāina kāhanahana, ka mea e hoʻolōʻihi ana i ka hoʻomohala ʻana a e hoʻonui ana hoʻi i ke kumukūʻai o ke kūkulu hale. Ma Maui, ua hāpai ʻia ka hopohopo a me ka paʻakikī no nā pāhana hoʻomohala ma muli o ke kūlike ʻole o ka puʻukālā a ka ʻOihana ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula (DHHL) no Waiehu Mauka. Ma ka pae mokuʻāina holoʻokoʻa, loaʻa i nā mea kuleana he mau hoʻohiki ma ka pepa wale nō, me ka nele o ke kālā kūpono a me nā papamanawa mōakāka.

Ma ka nānā hou ʻana i nā palapala puʻukālā a DHHL, ʻike ʻia nā kūlike ʻole nui ma waena o ke kālā i hōʻike ʻia ma ka ʻaoʻao hoʻolilo me ka ʻaoʻao mālama a hoʻāhu no nā papahana, e hōʻike ana i ka pono o ka mālama hoʻohelu kālā pono ʻana. Pono nā mea kuleana i kahi ʻōnaehana e hāʻawi maoli ana i nā hale, ʻaʻole he mau hōʻoia a hoʻohiki ma ka pepa wale nō.

Ke koi nei ka Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) i kēia mau kuleana ma nā mahele §§208, ka 212, a me ka 213. Ma §207, koi ʻia ka mālama pono ʻana i nā waiwai no nā mea kuleana. Ma §§207 a me ka 209, ʻimi ʻia ka hoʻokō ʻana i nā papahana kākoʻo ʻāina hoʻopulapula, e like me ke kōkua kālā hahau (he 10% ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻia ʻana, he $60 miliona). A ma §207 nō hoʻi, koi ʻia nā hoʻoholo a pau e kūlike me ke kūkākūkā ʻana a me nā pono mua o nā mea kuleana.

Me ka ʻike ʻole i ke kālā i paʻa ma ke kānāwai no nā papahana, kūlanalana mai ke kālā ʻōnaepuni, a he hoʻopaneʻe i ka hoʻomohala ʻana ma kona ʻano kumukūʻai makepono me ke kaupalena ʻana i ka nui hale kumukūʻai makepono. He mea nui loa ka hiki i ka ʻahaʻōlelo, DHHL, a me ka lehulehu ke ʻike leʻa i ka mālama pono ʻia o nā waiwai.

Pono ʻo Act 279 e hāʻawi i nā hale maoli, ʻaʻole nā hōʻoia a hoʻohiki pepa wale nō. ʻO ka hoʻolōʻihi ʻana i ka hāʻawi ʻāina he hōʻoki ia i nā hanauna mai ko lā-kou kuleana hānau mai. ʻO kēia ka manawa e kū mai kekahi ʻōnaehana e kōkua i nā 29,000 poʻe ma ka papa kūkali a e hoʻokō i nā ʻōlelo paʻa o ka HHCA a me Act 279. Eō Ea!


Submitted by Kainoa MacDonald and Leiana Gonsalves on behalf of the Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands (AHHL).

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Fulfill the Promises of the HHCA https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/fulfill-the-promises-of-the-hhca/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:00:37 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23214 Act 279’s $600 million is the state’s largest commitment to addressing the Hawaiian Homes waitlist. The funds are intended to place Native Hawaiian beneficiaries on the land through timely, affordable homesteading.

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Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

Photo: Kainoa Lei Macdonald

Na Kainoa MacDonald a me Leiana Gonsalves

Act 279’s $600 million is the state’s largest commitment to addressing the Hawaiian Homes waitlist. The funds are intended to place Native Hawaiian beneficiaries on the land through timely, affordable homesteading. Yet, implementation has strayed from that purpose, leaving thousands still waiting for awards.

Beneficiaries have seen Act 279 funds shifted from shovel-ready housing to raw land acquisitions, delaying development and increasing construction costs. On Maui, the Department of Hawaiian Home Land’s (DHHL) budget discrepancies for Waiehu Mauka create stress and uncertainty for development projects. Statewide, beneficiaries receive paper awards without adequate funding or clear timelines.

A review of DHHL budget documents shows significant discrepancies between reported spending and encumbered funds, highlighting the need for transparency and proper accounting. Beneficiaries deserve a system that delivers real homes, not paper promises.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) calls for it in HHCA §§208, 212, 213. In §207, it calls for trust resources to be prudently administered for beneficiaries. In §§207, 209, it calls for programs supporting homesteading – like down payment assistance (10% set aside of $60 million). And in §207, it calls for all decision-making to reflect beneficiary consultation and priorities.

Without knowing what funds were legally committed to projects, infrastructure funding remains uncertain, delaying cost-effective development and limiting access to affordable housing. It is essential that the legislature, DHHL, and the public can see that trust resources are being properly managed.

Act 279 must deliver awards of actual lots and homes. No more paper awards that merely move beneficiaries off one waitlist only to be put on another. Delaying awards delays generations of their birthright. The time is now to ensure a system that finally works for the 29,000 waitlist beneficiaries and fulfills the promise of the HCCA and Act 279. Eō Ea!

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A Vision to Restore Wailuanuiahoʻano https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/a-vision-to-restore-wailuanuiahoano/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:00:42 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=22885 I’m dedicating this month’s column to the vision of I Ola Wailuanui for a very special place: Wailuanuiahoʻano – which includes the lands where the former Coco Palms Hotel once stood.

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I’m dedicating this month’s column to the vision of I Ola Wailuanui for a very special place: Wailuanuiahoʻano – which includes the lands where the former Coco Palms Hotel once stood.

The district is a unique and sacred area that represents an important part of Kauaʻi’s history and was once the island’s social, political and religious center. I Ola Wailuanui is a nonprofit community-based organization formed and managed by Kauaʻi residents for the purpose of preserving, protecting and restoring Wailuanuiahoʻano and the environmental, historical, and cultural treasures located therein.

They strongly oppose the development of any hotel and aim to develop a plan and partnership to acquire and manage the site. Their vision is to restore Wailuanuiahoʻano to a flourishing space for cultural enrichment, education, conservation and food production; to develop a thriving Hawaiian cultural and education center, agricultural park, and resource for generations to come. They propose a community process that honors the deep history of this place, both ancient and modern, led by individuals with ancestral ties and roots.

The site was surrounded by ancient heiau, the birthing place for royalty, the site of astronomical tracking of the rising heavens; and a gathering place and social headquarters in ancient Hawaiʻi. It was said to be King Kaumualiʻi’s favorite place to live.

Māhele records show that the seaward portion of the former Coco Palms resort encompasses the Mahunapuʻuone burial grounds. There are heiau and sacred temples starting from the mouth of the Wailua river all the way to the summit of Waiʻaleʻale.

Ancient loko iʻa (fishponds) – Loko Puʻuone (also Loko Hakuone) and inland fishponds Weuweu and Kaiwiʻiki (also Kawaiʻiki) – are still present on the property.

In old Hawaiʻi, these fishponds were used for fish caught in the ocean. The captured fish were placed in saltwater ponds then slowly moved to freshwater ponds for fattening. The ponds are estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old.

I Ola Wailuanui’s goal is to create a public place of cultural enrichment, historic preservation, land conservation and spiritual nourishment; an educational and interpretive gathering place, a center for Hawaiian cultural stewardship on Kauaʻi, and a hub for learning.

They want to provide a place for Hawaiians and locals of all backgrounds and ages to reconnect with this sacred and culturally significant space. Through outreach, ʻāina-based land restoration projects and an established educational center they want to inspire, reconnect, educate, empower and employ those closest to this ʻāina.

Their broader vision includes: 1) A piko for Hawaiian cultural advancement; 2) A gathering place and community space; 3) Agricultural restoration and local food production; 4) Lāʻau lapaʻau medicinal and Native Hawaiian gardens; 5) Loko iʻa restoration and food production; 6) A place for the arts (i.e., a musical amphitheater and hula mound) and; 7) A place for learning (i.e., a museum, language, history, legends, crafts and games). If you would like to kōkua, email: IOlaWailuanui@gmail.com.

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To You, Beloved Kumu Leināʻala https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/to-you-beloved-kumu-leinaala/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:00:33 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=22629 E Kumu, you will always be the creative and inspirational source (and force) behind each of us “Mokihana” and our entire Hālau ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala, from the youngest keiki to the eldest kupuna.

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E Kumu, you will always be the creative and inspirational source (and force) behind each of us “Mokihana” and our entire Hālau ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala, from the youngest keiki to the eldest kupuna.

Though your recent passing leaves a profound emptiness in our hearts and lives, your lessons will forever be in us: in our continued learning, in our every oli and hula and, more than anything, in our everyday lives of sharing our hula, culture and aloha.

Even while battling cancer, you led our hālau through challenging, lengthy preparations to return to Merrie Monarch to again share yours (and their) best with the world. As always, you led with grace, strength, intelligence and determination.

These are a few of my personal favorite Merrie Monarch memories: 1) 2025 Miss Aloha Hula Jaedyn Janae Puahaulani Pavao, a testament to the enduring power of your life, teachings and love; 2) 2024 Wahine ʻAuana 2nd Place KipuKai hula honoring my paniolo father Wilfred “Willy” Kualiʻi who you ensured was present; 3) 2023 Miss Aloha Hula First Runner-Up Breeze Ann Kalehuaonalani Vidinha Jardin, a testament to your love for Breeze’s Niʻihau kūpuna, as well as for Ke Akua (Our Heavenly Father God) and; 4) 2022 Overall Winner sweeping the wāhine competition and representing Kauaʻi in purple velvet magically floating across the stage to Mokihana Lullaby and Kauaʻi Lana i ke Kai sung by Robert Cazimero.

E Kumu, you taught us to dance with intention and to always share aloha; to live aloha. And that “hula is life!” You reminded us that hula is not just to be performed for an audience, it’s for our ancestors, our ʻāina and ourselves. You taught us to be stewards of our culture and language as well as of our ʻāina. You showed us how to express deep reverence and aloha in honoring others. You embodied aloha in every interaction, lesson, and embrace.

We cannot thank you enough for nurturing and instilling in us both technique and the kuleana to honor and perpetuate our culture with integrity and joy. We will forever reflect your spirit – disciplined yet joyful, rooted yet innovative. Your legacy lives on in ours and in the countless lives you’ve touched.

We will carry you, your teachings, and intention forward. And you will forever be honored in our hula, oli and mele as your spirit guides us. Mahalo nui loa for your life and your love. E hula mau nō mākou no ʻoe. We will dance for you always!

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Līhuʻe Café Serves Up Aloha https://kawaiola.news/columns/kanaka-forward-on-the-homesteads/lihue-cafe-serves-up-aloha/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 18:00:16 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=22386 Kawika Kualiʻi and Kaina Lovell have been serving up Aloha at “Aloha Craft Café” in the Old Līhuʻe Plantation building for over three years now.

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Kawika Kualiʻi and Kaina Lovell have been serving up Aloha at “Aloha Craft Café” in the Old Līhuʻe Plantation building for over three years now.

The Café’s beginnings go back to “Plantation Coffee,” the former employment program for recovering addicts operated by “Love the Journey.” Kawika went through the program himself and quickly became the lead manager.

So, it was only natural when the former owners moved away that Kawika and his spouse, Kaina, would seize the opportunity to create Aloha Craft Café. Kaina was already a food crafter along with his sister, Nalani Kaneakua, sourcing their salad and sandwich creations to health food stores like Vim & Vigor.

Both young entrepreneurs had been wanting to create something of their own — to take the next step and become business owners. They knew their potential, given their background and years of experience in hospitality and food service. Their goal was to build something thoughtful and authentic, a place that celebrates quality, craftsmanship, and the aloha spirit. They refer to their small, close-knit team as family rather than staff — saying everyone plays an important part in keeping things running smoothly and upholding the Café’s standards for quality and consistency.

They both wear many hats. From day-to-day operations and menu development to overseeing catering partnerships and customer experience, they’re very hands-on. They take pride in being involved in every detail to make sure everything they serve lives up to their “crafted with aloha” philosophy.

Their coffee service focuses on quality beans, careful preparation, and friendly service. Their breakfast highlights fresh, satisfying favorites — like breakfast burritos served with their signature creamy garlic sauce. For lunch, their craft club is a standout: turkey, avocado, bacon, and cheese often enjoyed with a side of that same creamy garlic sauce.

Another favorite (and my favorite) is their house specialty tuna melt, which has become a go-to for many regulars. I like to add avocado and tomato to mine! The Cafe also partners with several tour companies across the island to provide ready-to-enjoy meals for guests on the go — it’s their way of extending the “Aloha” beyond the “Café.”

The Café’s following includes a loyal mix of local residents and repeat visitors. County, state and other workers from all over Līhuʻe Town stop by to grab-and-go or hang out in the cozy lobby dining room.

The Café is quite the gathering place – especially on Fridays when the kūpuna come to kanikapila. Come check it out!

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