Hawaiʻi Rising

A reposted episode from 2023 about food access and resilient futures with Hulali Soza and Megan Fox from Mālama Kauaʻi. Mālama Kauaʻi has been working to increase food production and access for a resilient Kauaʻi since 2006. They do this through a lens of resilience and sustainability, leveraging workforce and economic development efforts, partnerships, and innovative programs to grow community capacity. Their Kaua‘i Food Access Plan 2030 identifies land access and land-back movements as a key missing piece to the success of Hawaiʻiʻs future food system. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In our fourth multi-grantee episode, we hear from three organizations working to restore ahupuaʻa systems and perpetuate ʻike kupuna about ʻāina stewardship on three different islands. First, on Molokai, we hear from Hano and Maile Naehu at Hui o Kuapā about their work to restore loko iʻa and grow a new generation of modern konohiki. Second, we go to East Maui to hear from Jerome Kekiwi, Jr. from Nā Moku Aupuni o Koʻolau Hui, a group representing kalo farmers that restored taro-feeding streams from commercial diversions and continues to steward their waters. Finally, we head to Kona, Hawaiʻi, with Loke Aloua at Hui Kaloko-Honokōhau. The kiaʻi loko of the hui dedicate themselves to preserving and advancing the natural and cultural resources of Kaloko Fishpond and protecting the ecosystem that sustains it. To learn more about these hui, listen to our full episodes with each of them: 1. Hui o Kuapā: Restoring Fish Ponds on Molokai 25. Nā Moku Aupuni o Koʻolau Hui: When the Water Came Back on Maui 30. Hui Kaloko-Honokōhau: Stewards to the Realm of Kanaloa Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview from 2023 about community empowerment and language access with Eola Lokebol, an advocate and interpreter at Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant and Migrant Resource Center. Waipahu Safe Haven provides holistic programs and services with language access to empower and uplift Hawaii's immigrant and migrant communities, primarily serving our growing Marshallese and Chuukese communities as well as Samoans and Filipinos. The Center convenes Chuukese and Marshallese steering committees to guide programs and build support for their respective communities. Website: waipahusafehaven.com/ Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Rising presents "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In episode five, Mālama Mākua board members Aunty Lynette Cruz and Uncle Sparky Rodrigues discuss the evolution of Mālama Mākua's mission, and we hear significant recent developments in the movement for the return and restoration of Mākua Valley. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org. Before Us is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In our third multi-grantee episode, we hear from three organizations working towards the restoration of Hawaiian food systems, in particular through the foundational practice of uhau humu pōhaku (Hawaiian drystack masonry). First, we hear from Keʻalohi Wang at Hui Hoʻoniho, an organization founded in 1996 to perpetuate the intergenerational transmission of uhau humu pōhaku. From there, we learn about two ʻāina-based organizations working to restore significant traditional agricultural systems, both with the name Kahaluʻu: At Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa in Kahaluʻu, Kona, Hawaiʻi, we hear from Jesse and Kim Kahoʻonei about their work restoring a 354-acre parcel of the traditional Kona field system. From Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu in Kahaluʻu, Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu, Hiʻiaka Jardine and Philip Kapu share about their efforts to restore the Kahaluʻu Loʻi--the largest intact terraced loʻi system on Oʻahu. To learn more about these hui, listen to our full episodes with them: 29. Kaiāulu ‘o Kahalu‘u: Hawaiian Engineering and ‘Āina Restoration in Kahalu‘u 33. Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa (Huliauapaʻa): Food Sovereignty and ʻĀina Education in Kona 62. Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa: Reconnecting Kānaka to ʻĀina in Kona 63. Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu: Restoring the Kahaluʻu Loʻi 73. Hui Hoʻoniho: Building a Foundation through Uhau Humu Pōhaku Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview from 2023 about ʻāina restoration and hale construction with Ed Gomes and Kukona Lopes from Ke Kahua o Kūaliʻi. Ke Kahua o Kūaliʻi's mission is to inspire and support cultural and environmental wellness through land stewardship of Palalupe and Pōhakea at Kawainui fishpond in Kailua, Oʻahu. Their Kūkulu Kauhale Program fosters traditional land management and supports cultural practice by training community members in the cultural arts and lifeways of hale construction, care, and maintenance. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Rising presents "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In episode four, scholar and Mālama Mākua board member Kyle Kajihiro shares the story of the Army's 65-year lease in Mākua Valley, which expires in 2029, and of community efforts to protect and reclaim lands taken by the military. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org. Before Us is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In our second multi-grantee episode, we hear from three organizations who identify their work with kīpuka: regenerative spaces that help reseed and regrow the areas around them. First, we hear from Mehana Vaughan and Jennifer Luck from Kīpuka Kuleana (featured in episode 2), which perpetuates kuleana, ahupua'a-based natural resource management and connection to place through protection of cultural landscapes and family lands on Kaua'i. Next, we visit Kuhialoko and hear from Iokepa and Kalei Miner (featured in episode 43). Kuhialoko works to restore a sense of community ownership and kuleana to an area riddled by a prolonged history of military occupation and displacement near Puʻuloa. Finally, Anthony Deluze and Dani Espiritu speak to us at Kaʻōnohi about Hōʻola Hou Iā Kalauao (featured in episode 75), which revives and brings life to Kalauao, an ahupuaʻa in the moku of ʻEwa on the island of Oʻahu. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Rising presents "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In episode three, we hear the last living memory of the pre-WWII Mākua community before the eviction. Born in Mākua in 1925, Ford Ushijima shares stories of his childhood in the Valley, fishing, farming, and learning steel guitar in a multi-ethnic ranching community. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org. Before Us is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Rising presents "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In episode two, we enter Mākua Valley with Mālama Mākua and hear the story of how Mālama Mākua fought to protect the valley, reconnected with the ʻāina through cultural access, and brought about an unlikely end to live-fire training. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org. Before Us is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Multi-Grantee Episode! A conversation with Leila Kealoha from Pōhaku Pelemaka and ʻĀinaaloha Ioane from the Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation. Leila and ʻĀina share about their work on the Puna coast and in Keaukaha respectively, reclaiming and stewarding spaces in their own communities for their communities, as well as collaboration between their organizations. Check out our previous episodes with these hui: episode 55 with Pōhaku Pelemaka and episode 5 and episode 45 with the Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Rising presents "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In episode one, Mālama Mākua board members Uncle Sparky Rodrigues and Uncle Vince Dodge share the backstory of how Mālama Mākua formed out of the convergence of two streams of activism: the anti-eviction struggle at Mākua Beach and the peace activists organizing against the environmental impacts of military activity in Mākua Valley. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, visit www.malamamakua.org. Before Us is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

This week, Hawaiʻi Rising presents episodes from the series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In this final mini episode, Mākua descendant ʻEleu Robins reads an excerpt from He Moolelo Kaao o Hiiakaikapoliopele from the Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on November 30, 1926. In this part of the epic tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, Hiʻiaka instructs the community on how to continue caring for the injured girl. The Mākua community members bemoan their lack of water, and Hiʻiaka reveals an underground source of freshwater to them. For an English translation of the story of Hiʻiaka at Mākua by Kepā Maly, visit www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka. The full series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" is available on the podcast Before Us. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

This week, Hawaiʻi Rising presents episodes from the series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In this third mini episode, Mākua descendant ʻEleu Robins reads an excerpt from He Moolelo Kaao o Hiiakaikapoliopele from the Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on November 30, 1926. In this part of the epic tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, Hiʻiaka battles and defeats the kupua Pōhakuloa in exactly the way she described to the people of Mākua, who are amazed to see the action unfold. For an English translation of the story of Hiʻiaka at Mākua by Kepā Maly, visit www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka. The full series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" is available on the podcast Before Us. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

This week, Hawaiʻi Rising presents episodes from the series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In this second mini episode, series producer Kenji Cataldo reads an excerpt from He Moolelo Kaao o Hiiakaikapoliopele from the Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on November 23, 1926. In this part of the epic tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, Hiʻiaka shares that it was a kupua, or shapeshifter, named Pōhakuloa who was responsible for the Mākua girl's death and explains to disbelieving locals that she will expel the kupua to prevent further harm. For an English translation of the story of Hiʻiaka at Mākua by Kepā Maly, visit www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka. The full series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" is available on the podcast Before Us. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

This week, Hawaiʻi Rising presents episodes from the series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" from the Before Us podcast, an audio-documentary series produced in collaboration with Mālama Mākua. In this mini episode, series producer Kenji Cataldo reads an excerpt from He Moolelo Kaao o Hiiakaikapoliopele from the Hawaiian-language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on November 23, 1926. In this part of the epic tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, Hiʻiaka arrives at Mākua by sea and witnesses a girl die after striking an unfamiliar rock at the community's usual cliff jumping spot. Hiʻiaka recovers her body, pulls her to shore, and revives her. For an English translation of the story of Hiʻiaka at Mākua by Kepā Maly, visit www.malamamakua.org/hiiaka. The full series "Mākua: Piko of Peace" is available on the podcast Before Us. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Conversations about supporting community healing and dreaming through art with organizers, artists, and youth at Wisdom Circles Oceania: Sierra Dew (founder) and Nara Boone (Maui coordinator); Mariana Monasi (community artist); and Violet Aarona, Alana Koa, and Taytum Herrick (youth participants). Founded in 2016, Wisdom Circles Oceania fosters healing and justice through artistic expression. Their work builds community power and forges a stronger movement for social justice in Hawaiʻi by focusing on creating a community of care that centers youth voices, community workers, and accessible creative spaces for all ages. Website: www.wisdomcircles.org/ Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview from 2024 about education and liberation with Dr. Kū Kahakalau and Pōlanimakamae Kahakalau, the president and executive director of EA Ecoversity. EA Ecoversity is a culture-based, post-secondary education and career training institution grounded in Education with Aloha (EA). Their inaugural Kanaka Culinary Arts Diploma program was launched in the summer of 2024. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Celebrating Hawaiian Language Month with a special episode in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi featuring Dr. Kū Kahakalau and Pōlani Kahakalau, with guest host Pualiʻi Rossi. Also check out our past English-language episode with Dr. Kū and Pōlani about EA Ecoversity. Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo ʻAnakē Kū Kahakalau lāua ʻo Pōlani Kahakalau e pili ana i ko lāua hoʻomau ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ka hale, ma ke kula, a ma ko lāua ʻoihana i kapa ʻia ʻo EA Ecoversity. ʻO ka mea hoʻokipa no ia kamaʻilio ʻana, ʻo ia ʻo Pualiʻi Rossi, he alakaʻi ma ka hui ʻo I Ola Wailuanui a he lālā ma ka hui ʻo Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action. Website: www.kuakanaka.com/eaecoversity Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about community stewardship of ʻāina with Pualiʻi Rossi and Mason Chock from I Ola Wailuanui. I Ola Wailuanui is a grassroots community organization formed and managed by Kauaʻi residents for the purpose of preserving, protecting, and restoring Wailuanuiahoʻāno and the environmental, historical, and cultural treasures there. Their vision is a living ʻili ʻāina for and by thriving kamaʻāina who are culturally rooted and engaged in the stewardship of Wailuanuiahoʻāno.  Website: www.wailuanui.org/ Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview about Pan-Pacific solidarity with Jonathan Osorio and Tammy Tabe, two organizers of the 2024 Protecting Oceania conference. During the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture held on Oʻahu in 2024, Protecting Oceania brought together Pasifika philosophers and grassroots organizers to forge new alliances, formations, strategies, and tactics rooted in their own worldviews, to determine how best to address those issues causing the most harm to Pacific peoples. Their hope is that the Protecting Oceania convening is only the beginning of setting a new agenda of collective self-determination for the Pacific in the 21st century. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview about transnational feminist organizing with Alani Santana and ʻIhilani Lasconia from the Hawaiʻi chapter of AF3IRM. AF3IRM stands for the Association of Feminists Fighting Fascism, Imperialism, Refeudalization, and Marginalization. Founded in 1989, AF3IRM is a transnational feminist, anti-imperialist organization of women dedicated to the struggle for women's liberation and the fight against oppression in all its forms. The Hawaiʻi Chapter was established in 2016 and amplifies the connections between the de-occupation of Hawaiʻi and women's liberation, organizing under the call for “Land Back, Bodies Back!” Instagram: @af3irmhawaii Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Today, January 17, 2025, is the 132nd anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Each year, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi and the Queen's Court convene the ʻOnipaʻa Peace March and Rally to make sure the overthrow is never forgotten. In this podcast short, re-aired from an interview in 2022, Healani Sonoda-Pale shares about the history of the overthrow, its impact on Kānaka Maoli, and the importance of ʻOnipaʻa as an act of remembrance. To learn more about the 2025 ʻOnipaʻa Peace March, visit kalahuihawaii.net/onipaapeacemarch. To listen to the full interview with Healani from 2022, see episode 34 in our feed. Tag: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

On Friday, January 17, 2025, thousands will gather in Honolulu for the annual ʻOnipaʻa Peace March and Rally, marching from the Mauna Ala Royal Mausoleum to ʻIolani Palace. The 2025 march marks the 132nd anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the beginning of u.s. occupation. The annual event, convened by the Queenʻs Court and Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, raises public awareness about the overthrow and occupation and calls the lāhui and allies to stand firm. In today's special episode, Kauwila Sheldon, a committee member of Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, shares about the history and significance of the ʻOnipaʻa march and gives context and pointers for those who would like to participate. Learn more on the Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi website at www.kalahuihawaii.net/onipaapeacemarch. We hope to see you there! Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about aloha ʻāina in the highly urbanized and militarized context of Kalauao with Anthony Deluze and Dani Espiritu from Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao. Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao revives and brings life to Kalauao, an ahupuaʻa in the moku of ʻEwa on the island of Oʻahu. Their vision is a thriving and abundant ʻEwa moku beginning with the ahupuaʻa of Kalauao. Recognizing the negative impacts of urban development and militarization on both the ʻāina and kānaka of ʻEwa, the hui works to create and maintain kīpuka (places of calm, safety, and regeneration) where culture can thrive, food can be cultivated, and ʻāina and kānaka can heal and be restored. The hui is currently restoring māla and loʻi kalo at Kaʻōnohi, a small, organic farm and ʻili in Kalauao completely surrounded by development, which is their base of operations. Website: hoolahouiakalauao.wordpress.com/ Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about supporting and empowering youth and ʻohana affected by incarceration with Jamee Miller and Kalei K-aloha from ʻEkolu Mea Nui. ʻEkolu Mea Nui is dedicated to addressing the overrepresentation of Native Hawaiians in Hawaiʻi's carceral system and empowering those directly impacted by incarceration, particularly youth and families, to be leaders in the movement for transformative change. Through mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement, the hui aims to prevent intergenerational incarceration and break the cycle of harm within Hawaiʻi communities. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about uhau humu pōhaku (Hawaiian drystack masonry) and intergenerational knowledge transmission with Keʻalohi Wang and Kaimalu Cope from Hui Hoʻoniho. Hui Hoʻoniho's mission is to build a firm foundation to cultivate and strengthen community through the practice of uhau humu pōhaku, providing entry into exploring ʻike Hawaiʻi through a deeper sense of stewardship towards ʻāina and uhau humu pōhaku's connection to the agricultural, ecological, and cultural practices of Hawaiʻi. Through the restoration of these critical knowledge systems, the hui perpetuates intergenerational knowledge transmission for the benefit of current and future generations. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview about regenerative food systems and progressive leadership development with Anne Frederick, Fern Holland, and Hina Kaʻōpua at the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA). HAPA is a dynamic organization with a rich history of advocacy for environmental justice and public health in Hawaiʻi. Their roots lie in the fight for basic pesticide protections, a battle that saw them standing shoulder to shoulder with frontline communities, advocating for their right to a safe and healthy environment. HAPA's intersectional programming recognizes that food systems issues in Hawaiʻi are interconnected with other social, economic and environmental justice issues, advancing social change in Hawaiʻi by building upon the successful foundations of those who came before and bringing it into the future. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about protecting ʻāina by analyzing and intervening in government processes with Shelley Muneoka, Marti Townsend, and Logan Narikawa from KAHEA: the Hawaiian Environmental Alliance. KAHEA works to address the failure of government to protect Hawaiʻi communities and natural resources. Their members include Hawaiian cultural practitioners, aloha ‘āina advocates, and environmental conservationists. Mobilizing aloha ‘āina communities in ways that realize their collective strength, intelligence, and vision, the hui seeks to build networks of politically conscious folks across Hawai'i by providing cogent analyses of government and administrative processes involved in furthering extractive capitalism, settler colonialism, and white supremacy. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about circular economic practices on Maui with Nicole Huguenin, Lehua Simon, and Leo Nahe Smith from the Circular Hawaiʻi Collective. Circular Hawaiʻi is a conduit and connector of dots in Maui's circular economy, centering the reestablishment of indigenous models of circularity and incubating collaborative efforts to increase participation in circular-based economic practices. Circular Hawaiʻi is a collaborative effort between initiatives that emerged in 2022 to respond to the impact of the Covid pandemic. In the economic aftermath of the 2023 Maui wildfires, Circular Hawaiʻi seeks to support residents by informing them about the free, subsidized, and affordable local resources available to them. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about graduate worker organizing with Dianne Deauna and Ken Reyes, two Executive Committee members of Academic Labor United (ALU). ALU organizes graduate workers of the University of Hawaiʻi system to empower them to hold their employers accountable. Even as graduate worker labor is recognized by the University as fundamental to its success, their work is continually devalued by the State and University administration which refuse to pay them a living wage, have no viable process for addressing grievances, and have failed multiple times to keep graduate workers safe in their working environments. ALU is fighting to establish a graduate worker union, which would be the first new public employee union in Hawaiʻi in 50 years. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about community care and shifting the perception of consensual sex work in Hawaiʻi with Doug Upp and Jin Kwak, organizers with the Hawaiʻi chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP). SWOP Hawaiʻi is a grassroots organization led by sex workers, advocating for the safety, healing, and liberation of marginalized communities engaged in consensual adult labor. Through direct support services, mutual aid, and community empowerment initiatives, they address systemic discrimination at the intersections of race, gender, and class. The hui's work challenges stigma and advocates for the decriminalization of adult consensual sex work. Instagram: @swophawaii Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about Palestine solidarity organizing in Hawaiʻi with Cynthia Franklin and Imani Altemus-Williams from the Hawaiʻi chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. JVP Hawaiʻi works to educate Hawaiʻi communities about settler-colonialism in Palestine and the links to colonialism and militarism in Hawaiʻi. They organize Jewish and non-Jewish communities towards an end to u.s. funding to Israeli apartheid and the militarized occupation of Palestine. They work to build a loving and intersectional anti-zionist Jewish community in Hawaiʻi where everyone is welcome and feels safe in expressing their solidarity with Palestine, taking action for tangible social change for the liberation of both Palestine and Hawaiʻi. Instagram: @jvphawaii Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about creating spaces of reconnection for Black folks in Hawaiʻi with Dr. Akiemi Glenn and Jamila Jarmon from the Pōpolo Project. Founded in 2017, the Pōpolo Project is committed to redefining perceptions of Black people in Hawai‘i and creating a deep reconnection to themselves as individuals, to their community, to their ancestors, and to the lands that sustain them. They build community power by strengthening collective memory, practicing cultures together, developing a vocabulary to talk about race in Hawaiʻi, and highlighting intergenerational efforts to connect the Black community in Hawaiʻi to the liberation efforts of others. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A conversation about organizing for a rehabilitative justice system with Kaleihau Kamauʻu and Ron Fujiyoshi from ʻOhana Hoʻopakele. ‘Ohana Ho'opakele was founded by kūpuna as an intervention to the disproportionate number of Kānaka Maoli in Hawai'i's prisons. The hui began this journey by opposing the building of new prisons on Hawai'i Island, and their research illuminated the goal of building pu'uhonua to provide healing for paʻahao (or people who are incarcerated) before they return back into society. ʻOhana Hoʻopakele rejects the punitive model of the current prison system, and they pursue multiple avenues to create change towards a rehabilitative system while building a strong base among pa'ahao, ex-pa'ahao, their families, and supporters. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Announcing a new season of Hawaiʻi Rising featuring our 2024 grantee cohort, coming soon wherever you listen to podcasts.   Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Each year for Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, two people are honored for their activism and commitment to ea. This year, the two honorees are Sparky Rodrigues and his late wife Leandra Wai of Mālama Mākua, who have fought for the care and reclamation of Mākua Valley since 1996. In this special episode, Sparky reflects on his and Leandra's life, work, and legacy. To learn more about Mālama Mākua, check out our previous interview with Uncle Sparky and Aunty Lynette Cruz in episode 17 Mālama Mākua: Piko of Peace as well as a special update from last December about the Armyʻs written statement that they don't need Mākua for live fire training ever again. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii.  

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea is coming up at the end of July! In this special episode from 2023, learn about community celebrations of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, or Sovereignty Restoration Day, in recent years. The 2024 Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea celebration at Pōkaʻi Bay, Waiʻanae, is on Saturday, July 27, and the celebration at Thomas Square, Honolulu, will be on Sunday, July 28. Come join us! Guests in order of appearance: Imaikalani Winchester, Pōlani Kahakalau-Kalima, Wahinehula Kaeo, Ke‘alohi Quiamno, Kyle Kajihiro, Uʻi and Kalani Puaʻoi, Makaio Villanueva and Nani Peterson, and Lynette Cruz. To learn more about Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, listen to our previous interview in episode 26. Lā Ho'iho'i Ea Honolulu: Visions of a Sovereign Future. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea is coming up at the end of July! The 2024 LHE celebration at Thomas Square will be on Sunday, July 28. In this episode from 2022, we spoke with organizers of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea Honolulu: Imaikalani Winchester, Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻopua, and Mahina Kaomea. LHE Honoluluʻs mission is to provide safe spaces to celebrate Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea through educational, cultural, and community networking events, focusing on Hawaiian independence, social justice and open dialogue around multi-faceted practices of EA (life, breath, rising, sovereignty). Website: lahoihoiea.org Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In this episode with Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo, Halealoha Ayau and Mana Caceres talk through a case study of a successful repatriation of iwi kūpuna (Hawaiian ancestral bones) from the Duckworth Laboratory at Cambridge University, from first learning about the iwi at Cambridge to their reburial last year. This repatriation was noteworthy as the first ever successful repatriation of ancestral remains from Cambridge by any Indigenous community. For 33 years, Hui Iwi Kuamo'o has provided care for iwi kūpuna (ancestral Hawaiian bones), moepū (funerary possessions) and mea kapu (sacred objects) through repatriation and reburial. To learn more about the history of Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo and their approach to this transformative work, check out our first episode with Halealoha and Mana: episode 28: Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo: Restoring the Ancestral Foundation. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In this two-episode special, we hear from five students active in the 2019 mobilization to protect Mauna Kea from the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Part 2: "The Occupation Bachman Hall" shares the experiences of students who occupied the Board of Regents' office building on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus during the fall 2019 semester. Their 117-day sit-in was the longest in UH history. These stories were recorded in conjunction with the Kūkulu Exhibit "Hoʻomana" brought to the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa through a partnership between HPF grantee Mauna Kea Education & Awareness and KTUH. Student voices (in order of appearance): Beau Shishido, Anuhea Tavares, Kāhili Liu-Hanohano, and ʻIhilani Lasconia. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In this two-episode special, we hear from five students active in the 2019 mobilization to protect Mauna Kea from the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Part 1: "Students Standing for Mauna Kea" focuses on action up on the Mauna during the summer of 2019. These stories were recorded in conjunction with the Kūkulu Exhibit "Hoʻomana" brought to the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa through a partnership between HPF grantee Mauna Kea Education & Awareness and KTUH. Student voices (in order of appearance): ʻIhilani Lasconia, Makanalani Gomes, and Kāhili Liu-Hanohano. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In this special episode, we take a step back and share some of the voices of the HPF board and grantmaking committee whose volunteer service and leadership behind the scenes is crucial to the work. We ask them: why do you choose to serve with HPF? Mahalo to these directors and grantmakers for sharing their voices: Ashley Galacgac, Hina Kaʻōpua-Canonigo, James Maunakea Secritario, Jonathan Pilikai Fisk, Katherine Burke, Natalie Debiasi, and Nikki Cristobal. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In this episode, hear updates about the restoration of Kahaluʻu Loʻi with Phillip Kapu and Aimee Sato from Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu. Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu is a grassroots hui created to serve, organize, and uplift community voices of the Kahalu'u ahupuaʻa on Oʻahuʻs windward side. Currently, their primary focus is the restoration of the Kahalu'u Lo'i, hosting community engagement events, and serving and advocating for the Kahalu'u community. To learn more about the origins of the hui and their vision for the future, listen to our first interview with founders Hiʻiaka Jardine and Jen Nakamura in episode 29: Hawaiian Engineering and ʻĀina Restoration in Kahaluʻu. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In this interview with Jesse Kekoa Kahoʻonei and Kim Kahoʻonei from Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa, we hear updates on their ʻāina restoration and community education work in the ahupuaʻa of Kahaluʻu in Kona, Hawaiʻi. Kahalu'u Kūāhewa is based in one of Konaʻs largest intact traditional agricultural field systems preserved within a 354-acre area owned by Bishop Estate-Kamehameha Schools. They have documented 3,500 archaeological features, almost all of which are considered traditional agricultural features. To hear about the origins of the hui and moʻolelo of this ʻāina, listen to our first episode with them: episode 33 Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa (Huliauapaʻa): Food Sovereignty and ʻĀina Education in Kona. Website: www.kahaluukuahewa.org/ Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview with Kāhealani Collins on her experience training to be a koʻokua (culturally-based birth worker) in Ka ʻĀmana Mentorship Program at Kalauokekahuli. Kalauokekahuli supports Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people by providing culturally-based perinatal support and education. Through Ka ʻĀmana Mentorship Program, they seek to continue directly addressing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander disparities in birth outcomes by sustainably growing the number of Kalauokekahuli Koʻokua. These new Kalauokekahuli Koʻokua will contribute to the regeneration of a culturally-rooted, extended-ʻohana network by continuing to offer free, high-quality and culturally-competent perinatal care and services accessible for the advancement of the lāhui and Pasifika communities. Website: www.kalauokekahuli.org/ Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In our third episode with Ke Ea Hawaiʻi, we hear updates and what's on the horizon for this hui, featuring Laʻakea Chun (current student), Hina Kaʻōpua-Canonigo (alum), and Trevor Atkins (kumu and advisor).  Ke Ea Hawai'i is an interscholastic student council composed of elected representatives from 17 Hawaiian-focused charter schools. To learn more about the history of Ke Ea and hear from different student voices, check out our first two episodes: Episode 8: News Media for the Hawaiian Kingdom and Episode 44: Normalizing Hawaiian Culture-based Education. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

An interview about political education and building organizational structure with ʻIlima Long, the pelekikena (president) of Ka ʻAhahui Hawaiʻi Aloha ʻĀina. Ka ʻAhahui Hawaiʻi Aloha ʻĀina, or Hui Aloha ʻĀina, was reactivated in 2016 from its original formation in 1893. HAʻĀ exists for the express purpose of perpetuating Hawaiian national identity, the development of a Hawaiian national consciousness, and the restoration of Hawaiian national independence. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Ma kēia kamaʻilio ʻana, ʻōlelo mai ʻo Mehana Vaughan e pili ana i ka hana o ka ʻahahui ʻo Kīpuka Kuleana ma ka mokupuni ʻo Kauaʻi. Na Kīpuka Kuleana e kākoʻo i nā ʻohana ʻōiwi e mālama a noho mau i ko lākou ʻāina kupuna. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi special episode with Mehana Vaughan (Kīpuka Kuleana), hosted by Hina Kaʻōpua Canonigo. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

A short companion episode to today's interview with Mehana Vaughan in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. In this excerpt from an earlier interview with Mehana in English, she shares about the origin and the work of Kīpuka Kuleana. Listen to the full  episode here: 2. Kīpuka Kuleana: Protecting Ancestral Lands on Kauaʻi (2021). Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Good news from East Maui! In this interview with Nā Moku Aupuni o Koʻolau Hui, Jerome Kekiwi, Jr. and Jessie Kekiwi-Aweau share about a recent win for their community: Nā Moku received a 65-year lease for Keʻanae Uka! Nā Moku Aupuni o Koʻolau Hui perpetuates the Kanaka Maoli traditional and customary lifestyle of Keʻanae-Wailuanui, Maui. Encompassing nearly 400 acres of loʻi, this area was renowned for taro farming until commercial stream diversions completely dewatered the area. In 2018, the community's 30-year legal struggle resulted in the largest stream restoration in Hawaiʻiʻs history. With their new long-term lease for Keʻanae Uka, Nā Moku can extend their mauka stewardship and implement a long-term plan for their community's ʻāina and wai. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii