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2024 Kapapahuliau Grant Program Recipients

ONHR awarded 17 Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) with funding for projects across three funding categories:

2024 Kapapahuliau Grant Program Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) Recipients:
 
Kiakahi (Individual NHO) Named for a single-masted sailing canoe, Kiakahi applicants are those who propose a single project resulting in outcomes that support the applicant and the constituents it serves.
 
Project Title: Kiolakaʻa Dryland Forest Restoration Project
NHO: Ala Kahakai Trail Association
This project aims to restore and preserve the native dryland forest habitat in Kiolakaʻa, Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi. Project activities include perimeter fence installation for feral ungulate control, fire-break installation to manage wildfire potential, access road maintenance, invasive species removal and native plant restoration.
 
Project Title: E Hoʻomau O Nā Mālama I Nā Iwi Kūpuna
NHO: The Hawaiian Church of Hawaiʻi Nei
Protection of iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains) through educational workshops to harvest native plant materials and to prepare and craft sacred ceremonial items for the care of iwi kūpuna exposed by shoreline and streambed erosion, and development.  Project outputs will facilitate NAGPRA and Hawai'i State Law compliance for iwi kūpuna.
 
Project Title: Lei Kaiāulu - Empowering Youth in the Waiʻanae Moku
NHO: Hoʻomahua Foundation
Cultivating Native Hawaiian Community youth leadership in the rural community of Waiʻānae, Oʻahu. Program activities include in-class and hands-on education focusing on the preservation and promotion of Native Hawaiian traditional practices and values, agriculture and workforce training, and enhancing community capacity to address drought and wildfire risks in the area.
 
Project Title: Hoʻonohopapa Koholālele
NHO: Hui Mālama I Ke Ala ʻŪlili
Restore and manage 30 acres of Native Hawaiian agroforestry systems in the rural community of Koholālele, Hawaiʻi, currently dominated by introduced Eucalyptus. This initiative aims to enhance food security for the area, provide local workforce training, and promote environmental stewardship.
 
Project Title: Hoʻi Nō E Ka ʻOlu O Makaliʻi
NHO: Kauluakalana
A Native Hawaiian Community-based agroforestry initiative focused on Native Hawaiian education and hands-on learning to improve Native Hawaiian Community self-determination and self-sufficiency. Program activities include fence installation for non-native, feral ungulate and erosion control, removal of invasive trees, agroforestry, Native Hawaiian traditional agriculture, and stream restoration, which encompasses bank stabilization and the establishment of riparian buffers.
 
Project Title: Ola I Ke Au A Kanaloa: Thrive in the Era of Kanaloa
NHO: Kohe Mālamalama o Kanaloa, Protect Kahoʻolawe Fund
The project supports the enhancement of environmental restoration efforts on the island of Kahoʻolawe, a former Naval training range now held in trust for the Native Hawaiian people. It aims to strengthen the island’s resilience to increasing drought, intense rainfall, and tidal inundation. Key activities include replacing deteriorating infrastructure at the Hakioawa kahua kauhale (educational center), implementing erosion control measures, restoring native vegetation, and establishing a secondary kahua kauhale at Kūheʻeia to ensure continued access and resilience during adverse weather conditions and increased tidal inundation.
 
Project Title: Project Huliʻia
NHO: Nā Maka Onaona
Support the rural Native Hawaiian communities of Anahola and Waimea, Kauaʻi in revitalizing long-standing connections with the natural environment by practicing kilo - a Native Hawaiian traditional method of environmental observation and action. Through learning and applying kilo, community members will gain valuable skills to better understand and respond to environmental challenges such as seasonal weather shifts, drought and other disaster preparedness, and enhancing marine species abundance.  These skills will also strengthen efforts in agroforestry and improve access to hunting and fishing opportunities, helping Native Hawaiian self-determination, self-sufficiency, and food security.
 
Project Title: Loli Honua
NHO: Oʻahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association
Repair and maintenance of the access road to Hale O Lono Harbor on the island of Molokaʻi. This 5.3-mile dirt and gravel road is essential for perpetuating the Native Hawaiian sport of outrigger canoe paddling, serving as the starting point for the iconic annual Molokaʻi to Oʻahu canoe races. Additionally, the road provides crucial coastal and shoreline access for the rural community of Molokaʻi which relies heavily on subsistence fishing and hunting.  The road additionally serves as the access to the only alternative harbor for the island in case of emergency. Activities include community planning, road surface repair, and drainage improvements.
 
Project Title: Hoʻoulu Pono - Biocultural restoration of Hawaiian Fishpond and community
NHO: Pacific American Foundation Inc.
Bridging traditional Native Hawaiian practices with contemporary science and technology to perpetuate aquacultural practices through the restoration of Waikalua Loko Iʻa, a 350-year-old, 12-acre fishpond in Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu. Activities include repairing fishpond walls to mitigate the impacts of storm surge and tidal inundation, removing invasive mangroves that threaten pond infrastructure, and conducting research on fish and limu (seaweed) to enhance food security.
 
Project Title: Punahoa Heritage Forest Protection and Preservation Project
NHO: Pūʻā Foundation
Addressing mental health and recovery for the community of Hilo, Hawaiʻi, with a focus on formerly incarcerated Native Hawaiian Community members, at the 390-acre Punahoa Heritage Forest. Project activities involve feral ungulate and invasive species removal to assist in mitigation of the Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death fungal disease, perimeter fencing installation, workforce education programs and training, and enhancement of timber production and harvesting of native and culturally important plant species.
 
Project Title: ʻUPENA Project - Understanding Practices to Educate on Native Abundance
NHO: Waihapakai
Advancing food security and land management to address coastal impacts from extreme weather events in Punaluʻu, Oʻahu. Project activities involve native plant restoration to address flooding and stream erosion, land mapping and planning for the development of Native Hawaiian Community aquacultural practices, coastal and terrestrial ecological monitoring, and community and youth engagement to improve environmental responsibility and enhance hunting and fishing activities.

Instagram: @waihapakai

 
Project Title: A Healer in Every Home, A Garden in Every Home
NHO: Waimānalo Health Center
This project aims to strengthen the Native Hawaiian Community's knowledge of food security and lāʻau lapaʻau (Native Hawaiian medicinal plants) to promote improved health and wellness in Waimānalo, Oʻahu. Activities will include engaging local residents and schools in learning about healthy food choices and medicinal plants, with the goal of encouraging the creation of home gardens for personal use and community benefit.
 
 
ʻAuwaʻa (NHO Collaboration) Named for a fleet of sailing canoes, ʻAuwaʻa applicants are those that represent a group of identified partners collaborating on a joint project with shared outcomes.  
 
Project Title: Ka Liʻu O Loko Project
NHO: Mālama Loko Ea Foundation
This project supports a cohort of loko iʻa (Hawaiian fishponds) in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of drought, flooding, tidal inundation, and storm surge. It does so by strengthening the capacity of kiaʻi loko (fishpond stewards) to integrate Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge with contemporary scientific research in aquaculture.

Through practices such as kilo (environmental observation and application), water quality and chemistry monitoring, seasonal cycle tracking, species propagation, and attention to natural indicators, the project will help ensure the long-term vitality of these fishponds. Ultimately, the project aims to revitalize Native Hawaiian Community aquacultural practices, expand the network of restored and functioning fishponds, and enhance Community resilience and food security.

 
Project Title: ʻImi Aku, ʻImi Iho
NHO: ʻOhana Waʻa
This project empowers Polynesian voyaging organizations on Maui, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi to strengthen Native Hawaiian Community self-reliance and self-determination by serving as Community leaders in disaster preparedness, food access, and sustainable agriculture through the ʻImi Naʻauao Program framework. Project activities include expanding access to Native Hawaiian hardwood timber—essential for building waʻa (canoes) and perpetuating voyaging traditions—implementing wildfire planning and firebreaks, conducting nearshore reef surveys to support community understanding of coastal erosion and fishing resources, and offering agricultural education and sustainable food preparation demonstrations.
 
Project Title: Kūpaʻa Heʻeia
NHO: Paepae o Heʻeia
Paepae o Heʻeia and Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi will implement Native Hawaiian Community aquacultural and agricultural management strategies to address and mitigate challenges posed by adverse weather events in Heʻeia, Oʻahu. Project activities will include flood mitigation through the removal of invasive vegetation and development of loʻi kalo (taro ponds), restoration of native plants and agroforestry to enhance groundwater recharge and timber production, and the enhancement of aquacultural practices through the restoration of an 800-year-old, 80-acre fishpond.  Project will support Native Hawaiian Community food security, self-reliance, and self-determination.
 
 
Hoʻokele (NHO Grant-Maker) Named for the helmsman or navigator of a canoe, Hoʻokele applicants are those who have the administrative capacity and experience to provide financial and technical assistance to sub-recipient NHOs (sub-recipient NHOs must meet the same eligibility requirements as recipient NHOs) from rural communities that need assistance but often lack the administrative capacity to be successful in a competitive grant environment.  
 
Project Title: Restoring Native Hawaiian Ways of Knowing and Being to Enhance Response to Adverse Weather Events in East Maui
NHO: Hōlani Hāna Inc.
Administering a cooperative agreement with ONHR to implement a subaward process that amplifies Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge systems and place-based practices while strengthening the self-resilience and self-determination in the rural East & South Maui Native Hawaiian communities from Keʻanae to Kahikinui. The program aims to enhance the administrative capacity of smaller organizations with limited resources by providing hands-on, sustainable technical support and guidance. The subaward process will assist these smaller Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs) to better prepare for adverse weather and natural disaster events while fostering collaboration for landscape-level and systemic change through gatherings, government collaborations, knowledge sharing, and collective action.
 
Project Title: Hoʻohonua No Nā Hānauna ʻŌiwi
NHO: Kanu o ka ʻĀina Learning ʻOhana
The organization will administer a cooperative agreement with the ONHR to implement a subgrant program for Native Hawaiian Community Hawaiian language (ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi) immersion at largely rural public charter schools across the State. Subgrants seek to address Native Hawaiian Community-specific education and hands-on learning to prepare for, and respond to, adverse weather events and related impacts, enhance environmental stewardship, and traditional Native Hawaiian agricultural practices.