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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 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.

RESOURCES For ʻohana 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 Ginger Saiki - Hoʻola Lahui (808) 651-3205 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 (see website for details) ​ 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 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 Trust and estate planning is one pathway for keeping land in the family. You can learn more about options for wills, trusts and other tools in the Hawaii Estate Planning Resources handout and online . ​ Family Land Trust Model For lands 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 service providers that can help 'ohana set up a family land trust include: Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) (808) 521-2302 www.nativehawaiianlegalcorp.org Kaneohe Lawyer LLLC (808) 206-6292 www.kaneohelawyer.com ​ Below is a non-comprehensive list of attorneys specializing in estate and trust planning who can help your ʻohana determine which legal tools are best for your goals. ​ Kauai Estate Law LLLC | Cynthia Hannah-White and Katherine A. Caswell Resources for Navigating Quiet Title or Partition Action, Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration and Related Matters (e.g., asset protection planning, long-term care planning, international tax and estate planning, business succession planning, etc.) 4334 Rice Street, Suite 203, Lihue, Hawaii 96766 Phone: (808) 245-9991 Email: info@kauaiestatelaw.com Website: http://www.kauaiestatelaw.com ​ Dawn N. Murata LLLC Trust Administration and Probate, Estate Planning, Real Estate, Contract Review and Preparation, Business Formation and Transactions 2970 Kele Street, Suite 205, Lihue, Hawaii 96766 Phone: (808) 245-4572 Website: https://kauailawesq.com ​ JM Law LLLC | Michael D. Scarbo Estate Planning, Probate, Real Estate Matters, Foreclosure and Bankruptcy, Business Consulting 4442 Hardy Street, Suite 201, Lihue, Hawaii 96766 Phone: (808) 246-8884 Email: alison@jmlawhawaii.com Website: https://jmlawhawaii.com ​ Sterling & Tucker, LLP | Kanani M. Makaimoku Estate Planning Honolulu, Maui and Hilo offices but also serve Kauaʻi ʻohana Phone: (808) 531-5391 Ext: 339 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) ​ Providing free legal services to those whose household incomes are at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level for the State of Hawaii. Call Intake 528-7046 to qualify for services. ​ Divorce, Child Custody/Visitation, Child Support, Guardianship of a Minor, Adoptions, Adult Guardianship, Veterans Disability Benefits, Private Landlord/Tenant, Collections, Small Claims, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Estate Planning: Power of Attorney, Advanced Health Care Directive & Wills ​ 545 Queen Street, Suite 100. Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 ​ Intake by phone: Call (808) 528-7046, Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm ​ Intake in person: Monday to Thursday, 9am - 12pm ​ General office number: (808) 528-7050 ​ www.vlsh.org Click to view VLSH Flyer Conservation Tools Blend Western conservation tools with Hawaiian values to protect and care for ʻohana ʻāina with community kākoʻo. Some examples of conservation strategies that ʻohana can use to protect and mālama ʻāina include: Partnering with a land trust or ʻāina organization to place a Conservation Easement on ancestral ʻāina Forming a descendant-led nonprofit organization to hold and mālama ʻāina Working with a land trust to identify a conservation buyer to acquire and protect your ʻāina, as you work to buy it back over time Partnering with a land trust to purchase and protect your ʻāina, ensuring that it is not sold on the open market and that it may be a community gathering place and piko for ʻohana Creating stewardship agreements with other owners, community partners, etc. Partnering with an ʻāina organization 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 Click to view Quiet Title and Adverse Posession handout Referrals for attorneys: Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) 1164 Bishop Street. Suite 1205 Honolulu, HI 96813 info@nlchi.org 808-521-2302 www.nativehawaiianlegalcorp.org ​ Kaneohe Lawyer LLLC PO Box 6288 Kaneohe, HI 96744 808-206-6292 www.kaneohelawyer.com ​ 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. Contact the Real Property Assessment office 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) 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 Kuleana Land Tax Exemption Minimum property tax rate ($150/year) Only 20 ʻohana on Kauaʻi receive this exemption (as of 2023) Contact us (admin@kipukakuleana.org ) if you need genealogy assistance Click to view application Home Exemption ​ ​ Click to view application 2025 Additional Exemption Based on Owner-Occupant's Income/Very-Low Income Tax Credit Click to view application Disability Exemption ​ ​ Click to view application Disabled Veteran Exemption ​ ​ Click to view application Resources for Homeowners Hawaiʻi Community Lending offers a Homeowner Assistance Fund (closing May 1, 2024). Click on the flyer for details or visit https://hawaiicommunitylending.com/haf/ ​ Hawaiian Community Assets offers homebuyer and homeowner assistance, as well as financial counseling services. Visit https://hawaiiancommunity.net/ ​

AʻO Education and Research We enhance connections to ʻāina through education Lead cultural field trips with local schools, an annual summer program for keiki (children) and ʻōpio (youth), college courses, workshops, and trainings for community learners of all ages. ​ Center stories, place names, land-use history, policy, and ecology of particular ʻāina while building capacity to care for these places across generations. 20150306_140553 _DSC0329_rv _DSC0250_rv 20150306_185908 _DSC0357_rv We assist families, community groups, landowners, and government agencies with cultural, historic, and archival lands research to aid in the care and protection of ʻāina today Specialize in māhele and kuleana records, translation, place names, archival maps, historic images, land-use plans, and analysis to support policy reforms. ​ ​ Train people to conduct needed archival ʻāina research on their own. ​ ​ Build a community archive of Kauaʻi lands, cultural practices, and ʻike (knowledge) to guide future restoration, caretaking, education, and governance. Projects and Resources (W)Anini Project A project to increase historical and cultural understanding of the past and present-day Wanini (Anini) area ʻĀpana ʻOhana Five-part workshop series in partnership with Huliauapaʻa and OHA in 2020 focused on maintaining kuleana and ʻohana heir lands Resources

Our Team Kīpuka Kuleana was formally established in 2018 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 an archival researcher, and a non-profit director with expertise in conservation easements - all dedicated to perpetuating kuleana and connection to ʻāina across generations. 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 an associate 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. More Christina Aiu Vice President and Co-Founder 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 O'ahu 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 Maunalau 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. She maintains a consulting business helping clients to manage community land protection and mālama ʻāina efforts, and she is also a High School Social Studies Teacher at Island School. 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. She has volunteered her time to establish and grow Kīpuka Kuleana since 2016. Tina enjoys spending time in the mountains, playing with her 5 year old, and practicing martial arts. More Jennifer Luck 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. More 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. 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. Program Staff Dominique Leu Cordy Co-Founder and Consultant 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 BA in Cultural Anthropology from University of California at Davis and an MA 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. She is a co-founder of Kīpuka Kuleana. More Sarah Barger Director of Programs Hired in 2021 as the nonprofit's first staff person, Sarah Barger leads Kīpuka Kuleana's operations - including grant writing, development, research, strategic communications and program oversight - and provides direct support to families working to protect their ancestral lands. As a newcomer to Kauaʻi, Sarah planted roots in the community through organic farming, working at local farmers markets, and participating in ʻāina restoration and climate resilience projects with Hawaiʻi Land Trust, Mālama Māhāʻulepū and Surfrider . Through community workdays, Sarah came to know the amazing women of Kīpuka Kuleana and stumbled into her dream job of building capacity for the nonprofit and supporting Landback efforts on Kauaʻi . Sarah has a BA in Psychology, a BA in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, and a minor in Medical Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her lens is shaped 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. She has over a decade of experience conducting stakeholder engagement in public health research, leading community advisory boards, developing grant proposals, and managing community research projects. Her research has focused on smoking cessation in Māori and Pacific Islander communities, nutrition education and diabetes management in Lumbee Tribe communities in North Carolina, and cancer care delivery research in Washington State. A throughline of Sarah's work is stewarding relationships and fostering collaboration across stakeholders to improve community health. Through Kīpuka Kuleana, she partners with tribal leaders and allied 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. Based in the Pacific Northwest and on Kauaʻi, she is happiest on the water and in the mountains, especially when paddling, running, hiking, biking and climbing with friends.

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

History Kuleana are rights and responsibilities, both based in relationship to land. Kuleana also refers to particular parcels of land. Prior to 1850, kuleana were: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Under Hawaiian land tenure, families could stay and pass this ʻāina to their descendants, even as ruling aliʻi changed, as long as they cared for it well. When the land was privatized in 1850, less than 1% of all ʻāina in Hawaiʻi, called kuleana, were awarded to Hawaiian makaʻāinana families who lived on and tended the land.​ Less than 28% of the eligible population of adult males was awarded. Extensive information was recorded about these kuleana parcels including family and place names, information on surroundings, hydrology, and cultivation. These lands are house sites, taro patches, some fish ponds, or salt pans and often contain iwi (bones). ​ Places where Hawaiian families continue to care for and live on ʻāina in the same areas as their ancestors are increasingly rare. Those families which continue to hold kuleana and other family lands on the island of Kauaʻi are finding they no longer can due to rising property taxes tied to exorbitant area sales prices, forced partitions by family members or others who acquire one of many shares, debt, and focused efforts at acquisition by realtors and surrounding property owners. Many families no longer own or live on their properties but continue to gather there, fish, teach children and grandchildren, care for family parcels and surrounding area, visit burials and seek ways to maintain presence and connection while fulfilling kuleana to their home. ​ Kīpuka Kuleana nurtures contemporary models of relationships to place rooted in kuleana as: plots of land given, by the governing aliʻi of an area, to an ʻohana or an individual as their responsibility without right of ownership ​ [Pūkuʻi & Elbert, 1975] authority and obligation based in interdependence and community [Goodyear-Kaopua 2011, 131]

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.

Support Kīpuka Kuleana First Name Email Last Name Phone (optional) Where are you from / Where do you live? How would you like to kōkua (support) Kīpuka Kuleana? Volunteer time and skills Host a training workshop or presentation Partner with Kīpuka Kuleana on a project Fund or support Kīpuka Kuleana What skills or passions would you like to share? (e.g, bringing communities together through educational workshops, ʻāina research, social media/blogging, educating people about place, etc) Is there a place that you are interested in protecting? How did you find out about us? Questions or comments? Back Submit Mahalo nui for your kōkua! We'll reach out as opportunities arise.

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.

Kākoʻo ʻOhana Support We provide direct, tailored support to families working to keep ancestral lands. How we support ʻohana ​ ​ We con nect ʻohana with resources to keep their ancestral lands, including: Hoʻoponopono : to help ʻohana come together in discussions about ʻāina ​ Genealogy research : to help ʻohana research their ancestry to qualify for tax exemptions, claim land, register iwi kūpuna Legal assistance : to address probate, title challenges, access issues, quiet title defense, partition action, etc. Tax exemptions and payment plans : to work with the County of Kauaʻi tax office to reduce the financial burden of taxes Conservation resources: to protect ʻāina using tools like the cultural conservation easement and models like descendent-led nonprofit organizations Family land trust set-up: to keep land within the ʻohana for generations to come Trust and estate planning : to set up wills and trusts (revocable, irrevocable, etc.) Homeowner's financial assistance : to receive grant fun ds and loans through Hawaiʻi Community Lending ​ Where families have lost lands, we help them to negotiate access and stewardship agreements so they can continue to care for ʻohana ʻāina. We work with ʻohana to craft respectful solutions tailored to particular ʻāina and circumstances, while also connecting area ʻohana to one another. 1/4 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.