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Hōʻahu
 

"to set aside for the future"

About Hōʻahu

Hōʻahu Land Tax

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Hawaiʻi is a place to experience beauty and restoration through our ancestors' care and relationship with this ʻāina (lands and waters) across generations. If you are a guest on Kauaʻi, we invite you to share your aloha and respect by supporting the people of this place.  

Hōʻahu is a voluntary contribution that visitors and residents on Kauaʻi can make to return lands to community hands and keep Native Hawaiian and long-time families rooted to their home places. 

The Hōʻahu Land Tax directly supports protection and restoration of family lands threatened by sale and development. Hōʻahu is part of the global "Landback" movement to restore ʻāina to indigenous peoples and ensure they have the authority and cultural independence to steward, govern, and protect the places they call home - places vital to us all.  

 

Hawaiʻi is ʻāina kulaiwi: the only homeland of the indigenous people of Hawaiʻi, land in which the bones of our ancestors are buried.  The lands of Hawaiʻi are the source of all Native Hawaiian cultural practices and language and also some of the most coveted and high value real estate in the entire world.  Anyone visiting, buying or living upon lands in Hawaiʻi shares a kuleana to care for this place, leave it better than we found it, and work to address historical injustice.  

 

Hōʻahu ("to set aside for the future") refers to hale hōʻahu, houses where area residents brought regular offerings of their harvest, gathered, then saved to care for the needs of the entire community. This practice allowed for the sharing of abundance amongst those with plenty and those in need. Hale hōʻahu also provided collective security for times of unstable weather, drought or famine, preparing communities for uncertainty. 
 

Inspired by Native Land Taxes & Funds:

Lahaina Community Land Trust, Maui, HI (link)

Shuumi Land Tax: Sogorea Te' Land Trust, Bay Area, CA (link)

Real Rent Duwamish: Duwamish Tribe, Seattle, WA (link)

 

Honor Native Land Tax: The Red Nation and Pueblo Action Alliance, Albuquerque, NM (link)   

Manna-Hatta Fund: American Indian Community House, New York City, NY (link)

 

Tongva Return the Land Fund: Tongva Taraxat Paxaaxvxa Conservancy, Los Angeles, CA (link)

Pay Your Rent: Nii’kinaaganaa (Inuit peoples, Abénakis and Naskapi-Eeyou), Canada (link

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