Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 12, 1 December 2021 — Purchase Will Protect Alakoko in Perpetuity [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Purchase Will Protect Alakoko in Perpetuity

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In mid-November The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and Mālama Hulē'ia announced the successful purchase of the 102-acre Alakoko Fishpond (also known as 'Alekoko or Menehune Fishpond). The purchase will forever protect Alakoko, the largest remaining fishpond on Kaua'i and a wahi pana of tremendous cultural significance. The 600-year-old fishpond is in Niumalu near Līhu'e. The land was on the market and at risk of development since January 2021. In fall 2020, TPL began meeting with elected officials and government agencies to secure funding for the conservation acquisition. More than 5,500 people signed an online statement in support of protecting Alakoko, and hundreds submitted written testimony in support. TPL led the fundraising efforts, negotiated the deal, and purchased the Alakoko Fishpond property on Nov. 17, 2021, then conveyed to the nonprofit Mālama Hulē'ia for stewardship. The deed to the property ensures that Alakoko Fishpond will be used for conservation, education and community in perpetuity. The purchase was made possible through a charitable donation fr om the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua'i Community Fund of the Hawai'i Community Foundation. The donors have no ownership interest in the property. Although this purchase is a huge victory, it is only the first step in what will be a multi-gener-ational effort to restore, steward, and bring life back to Alakoko so that it ean onee again feed the community physically, mentally, and spiritually. Ka Wai Ola news will be covering this story in greater detail in upcoming issues. To invest in Alakoko's future, and protect beloved places across Hawai'i, please join the eommunity fundraising campaign at www.RestoreTheFishpond.org to make a gift, volunteer, or learn more.

'Ōiwi Filmmaker Receives $500,000 Grant Award-winning Native Hawaiian filmmaker Alika Maikau has received a $500,000 Feature Film

Grant from tech leader Google and independent film distribution company Array. Maikau's 25-minute film, Mauka to Makai won best Hawai'i-made short film in the 2018 Hawai'i Film Festival, and his eight-minute film, Moloka'i Bound, won the award for best live-action short film at the imagiNATIVE film festival in Toronto, Canada, in 2019. Maikau is the first filmmaker to receive Array/Google's Feature Film Grant - an award designed to support rising filmmakers ffom historically excluded backgrounds. Array evolved from the Afri-can-American Film Festival Releasing Movement founded by filmmaker Ava DuVernay in 2010.

It is an independent film distribution and resource collective dedicated to amplifying independent films by people of color and women worldwide to encourage more varied voices and images in einema. Moloka'i Bound, about a formerly incarcerated man trying to reconnect with his son and his culture, captured the attention of Array/Google executives. The grant will allow Maikau to make it into a feature length film, and he will soon begin casting and securing locations for the film. Maikau, who hails from Kāne'ohe, O'ahu, is a product of UH Mānoa's Academy for Creative Media where he studied under notable filmmakers Lisette Marie Flanary and Merata Mita. 40th Makahiki Celebrated on Kaho'olawe Commencing in 1981 and eulminating in 1982, the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana (PKO) eompleted its first observance of the Makahiki season on Kaho'olawe. The resurgence of Makahiki was brought about in an effort to petition Lono to bring rain to Kaho'olawe in an effort to re-green the island. 1his year marks the PKO's 40th Makahiki celebration on the island.

During Makahiki, the 'Ohana offers ho'okupu of niu hiwa symbolizing the commencement of the ceremony; lama symbolizing enlightenment; 'awa, the favored drink of deities; pua'a hiwa, a kinolau of Lono; kalo, the staple food of our ancestors, i'a 'ula, the favored fish of ali'i; 'ulu symbolizing growth; 'uala signifying Kānaka's relationship to the akua; certain varieties of mai'a (banana) that are kinolau of Lono; ipu o Lono containing ffesh spring water; and wai ff om across the pae aina. The holistic approach of physical and spiritual reforestation of activities is extremely important. According to noted historian David Malo, Makahiki began in the month of 'Ikuwā and eontinued through the first three months of the period of Ho'oilo (the rainy season); Welehu, Makali'i and Kā'elo. Malo indicated that Makahiki was a time when men, women and chiefs rested and abstained from work and from the usual religious observances. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Makahiki on Kaho'olawe, the PKO has launched a new shirt design. For more information go to: www. bonfire.com/40th-anniversa-ry-makahiki/.

$5 Million to Help Hawai'i and Kaua'i Homeowners Nonprofit Hawai'i Community Lending (HCL), along with the state and the counties of Hawai'i and Kaua'i, recently announced the launeh of a new $5 million Homeowner Assistance Fund. The U.S. Congress established the fund for the purpose of mitigating financial hardships associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The fund will provide homeowners with grants to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults and foreclosures. The pilot project will give an estimated 200 homeowners on Hawai'i Island and Kaua'i grants to bring their mortgage current or to reduce their monthly payments. Priority will be given to low- and moderate-income homeowners and/or "socially disadvantaged" borrowers, including Native Hawaiians. HCL and sister agency Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA) have professionally trained finaneial counselors on site to help homeowners with the applieation process. To apply for grants, homeowners will be required to complete an intake application and pre-screening questionnaire. Homeowners will only be able to qualify if their mortgage service provider signs up to participate in the program. The list of participating mortgage servicers ean be found at http://hawaiicommuni-tylending.com/grants-loans/ For more information visit www.HawaiiCommunityLending.com; to apply for a grant go to: www.HawaiianCommunity. net. New Program Seeks Farmers and Food System Entrepreneurs Applications are now being accepted for a special cohort in the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement's (CNHA) KūHana Business Development Program. The KūHana Cohort 6 will work in partnership with KameSEE NEWS BRIEFS ON PAGE 34

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NEWS BRIEFS Continued from page 29 hameha Schools' (KS) Mahi'ai Match-Up, a business plan competition aimed at helping aspiring farmers and loeal food producers to grow, expand, and launeh their businesses. The KūHana program will provide food-system entrepreneurs an opportunity for Hawai'i-based and 'Oiwi-owned businesses to clarify their purpose, product, and plan within a nine-week business course, all from a Native Hawaiian and community perspective. Top performers will compete in the Mahi'ai Match-Up competition for an opportunity to win an agricultural land or commereial property agreement with KS, along with start-up capital. "Our KūHana program is designed to meet businesses during their development stages and to identify the best ways to support their growth towards the collective goal of raising the lāhui," said CNHA CEO Kūhiō Lewis. "We are proud to partner again with Kamehameha Schools' Mahi'ai Match-Up competition to broaden our reach and impact in the food-systems economy." "The success of our farmers and small businesses supports the overall growth of agriculture and food industries," said Kā'eo Duarte, KS vice president of Community & 'Āina Resiliency. "Our hope is that the Mahi'ai Match-Up eompetition will support our lāhui through the production of more healthy, accessible, and 'ono food. Strengthening the businesses feeding our eommunities creates jobs that support our keiki and familes across Hawai'i." For more information or to apply visit www.hawaiiancouncil.org/kuhana. The application deadline is Dec. 10, 2021.

NextGeneration Leaders at HCDC and HU Founded in 1987, the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations (SCHHA) is a coalition of homestead communities. Over the years, SCHHA's efforts and advocacy have birthed two nonprofit corporations designed to advance the interest of families on or near Hawaiian Home Lands. The first, the Homestead Community Development Corporation (HCDC) founded in 2009, is dedicated to housing and job creation. The second, Hawaiian Lending & Investments (HLI), incorporated in 2020, is a loan fund focused on deploying eapital to families and businesses. Last month, HCDC and HLI announced the appointment of three new leaders in response to the demand for services. Rolina Faagai, 38, has been promoted to deputy director of Eeonomie Development, overseeing social enterprises that create jobs and support micro business. Faagai also volunteers as a policy analyst on the SCHHA Homestead Policy Committee, supporting state and federal policy priorities. Vaipuarii Kight, 35, has been promoted to deputy director of Loan Fund Operations, delivering hnaneial services statewide including loans and grants, along with home loan packaging. Kight is a certified home loan packager and HUD counselor. And Kara Chow, 37, is the new Deputy Director, overseeing Corporate Administration. These appointments represent the next generation leadership transition of two significant nonprofit corporations dedicated to trust land solutions and the larger Native Hawaiian community in the field of community development. ■

^ — t. +-J T Alika Maikau. - Photo: Courtesy