Hōʻahu means to set aside for the future. The word 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. 

​

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 legacies of injustice. The Hōʻahu Lands Fund directly supports protection and restoration of family lands threatened by sale and development. Hōʻahu is part of a larger 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.