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We provide tailored support to families working to keep ancestral lands  Kākoʻo ʻOhana Support 2025 ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop Series SAVE THE DATE: Property Tax Exemption Workshop Wednesday, July 23 from 5-7pm Līhuʻe Public Library (4344 Hardy Street) Do you have questions about what tax relief options are available to your ʻohana? Would you like to file a tax exemption application with support from partners at the tax office, before the September 30 deadline? Join us on July 23 as we partner with the County of Kauaʻi Real Property Assessment Section and Līhuʻe Public Library to host our first Property Tax Exemption Workshop in a series of two this summer. This workshop creates space for talk story and working sessions with tax office representatives. Bring your questions and any documentation that may be needed for your application (see our handout for more details). We will have computers available for accessing tax exemption applications and will offer light pupus while you work. Registration details will be shared soon by email and our social media. Mahalo nui! Click on the image above to view our handout on tax exemptions Join our email newsletter and follow us here for workshop updates: Instagram Facebook Kīpuka Kuleana Estate Planning Workshop: April 26, 2025 We are grateful to all who made our first estate planning workshop so meaningful. Mahalo Hale Līhuʻe, Hā Coffee, Hawaiʻi People's Fund, our attorney partners Sam Suen and Melissa Summers-Day & Ethan Okura from Okura & Associates, our volunteers, and all of the wonderful community members who came out on a Saturday morning to talk story and learn with us. During our first ever estate planning workshop, we invited our partners to share different estate planning tools be used to protect and pass down ʻohana ʻāina, from setting up wills and trusts to navigating probate to identify heirs. This was the first of hopefully many estate planning workshops for Kauaʻi ʻohana working to keep their lands in the family. Click on the image above to view and download the estate planning presentation We provide direct, tailored support to families working to keep ancestral lands. We work with ʻohana to craft respectful solutions tailored to particular ʻāina and circumstances, while also connecting area ʻohana to one another. Below are some examples of land protection tools that we share with ʻohana. See our Resources page for more details. Hoʻoponopono and guided facilitation/mediation : bring ʻohana together in discussions about ʻāina Genealogy research : help ʻohana research their ancestry to qualify for the kuleana tax exemption, to claim land, and to register iwi kūpuna Legal assistance : address probate, title issues, access challenges, quiet title/partition action, etc. Tax relief : work with the County of Kauaʻi tax office to qualify for any tax exemptions or set up a payment plan Conservation resources: protect ʻāina using tools like a cultural conservation easement and models like descendent-led nonprofit organizations Family land trust set-up: keep land within the ʻohana for generations to come Trust and estate planning : set up wills and trusts (revocable, irrevocable, etc.) Homeowner's financial assistance : receive grant funds and loans through groups like Hawaiʻi Community Lending Where families have lost lands, we connect them to resources for regaining ʻāina, sharing manaʻo from leaders like Keʻeaumoku and Uʻilani Kapu. We can also offer support in negotiating access and stewardship agreements, so that ʻohana can continue to care for ʻohana ʻāina without holding title. Projects and Events Inaugural ʻOhana Workshop (2016) With support from Native Voices Rising, our founders brought together 20 community members at QLCC to discuss the protection of kuleana and ʻohana lands in 2016. The manaʻo from this workshop planted the seeds for the formal establishment of Kīpuka Kuleana from 2017-2018. Wawa's Legacy (2017) We advised and supported an ʻohana that successfully protected their ancestral land through a conservation purchase in 2017. ʻĀpana ʻOhana (2020) We co-hosted an online workshop series with nonprofit Huliauapaʻa and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs that reached over 200 community members in 2020. This workshop provided resources for families and others seeking to protect kuleana and ʻohana heir properties. Resources ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop (2023) On January 21, 2023, we hosted an in-person workshop at Liliʻuokalani Trust for 65 community members that provided resources for protecting ancestral ʻāina. Resources ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop (2024) On February 10, we gathered again at Liliʻuokalani Trust for our annual ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop. 65 community members, including 12 facilitators, shared manaʻo and resources for protecting family lands.

Perpetuating kuleana to place through protection of cultural landscapes and family lands. KīPUKA KULEANA Perpetuating kuleana to place through protection of cultural landscapes and family lands This place will feed you, if you know how to take care of it. - Young Hāʻena Fisherman, 2009 On Kauaʻi, long-time families are losing connections to ancestral lands due to escalating land values, rising taxes, restricted access, development pressure and other challenges that threaten identity and perpetuation of cultural practice across generations. Established in 2018, Kīpuka Kuleana is a 501(c)(3) Hawaiʻi nonprofit organization and community-based land trust that protects ancestral lands under threat and revitalizes relationships between people and ʻāina (lands and waters) on Kauaʻi. We strive to grow kīpuka (places of community caretaking and cultural restoration) grounded in kuleana (responsibility) in every ahupuaʻa (traditional land division from mountain to sea) on Kauaʻi. Vision Kupa ʻāina ʻohana (long-time families) continue to thrive in, share the history and practices of, and care for every ahupuaʻa (traditional land division from mountain to sea) on Kauaʻi. Mission Perpetuating kuleana, ahupuaʻa-based natural resource management and connection to place through protection of cultural landscapes and family lands.

Learn more about who we are. RESOURCES For ʻohana Below is our living library of land protection resources, which we update regularly. You can click on a specific topic below (see six tiles) or scroll through all sections. We know that all of this information can be overwhelming. Often, ʻohana aren't sure where to begin. If you'd like to talk story with our team about your situation, we can help you find a starting point and offer suggestions for next steps. You can message us through our Contact Form at the bottom of the webpage or send an email to admin@kipukakuleana.org . Mahalo nunui! We are hosting workshops on many of these topics in 2025. Learn more about our ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop Series here ! Pathways of ʻĀina Protection Hoʻoponopono & Mediation Bring ʻohana members together to share their connections to ʻāina and talk about pono decisions for protecting ʻāina Hoʻoponopono is a process that can help guide ʻohana through discussions to find pono, heal and articulate goals and vision for their ʻohana ʻāina. Below is a list of hoʻoponopono practitioners on Kauaʻi who are willing to serve as a resource for ʻohana: J. Kauʻilani Kahalekai - Lihue (808) 652-1012 Gwen Cardijon - Kekaha (808) 651-4749 Momi Kaiakapu - Hanapepe (808) 651-3811 Carol Lovell - Anahola (808) 635-1125 Mediation is another option for bringing ʻohana together with a trained facilitator to resolve conflict or disagreements related to ʻāina. Two resources for mediation services are: Kauai Economic Opportunity (KEO), Inc. Website: https://keoinc.org/services/mediation Phone: (808) 245-4077, extension 234 Email: mediation@keoinc.org Location: 2804 Wehe Road, Lihue, 96766 Offer mediation and group facilitation sessions that can last up to three hours and are usually held on ʻohana ʻāina, a neutral location or at KEO Cost of session is on a sliding scale, based on income The Mediation Center of the Pacific Website: https://www.mediatehawaii.org/mediation Call (808) 521-6767 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and ask for the Client Services Department Email: mcp@mediatehawaii.org Location: 1301 Young Street, 2nd Floor. Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 Dispute Prevention and Resolution Inc. Website: https://dprhawaii.com/ Phone: (808) 523-1234 Location: 1003 Bishop St. Pauahi Tower Suite 1155. Honolulu, HI 96813 Click to view Hoʻoponopono handout Click to view KEO Mediation Brochure Click to view Plan for Mālama of ʻOhana Āina handout Estate & Trust Planning Plan for long-term protection of and care for ʻohana ʻāina across generations using legal tools Estate and trust planning is one way to preserve ʻāina for future generations. You can learn more about options for wills, trusts and other estate planning tools in the Hawaii Estate Planning Resources handout and online . Family Land Trust Model For land owned by multiple family members, formation of a family land trust may be a proactive option for keeping land in the family for generations to come. A family land trust can be flexible and tailored to each ʻohana's unique needs. For more information, see our Family Land Trust handout. Legal providers that offer this service include: Okura & Associates (808) 593-8885. www.okuralaw.com Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (808) 521-2302. www.nativehawaiianlegalcorp.org Probate Probate is a legal process that deals with the assets and debts left behind after someone passes away. We have indicated in the list below probate attorneys who are accepting new clients, open to working with Kauaʻi ʻohana, and offer services for i nformal probate (also called "standard" or "uncontested" probate) and formal probate (contested, involving litigation). Referrals Below is a non-comprehensive list of estate planning attorneys who can help determine which legal tool is best for your ʻohana's goals. Cynthia Hannah-White and Katherine A. Caswell | Kauai Estate Law LLLC Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration (3 month waitlist for new clients) 4334 Rice Street, Suite 203, Lihue, HI 96766 Phone: (808) 245-9991 Email: info@kauaiestatelaw.com Website: http://www.kauaiestatelaw.com Okura & Associates Estate Planning, Probate Oʻahu office: Interstate Building, Suite 760, 1314 South King St. Honolulu, HI 96814. (808) 593-8885 Hawaiʻi Island office: 155 Wailuluku Drive, Hilo, HI 96720. (808) 935-3344 For probate inquiries: Call the Probate Line (808) 937 9510 and fill out their question form to receive a quote. Website: www.okuralaw.com Michael D. Scarbo (Kauaʻi-based) | McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP Estate Planning, Uncontested Probate Five Waterfront Plaza, 4th Floor, 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: (808) 529-7300 Email: Joy Clemente (jmc@m4law.com ) and Vera Tabe (vtabe@m4law.com ) Website: https://www.m4law.com/ Samuel K.L. Suen Estate Planning, Probate 1575 South Beretania Street, Suite 205, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 Phone: (808) 282-4411 Website: www.sklslaw.com Yuka Hongo Estate Planning, Probate 2155 Kalakaua Ave #410, Honolulu, HI 96815 Fluent in Japanese and English Phone: (808) 204-4700 Website: www.hongolaw.com Sheryll Bonilla Estate planning, Uncontested probate Honolulu Phone: (808) 670-6177 Sterling & Tucker, LLP | Kanani M. Makaimoku Estate Planning Oʻahu office: 201 Merchant Street, Suite 950. Honolulu, HI 96813. (808) 531-5391 Maui office: 2158 Main Street. Suite 109. Wailuku, HI 96793. (800) 807-3820 Hawaiʻi Island office: 614 Kilauea Avenue Suite 8 (first floor). Hilo, HI 96720. (800) 807-3820 Website: https://www.sterlingandtucker.com/contact-us/ Law Office of Keoni Souza, LLC | Keoni Souza Family Estate Planning, Planning for Children, Special Needs Planning, Asset Protection Planning, Estate Tax Protection Planning Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm, by appointment only. Services are provided exclusively online. 1188 Bishop Street, Suite 2706, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone: (808) 725-3456 Email: team@keonisouzalaw.com Website: https://www.keonisouzalaw.com Click to view Hawaii Estate Planning Resources handout Click to view Family Land Trust handout Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii (VLSH) Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii (VLSH) works with attorneys to provide pro bono (free) legal services – including setup of wills, advanced care directives , and power of attorney – to ʻohana with low to moderate income (household incomes at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level for the State of HI). If you are on Kauaʻi, you can call 808-698-8210 to see if you are eligible for those services. www.vlsh.org Click to view VLSH Flyer Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs / Kauai Legal Aid Office Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs works with the Kauai Legal Aid Office to provide free wills, advanced health directives, and power of attorney to people over 60 years old . You can call 808-241-4470 to go through the intake process, and then they will refer you to legal assistance. The entire process could take between 2-6 months, start to finish. Conservation Tools Blend Western conservation tools with Hawaiian values to protect and care for ʻohana ʻāina with community kākoʻo. Some examples of conservation strategies include: Partnering with a land trust or ʻāina organization to place a Conservation Easement on ancestral ʻāina. Forming a descendant-led nonprofit organization or another entity (e.g., family land trust, LLC, etc.) to hold and mālama ʻāina. Working with a land trust to identify a conservation buyer who can purchase vulnerable ʻohana ʻāina and deed transfer the land back to descendant ʻohana. Partnering with a land trust who can purchase and protect your ʻāina, ensuring that it is not sold to an outside buyer and that it may be a community gathering place and piko for ʻohana. Creating stewardship agreements with other owners, community partners, etc. Expanding community access to ʻāina by partnering with a landowner or hui to host community work days and educational programs on ʻāina. If you have questions about what conservation strategies could work for your ʻohana ʻāina, please reach out to us through our contact form. We are always happy to connect you to our partners at other conservation organizations like The Trust for Public Land and Hawaiʻi Land Trust who may be aligned with your goals. Click to view Conservation Easements handout Legal Services Navigate title, access and other challenges related to your ʻāina with support from legal experts Challenges tied to ancestral ʻāina in Hawaiʻi can feel overwhelming and difficult to navigate, especially when numerous owners are involved. Many of these ʻāina issues stem from historical and ongoing colonization in Hawaiian communities. Increasingly, we are seeing landowners take legal action (e.g., quiet title and partition action lawsuits) that dispossesses long-time families of their ancestral lands. Kīpuka Kuleana is not a legal service provider; however, we support ʻohana who are unified in their vision to protect ʻāina and connect them to legal service providers who can support their goals. Below are issues that can be addressed with legal expertise: Clearing title (probate, quiet title) Partition action defense Enforcing trust obligations (Lands Trust, Hawaiian Home Lands) DHHL leases Protecting traditional and customary practices Kuleana land rights Water rights Access rights Easements Iwi kūpuna/Burial protection Subdivision and consolidation of lands Contact: Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) 1164 Bishop Street. Suite 1205 Honolulu, HI 96813 info@nlchi.org 808-521-2302 www.nativehawaiianlegalcorp.org Click to view Quiet Title and Adverse Posession handout Genealogy Learn about your ancestry and proactive measures to protect iwi kūpuna In 2023, we launched a series of moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) workshops guided by volunteer genealogist Uncle Milton Ching that offered personalized genealogy research services to ʻohana working to keep their lands. We hope to resume these small group workshops in the fall of 2024. Below are basic steps for researching your genealogy and more detailed videos from our partners at Huliauapaʻa. I. From any search engine, type in www.ulukau.org Click on Māhele Database, search by Name/Claimant Browsing the collection, click on Kauai, click on moku, LCA, etc Can search by claimant name II. From any search engine, type in www.familysearch.org This is a free site. Create a user name and password. Click on Records, type in any name Click on Family Tree, type in any name Go to Catalogue, type in Hawaii, scroll down to Voting Register 1887 Other Resources Click to viewTips for Interviewing Kūpuna handout Click to view Descendancy Claim Application Click to view Iwi Kūpuna Registration Form Financial Resources Stay rooted to ʻāina amidst escalating land values on Kauaʻi Tax Relief There are several tax relief options for homeowners on Kauaʻi. In addition, homeowners can set up a payment plan with the tax office if they need to address backtaxes over time. We encourage you to contact the Real Property Assessment Section and they can guide you through options: (808) 241-4224 Location: 4444 Rice Street, Suite A-454 Līhu‘e, Hawai‘i 96766 Front Counter Hours: 8am - 4pm (Mon-Fri, except for Holidays) In partnership with the Real Property Assessment Section, we created a handout to summarize property tax exemption information and answer frequently asked questions. The deadline for filing tax exemption applications applied to the next year is September 30 . For an explanation of all tax exemption options and downloadable applications, visit: https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Finance/Real-Property-Tax/Assessment We have listed several tax exemptions below, as examples. Click here to view and download this summary handout on property tax exemptions Kuleana Land Tax Exemption Minimum property tax rate ($150/year) Only 20 ʻohana on Kauaʻi receive this exemption (as of 2024) Contact us (admin@kipukakuleana.org ) if you need genealogy assistance Click to view application Home Exemption Click to view application 2026 Additional Exemption Based on Owner-Occupant's Income/Very-Low Income Tax Credit Click to view application Disability Exemption Click to view application Long Term Affordable Rental Program Click to view application Resources for Homeowners Hawaiʻi Community Lending offers grants, loans and other resources to Kauaʻi ʻohana, with specific focus on Native Hawaiian homeowners. Phone: (808) 587-7656 Website: https://hawaiicommunitylending.com Contact form: https://hawaiicommunitylending.com/contact/ Hawaiian Community Assets offers homebuyer and homeowner assistance, as well as financial counseling services. Phone: (808) 587-7886 Website: https://hawaiiancommunity.net/

ʻĀPana ʻOHANA Workshop ʻĀpana ʻOhana was a five-part workshop series from September to November 2020 hosted by Huliauapaʻa , the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Kīpuka Kuleana. The purpose of these workshops was to educate and empower Hawaiian and local long-time ʻohana struggling to mālama (maintain and steward) their kuleana and ʻohana heir lands. Over 194 people engaged in group discussions led by local speakers and contributed to 388 total participation hours. Below are workshop resources, including video recordings and handouts, on the following topics: 1) Importance of ʻĀina Research 2) Property Tax 3) Access, Easements and Right of Entry 4) Quiet Title and Adverse Possession 5) Estate and Trust Planning The Importance of ʻĀina Research Pūlama Lima and Donovan Preza 1/4 Maps and Where to Find Them Handout Provides examples of different types of maps Includes links to map repositories and collections "How-To" Steps for finding county Tax Map Keys Download 1/4 How to Family Search Guide Instructions on how to find Bureau of Conveyences documents Color-coded aid for understanding how to read the index Step-by-step instructions for how to find and download land deeds Download Property Tax Leanora Kaiaokamalie, Mike Hubbard and Mason Chock 1/4 Kauaʻi County Calendar for Tax Relief, Annual Filing, and Tax Exemptions (updated March 2021) Tax exemption calendar deadlines For current forms, visit https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Finance/Real-Property/Forms-Handouts Download 1/4 Honolulu County Calendar for Tax Relief, Annual Filing, and Tax Exemptions (updated March 2021) Tax exemption calendar deadlines For current forms, visit https://realpropertyhonolulu.com/forms/ Download 1/2 Hawaiʻi County Calendar for Tax Relief, Annual Filing, and Tax Exemptions (updated March 2021) Tax exemption calendar deadlines For current forms, visit https://www.hawaiipropertytax.com/exemptions.html Download 1/3 Maui County Calendar for Tax Relief, Annual Filing, and Tax Exemptions (updated March 2021) Tax exemption calendar deadlines For current forms, visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/1953/RPA-Forms-and-Instructions Download Access, Easements and Right of Entry Peter Morimoto and Shae Kamakaʻala 1/4 Types of Access Handout Includes description of different types of access Clickable links to State statutes and county ordinances Defines important terminologies related to types of access Download 1/4 Basic Guide to Conservation Easements Learn the basics of conservation easements Outlines the benefits and function of conservation easements Discusses property rights and conservation easement management plans Download Quiet Title and Adverse Possession Lance Collins and Bianca Isaki 1/5 Glossary for Quiet Titles and Adverse Possesion Glossary indexed into four main sections: Quiet titles Adverse Possession Land Court County Tax Records Includes narratives and diagrams for understanding concepts, words, and phrases concerning Quiet Title and Adverse Possession. Download Estate and Trust Planning Nicholas Mirkay and Kelley Uyeoka 1/3 Hawaiʻi Estate Planning Resources Hawaiʻi Estate Planning Resources organized by categories: Lawyer Referral Estate Planning Resources, Advance Care/ Incapacity Planning Clickable links embedded for each resource Download

Learn more about who we are. We feel, we have kuleana, responsibility for the land, for the people. That's what this is all about. - Kūpuna raised in Wanini, March 2015 Our Why Keeping ʻohana lands in ʻohana hands sustains communities. ʻĀina, meaning “that which feeds,” is the Hawaiian word for lands and waters. ʻĀina encompasses all that feeds us, from heavens to earth to ocean, especially relationships between places and the people who call them home, who have fed their families here across generations. Traditionally in Hawaiʻi, ʻāina, an embodiment of our Gods and ancestors, could never be bought, sold or owned, but was held in trust by the governing aliʻi of an area, who gave it to area ʻohana as their responsibility without right of ownership. Under Hawaiian land tenure, families could stay and pass this land to their descendants, even as ruling aliʻi changed, as long as they cared for it well. Today, long-time families from the island of Kauaʻi are finding it increasingly difficult to continue to live here and care for the lands that feed them. Under western and American law, people from other parts of the world, many of whom vacation on the island, can buy lands on Kauaʻi for vacation homes, real estate investments, or residence in a place that feels like paradise. The land here has become some of the most coveted and expensive on the planet, with over a million visitors a year recreating across the island. Meanwhile, long-time residents struggle, working multiple jobs to pay for food, rent, and rising property taxes tied to escalating land values; simultaneously, they face the loss of homes, decreased access to ʻohana fishing and gathering areas, and increased pressure to move from their communities and the island. Most who buy land on Kauaʻi have no idea they are displacing long-time area families, have no way to learn about the ʻāina they are becoming caretakers of, and have no connection to surrounding communities. Kīpuka Kuleana restores relationships between people and ʻāina by restoring land and the ability of local communities to care for it.

Purchase the Kaiāulu Book Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides by Mehana Blaich Vaughan All book proceeds benefit Kīpuka Kuleana. Mahalo for your kākoʻo (support)! $19.95 Purchase from Common Ground Common Ground is a Kauaʻi-based community hub that supports local entrepreneurs and businesses. They elevate stories, products and community connection through their "creative campus that brings together changemakers, thinkers and do-ers." Special thanks to Jon Champlin, our champion at Common Ground! Mahalo to our local business partners and supporters! Limited copies of Kaiāulu sold at the following locations: Kauaʻi Limah uli Garden & Preserve Gift Shop (Hāʻena) Sway Hanalei (Hanalei) Hunter Gat herer (Kīlauea) Aloha Exchange (Kīlauea, Kalaheo) Kīlauea Lighthouse and Gift Shop (Kīlauea) North Shore Pharmacy (Kīlauea) KIKO (Kapaʻa) Kauaʻi Museum (Līhuʻe) Hanako (Kōloa) Talk Story Bookstore (Hanapepe) Kōkeʻe Museum (Kōkeʻe State Park) Oʻahu Native Books / Na Mea Hawaiʻi (Honolulu) California Stanford University Bookstore (Stanford, CA) About the Author Mehana Blaich Vaughan grew up where the districts of Haleleʻa and Koʻolau meet on the island of Kauaʻi. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, and the Sea Grant College Program and Hui ʻĀina Momona at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Mehana’s research and teaching focus on community relationships with natural resources, particularly in indigenous settings, as well as place-based education. Her home is on Kauaʻi with her husband, mother, and three children. Kaiāulu is her first book. About Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides Based on two decades of interviews with over sixty Hawaiian elders, leaders, and fishermen and women, Mehana Blaich Vaughan’s Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides is a deeply personal and affecting book about how community interacts with natural resources. The northeast coast of Kauaʻi, where Mehana was born and raised, can be a picturesque playground for tourists, but for centuries the catch from this local reef and the sharing of that food has helped sustain area families. What happens when these fishing families become increasingly unseen, many of them moving away due to global commodification and loss of access to their coastal land? This book skillfully explores a community’s enduring efforts to nurture respectful relationships with natural resources and perpetuate these practices for future generations. "Kaiāulu is a book of prayers, an exquisite inquiry into the nature of reciprocity and what it means to be human. Never have we needed the compassionate intelligence of Mehana Blaich Vaughan more. In the tradition of wisdom writers like Robin Wall Kimmerer and the storytelling magic of Louise Erdrich, we see a leader of the next generation on the page and in the world." - Terry Tempest Williams, author of The Hour of Land June 17, 2024 We are honored that the Office of Faculty Development & Academic Support (OFDAS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa selected Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides as their summer book pick. UH faculty can borrow the book through the Center for Teaching Excellence's Place-Based Education Library. https://www.ofdas.hawaii.edu/ Mahalo OFDAS for uplifting our nonprofit's work to protect ancestral lands and cultural landscapes on Kauaʻi. December 4, 2023 Mahalo to Seattle-based writer and community organizer Siobhan Ring for reviewing Kaiāulu in The Forge. Because of Siobhan's advocacy for Kaiāulu (published in 2018), The Forge inaugurated a new occasional series called "the Classics of Organizing" to spotlight not-so-new books that hold important lessons for community organizing. https://forgeorganizing.org/article/review-kaiaulu-gathering-tides

Meet our awesome team. Our Team Kīpuka Kuleana was founded by four mothers living and raising their children on the island of Kauaʻi. These women include an associate professor, a lawyer, a GIS specialist and archival researcher, and a nonprofit director with expertise in conservation easements - all dedicated to perpetuating kuleana and connection to ʻāina across generations. A volunteer-run hui since 2016, Kīpuka Kuleana became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2018, hired its first part-time staff member in 2021 and welcomed its first executive director in 2024. Board of Directors Mehana Blaich Vaughan President and Co-Founder Mehana Blaich Vaughan grew up in Namahana and Kalihiwai, Kauaʻi, on the border of the moku of Haleleʻa and Koʻolau. A graduate of Kīlauea Elementary School, Mehana went to high school on Oʻahu, then studied sociology and secondary education at Harvard University. After a decade of teaching middle school in Hawaiian charter schools, developing ʻāina-based education programs on Kauaʻi, and training teachers in culturally grounded education, Mehana returned to school herself to pursue a doctorate in environmental studies at Stanford University. Mehana is a professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management and U.H. Sea Grant College program. Her research, teaching and outreach focus on understanding and nurturing community care and governance of land and waters in Hawaiʻi. She loves to dance, make lei in the wili style of her grandmother, Amelia Ana Kaʻōpua Bailey, and share moʻolelo shared with her by beloved kūpuna. Mehana's first book Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides was published in 2018. She lives in Kīlauea with her husband Kilipaki, mother Beryl, and three children - Pikomanawa, Piʻinaʻemalina, and Anauleikupuna - who, along with her father, Gary Blaich, inspire this work. Elif C. Beall Treasurer Elif Beall is a licensed attorney, community advocate, and budding writer. Elif was founding Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA), and has served in many non-profit positions including executive leadership, development, and communications. Elif lives on the north shore of Kauaʻi with her husband, where she has resided since 2004. In addition to Kīpuka Kuleana, Elif also serves on the Kauaʻi Island Council for the Hawaiʻi Land Trust. She's happiest when in nature, or when practicing hula or lei-making, or discussing good questions and hopeful futures with family and friends. Jennifer Luck Board Member, Co-Founder Jennifer Luck is the Chief Operating Officer for Common Ground Kauaʻi . She previously served as Executive Director of the Kauaʻi Public Land Trust, Kauaʻi Island Director of the Hawaiʻi Land Trust, and Managing Director of the Porter Trust and Wai Koa Plantation, where she oversaw the perpetual conservation of a 4-mile walking trail, multi-stakeholder negotiations for a dam remediation project, tenancy contracts and master plan renovations of 500+ acres of agricultural land. In addition to Kīpuka Kuleana, Jennifer sits on the boards of the Hawaiʻi Land Trust and Namahana Charter School. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Jennifer lives on the north shore of Kauaʻi with her husband Jason and daughters Midge and Frankie. She is happiest when she is spending time with them and her extended ʻohana, surfing, running and making lei. Malia Akutagawa Board Member Malia Akutagawa is from the island of Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. As a Kanaka ʻŌiwi, she was raised in a traditional, subsistence lifestyle; learning to fish, crab, gather limu (seaweed), prepare traditional foods and lāʻau lapaʻau (traditional herbs for medicinal healing). Malia was influenced strongly by her mākua (parent generation) and kūpuna (elders) in the aloha ʻāina movement to protect traditional lands from developers. This inspired her to become an attorney. Malia focuses her legal advocacy work on Native Hawaiian access, gathering, and religious rights; historic preservation and native burials protection; land use and environmental law issues; climate change law, policy, adaptation, and action planning; indigenous governance; native landback; and peacemaking utilizing traditional hoʻoponopono principles. Malia is an Associate Professor of Law and Hawaiian Studies and is part of Hui ‘Āina Momona, a consortium of scholars at the University of Hawaiʻi - Mānoa charged with addressing compelling issues of Indigenous Hawaiian knowledge and practices. Laura Kaakua Board Member Laura Hokunani Edmunds Kaakua was raised in Niu, Oʻahu, now lives in Waiʻalaeʻiki, Oʻahu, and has ancestral ties to Maui, Kāneʻohe on Oʻahu, and Kohala on Hawaiʻi Island. Laura is the Climate Mitigation Adaptation & Culture Manager at Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) where she oversees fulfillment of the historic Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation settlement agreement, leads development of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, is helping to create a Native Hawaiian Consultation Policy, and supports collaborative transportation solutions and projects that are based in community, indigenous knowledge, and nature. Prior to HDOT, she served as Deputy Director of the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), President and CEO of Hawaiʻi Land Trust, and Native Lands Program Manager for Trust for Public Land. She enjoys building and strengthening teams, strategic planning, facilitating unexpected collaborations, storytelling, and causing good trouble. Keiki sports games, ʻohana beach time, hula, and mālama ʻāina fill her free time. Our Staff Tina Aiu Executive Director tina@kipukakuleana.org Tina Aiu grew up in Wailua, Kauaʻi, where her family roots go back several generations. Her work with Kīpuka Kuleana is inspired by her kūpuna and stems from her 14 years of experience working with land trusts and other grassroots organizations to protect 'āina for communities across Hawai'i. After earning her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Loyola Marymount University, Tina returned to Hawaiʻi and worked to connect high school youth to ʻāina as a Team Leader with Kupu's Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps. The experience inspired her to pursue a career in land conservation. Tina earned her J.D. and Environmental Law Certificate from William S. Richardson School of Law in 2013 and then worked as a Food Systems Planner for Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services. She worked alongside the Kalihi community to establish the first farmers market and community garden in Oʻahu's largest public housing neighborhood. Tina then served as Oʻahu Island Director with Hawai'i Land Trust, managing conservation real estate transactions and mālama ʻāina projects, including the purchase and permanent protection of Maunawila Heiau in Koʻolauloa, Oʻahu. After practicing as a civil litigation attorney, Tina returned to the conservation sector to manage conservation easement, ʻāina-based education, and community stewardship projects in Maunalua for Livable Hawaii Kai Hui. Working in partnership with Maunalua community leaders, Tina was instrumental in establishing a community ʻohana garden and mala kalo for families residing in Honolulu's urban core. She has also taught Conservation Transactions as a Lecturer in Law at William S. Richardson School of Law. In 2020, Tina's heart called her home to Wailua, Kauaʻi where she currently resides with her husband Franz and daughter Makaʻalohi. Tina is the co-owner of Modesta Media , a digital media production company that primarily services the environmental sector. Having spent much of her career establishing kīpuka for communities of Oʻahu, Tina is glad to bring her expertise home to Kauaʻi through her work with Kīpuka Kuleana and volunteered her time to establish and grow the organization as a co-founder from 2016-2024. Tina enjoys spending time in the mountains, playing with her 5 year old, and practicing martial arts. Sarah Barger Development Director sarah@kipukakuleana.org Raised in Atlanta and shaped by the Pacific Northwest, Sarah Barger has spent the past decade working as a grant writer, researcher and advocate for healthier, climate resilient communities grounded in Indigenous and local stewardship. As a newcomer to Kauaʻi, Sarah planted roots in th e community through farming and participating in ʻāina restoration projects with Hawaiʻi Land Trust, Mālama Māhāʻulepū and Surfrider. During community workdays, Sarah came to know the amazing wāhine of Kīpuka Kuleana and stumbled into her dream job of building capacity for the nonprofit and supporting the Land Back movement on Kauaʻi. Hired as Kīpuka's first staff (part-time Director of Programs) in 2021, she led the nonprofit's grant writing, development, communications, research, workshop planning, ʻohana outreach, and land protection projects. In 2024, Sarah moved into a full-time Development Director role. Sarah has a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A. in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, and a minor in Medical Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work is guided by teachers and mentors around the world - from Aotearoa and Chilean Patagonia to Hawaiʻi - where she's had the privilege of living and working alongside Indigenous leaders and allies who are restoring health and balance in community ecosystems. Through Kīpuka Kuleana, she partners with Indigenous-led groups in Louisiana, California and Borikén working to rematriate and protect Indigenous lands and waters and perpetuate cultural practices, which build resilience in the face of climate change. She loves sharing Land Back and community land trust research as a writer , guest lecturer, and presenter at national conferences. Splitting her time between the Pacific Northwest and Kauaʻi, Sarah is happiest on the water and in the mountains, especially when running, hiking, biking, paddling and climbing with friends. Mālana Lopez ʻOhana Outreach & Education Coordinator malana@kipukakuleana.org Born and raised in Kapaʻa on the moku of Puna, Kauaʻi, Mālana Lopez was brought up through the Kaiapuni education system. Through her immersion in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻike kūpuna, she developed a deep understanding of the vital connections between ʻāina and the expression of Hawaiian culture and values. This foundation continues to guide her both personally and professionally. She went on to earn a B.A. in Sociology and Music from Colorado College, where we cultivated a broader social justice lens and a passion for community-centered work. Over the last four years, Mālana worked in the nonprofit sector supporting the unhoused community, gaining valuable experience in social work and program development. Returning home through Kīpuka Kuleana as the ʻOhana Outreach & Education Coordinator has been a meaningful opportunity for Mālana to reconnect with ʻāina, ʻohana, and the values that shaped her. She is honored to serve the Kauaʻi community and to support the vision of aloha ʻāina and ea for future generations. Dominique Leu Cordy Research Consultant, Co-Founder Dominique Leu Cordy grew up all over Oʻahu and now lives and farms kalo with her kāne and their two keiki in Haleleʻa and Koʻolau, Kauaʻi. She does freelance research across the pae ʻāina. Focusing on land in Hawaiʻi, she specializes in archival research and GIS mapping. She has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from University of California at Davis and an M.A. in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She has over 17 years of experience in the field of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) in Hawaiʻi, archaeology, EA and EIS review, community ethnography, historic land and historical research, and GIS research. She has guest lectured for six years for the Wahi Kūpuna Internship Program (WKIP) as well as the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu. Ms. Cordy has managed and developed cultural and historical GIS databases for government agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE-POH), the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. She engages actively in community organizations that seek to protect, preserve, and educate about Hawaiʻi's precious wahi kūpuna (cultural resources) and is a participating member of the Kaliʻuokapaʻakai Collective, the Waioli Taro Valley Hui. Dominique is the Deputy Director of Huliauapaʻa and a co-founder of Kīpuka Kuleana.

Get the latest updates from Kīpuka Kuleana Good News September 25, 2024 Publication about Kīpuka Kuleana Our publication in Frontiers in Sustainability explains why ancestral land protection and community stewardship are essential to climate adaptation on Kauaʻi. It also weaves together lessons in Land Back from our community partners in California, Louisiana and Hawaiʻi. September 12, 2024 Spotlight in Pacific Business News Our new Executive Director Tina Aiu shares why she is inspired by Kīpuka Kuleana's work and her goals for the nonprofit in an interview with Pacific Business News in this small business feature . August 6, 2024 Sarah Barger hired as Development Director Hired in 2021 as part-time Director of Programs, Sarah has been Kīpuka Kuleana's first and only staff until this summer. Now she moves into a full-time Development Director role, working alongside our Executive Director. July 1, 2024 Tina Aiu to lead organization as Executive Director Tina Aiu, a co-founder of Kīpuka Kuleana, has been hired as our first Executive Director. Mahalo Kong Radio, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Pacific Business News , Ka Wai Ola for sharing the good news. June 17, 2024 Summer Book Pick: Kaiāulu The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Office of Faculty Development and Academic Support selects Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides by our founder Mehana Blaich Vaughan as their summer book pick. The book is available to faculty through the online library, and you can find Kaiāulu online or in local stores. All book proceeds benefit Kīpuka Kuleana. April 27, 2024 Lahaina Homeowner's Workshop Though a Maui Aloha Grant from Hawaiʻi People's Fund , we partner with Lahaina Community Land Trust to host their first Lahaina Homeowner's Workshop, providing support and tools for land protection and rebuilding in Lahaina. Learn more about LCLT's work here . March 1, 2024 ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop Ka Wai Ola spotlights our annual ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop in Līhuʻe, which brought together 65 community members to share resources and manaʻo for ancestral land protection. Devember 4, 2023 Kaiāulu 's First Book Review Seattle-based writer and community organizer Siobhan Ring finds Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides during her family vacation on Kauaʻi and writes about the book's lessons through an organizing lens in this review in The Forge . October 31, 2023 Kīpuka Kuleana Founder Receives Stanford Alumni Award Mehana Blaich Vaughan, our board president and co-founder, is honored with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability's 2023 Early to Mid Career Alumni Award . November 5, 2021 Kīpuka Kuleana Featured on Hawaiʻi Rising The Hawaiʻi Peoples Fund team sits down with co-founders Mehana Vaughan and Jennifer Luck, who share Kīpuka Kuleana's moʻolelo and why this work matters on Kauaʻi in this podcast episode .

Supporting community care of lands and waters across the island of Kauaʻi Mālama Stewardship Supporting community care of ʻāina (lands and waters) across the island of Kauaʻi We participate in community efforts to mālama (care for) and restore culturally significant ʻāina. We lead cultural education programs and field trips, including our annual Kaiāulu Koʻolau Summer Program, that impart critical skills and knowledge grounded in place to the next generation of land protectors. We cultivate kīpuka (spaces of community caretaking and cultural restoration) so that families may gather, mālama, practice cultural traditions, and teach from places integral to their identities. Kaiāulu Koʻolau Summer Program A four-week program for keiki (children) focused on growing connections to community and ʻāina and cultivating a sense of identity through place. 1/20 Through this program, keiki come to know ʻāina through cultural practices, including mele and oli composition, map reading, moʻolelo and place names, fishing, foraging, lei making, hula and kanikapila. They learn how ʻāina must be cared for and sustained before it may feed community, and they work hard to mālama ʻāina, from planting native species to harvesting foods at ʻĀina Hoʻokupu o Kīlauea. Over two camping trips, they practice gathering their meals and cultural cooking techniques like building imu, pulehu, and steaming. One of the group's favorite activities is the culminating cooking competition, which gives keiki three hours to gather and prepare lunches using area ingredients. During a final hōʻike (reflection), keiki share and celebrate their learnings from the program with their ʻohana and kumu (teachers) through presentations, hula, music and a shared meal together. Special mahalo to the community members and partners who make this program possible: ʻĀina Hoʻokupu o Kīlauea, ʻĀina Aloha Economic Futures, Hawaiʻi Land Trust, Kiaʻi Kāhili, Limahuli Gardens, Namahana Education Foundation, Aunty Ann Eu, Aunty Kaninau Villanueva, Aunty Lei Wann, Uncle Atta Chandler Forrest, and Uncle Gary & Aunty Bebe Smith.

Accomplishments Education Conducted twenty field trips to share the ecology, history and culture of ahupuaʻa on the north-east coast of Kauaʻi, to students and teachers from preschool to graduate school. Hosted a workshop on family lands in December of 2016, attended by 40 individuals. The workshop included presentations on family land trusts, tax breaks, resources to conduct geneaology and lands research. Speakers included lawyers, staff from Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Hawaiian language and lands researchers, and an expert from North Carolina who spoke on models used in other parts of the U.S. to protect family and heir properties. Participant evaluations were overwhelmingly positive (95% of respondents rated the workshop educational and useful, with 100% saying such programs are important to the community, and expressing interest to participate in the future). We aim to hold another workshop in early 2018. Acquisitions Facilitated the purchase of family lands in Kalihiwai belonging to the Pānui ʻohana in the summer of 2017. The family lost their great great grandmotherʻs land, where they had grown up for generations, to a forced partition auction in 2015. It was purchased by a real estate firm and put up for sale. A conservation buyer was identified to purchase the property from the firm. The conservation buyer and family members are actively working to arrange an owner-financed buy back, and establishment of a family trust so that the land will remain with the family in perpetuity. A stewardship agreement and right of entry are being negotiated so the family can continue to care for and use the land. Funding The team obtained a $310,000 National Science Foundation, Science Engineering and Education for Sustainability Grant in 2012, which just ended in 2017. Grant applications were submitted to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Native Voices Rising in 2017. Stewardship Team members have initiated four separate clean-ups of coastal sites in area ahupuaʻa, engaging over 100 volunteers, many students, in hauling out truckloads of trash. Assistance Since 2016, members of the project team have assisted seven different families facing loss of their ancestral lands. Team members have provided research assistance including land records, genealogy tracing and, translation of deeds written in Hawaiian. They have also helped families to set up tax payment plans, and connected them to legal advice and meetings with professionals willing to help them set up trusts etc. at low cost. Education Aquisitions Back to top