Hawaiʻi Rising

A conversation about healing, empowerment, and hula with Pelena Keeling and Kamakani Rivera-Kelekolio from Kaulana Nā Pua. Based in Kona, Hawaiʻi, Kaulana Nā Pua is dedicated to the healing and empowerment of youth, ages 10–25, through the ancestral arts of hula and oli, grounded in Hawaiian culture, values, and traditions. Their work serves keiki and 'ōpio adversely impacted in health, education,...

A conversation about ahupuaʻa systems and the Apology Resolution with Brandon Makaʻawaʻawa, Vice President of the Nation of Hawaiʻi. The Nation of Hawaiʻi was officially established on January 16, 1995, through the enactment of a Constitution, ceremoniously signed at ‘Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. The Nation’s educational programs and projects offer a new approach towards economic, social, a...

Community news for October 2026: after headlines, we hear updates from two organizations doing vital storm response work after Hurricanes Lala and Lowell: Rice Street Business Association's Hale Līhuʻe serves as a hub for food and supply distributions, power, internet, and connection with other community members. Addison Bulosan shares about the RSBA's ongoing disaster preparedness and response wo...

This summer, Kaheāwai Media, in partnership with HPF Maui Aloha grantee partner Lahaina Strong, published a series of stories about West Mauiʻs water. The series focuses on proposals for Maui County to purchase water systems from two private corporations, Maui Land & Pineapple and West Maui Land Company. This is a significant opportunity for water to return from private control to public stewa...

Announcing a new season of Hawaiʻi Rising! Stay tuned for new episodes coming soon featuring HPF's 2026 cohort of 51 grantee partners across the pae ʻāina.   Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Today, July 31, is Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea! The 2026 celebration at Thomas Square on July 26 was a huge success, and we are excited for the celebration at Pōkaʻi Bay in Waiʻanae on Saturday, August 1. Each year for Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, two aloha ʻāina are honored for their activism and commitment to ea. Last week's episode featured the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana in recognition of the honorees Kimo Mitchell and G...

Each year, the Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea celebration at Thomas Square in Honolulu honors two aloha ʻāina. This year, uplifting the 50th anniversary of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO), the two honorees are James Kimo Mitchell and George Jarrett Helm, Jr. In this episode, PKO members Dr. Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor and Dr. Kaliko Baker share the history of PKO’s organizing to end the bombing of Kahoʻolawe,...

At the 2026 hōʻike for the the Hoʻākea Source art regranting program, Puʻuhonua Society executive director Emma Broderick asked each awarded artist the question "Why art now?" as a prompt to share about their practice. In the first part of this episode, we speak with Emma about that question and about Puʻuhonua Society's mission to cultivate space(s) where Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-based artists...

This week, we're uplifting a community initiative to create fire-free homesteads with Nā Leo o Papakōlea Firewise in partnership with Kaheāwai Media. Together, they produced the Creating Fire-Free Homesteads  civic action toolkit, an extensive multimedia web resource with video clips, templates, and other resources. Noel Shaw and Anuhea Kanealiʻi are members of the Firewise committee of Nā Leo o P...

A conversation with Laura Toyofuku-Aki from Project Koa Yoga and Kāhealani Collins from Kalauokekahuli about how each of their hui works in support of collective wellbeing and liberation. Project Koa Yoga educates, trains, and mentors a generation of resilience-centered health educators, equipped to reintegrate the people, land, and culture of Hawaiʻi through a trauma-informed lens. Kalauokekahuli...

Happy Juneteenth! In this episode, we’re resharing highlights from an interview from 2024 with Dr. Akiemi Glenn and Jamila Jarmon from the Pōpolo Project. Founded in 2017, the Pōpolo Project is committed to redefining perceptions of Black people in Hawai‘i and creating a deep reconnection to themselves as individuals, to their community, to their ancestors, and to the lands that sustain them. List...

A conversation about loko iʻa restoration and transformative ʻāina-based education with Hanohano and Maile Naehu, who are the head kiaʻi loko and the program director respectively at Hui o Kuapā. Based in the ahupuaʻa of Kūmimi on the east end of Molokai, Hui o Kuapā educates local and global communities about Native Hawaiian biocultural resource management through the restoration, use, and mainte...

Community new for June 2026! After headlines, we share exciting updates from two HPF partners working to restore loko iʻa (fishponds) and addressing multiple crucial issues in the process: rebuilding regenerative food systems, protecting water, facilitating community healing, restoring cultural practice, and more. First, we have Loke Aloua, one of the poʻo of Hui Kaloko-Honokōhau, sharing updates...

This multi-grantee episode features two organizations that foster youth voices and leadership through the voices of ʻōpio themselves! First, we hear from the film crew behind the short film "Never Nothing," which premiered at the 2026 Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) ʻŌpio Film Fest in April. These four ʻōpio – Heavenlee Botelho-Sarcedo, Marley Davidson, Zara Speicher, and Alana Creps – p...

Hawaiʻi Rising is excited to share an interview with Tina Aiu, executive director of HPF partner Kīpuka Kuleana, from the KKCR show Talk Story Radio Kauaʻi, hosted by Angela Zusman. Mahalo, KKCR, for this collaboration! In this conversation, Tina discusses the land trust model as an exciting vehicle for systems change as well as the specific work of Kīpuka Kuleana. The full interview can be found...

Community news for May 2026: in this episode we hear updates on grassroots response and recovery work since the Kona low storms in March.  We start with two short status updates sent in by partners: Jessica dos Santos (Kūpaʻa Kuilima) has been active with the Lāhui Foundation community hub in Kahuku, Oʻahu. Camille Kalama (Koʻihonua) in Waiawa kai, Oʻahu, shares about the flooding impacts in her n...

After the back-to-back Kona low storms in March brought catastrophic flooding to multiple islands, our communities immediately leapt into action to support those most impacted. Over the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed grassroots community resource hubs, donation drives, supply deliveries, and boots-on-the ground volunteer work happening in a big way. In this episode, we have two short updates from...

A conversation with James Auld and Pua Summer from Mutual Aid Lāhui. Mutual Aid Lāhui empowers the lāhui through education, advocacy, and mālama ‘āina and mobilizes to flank community events and relief work. The Mutual Aid Lāhui crew are passionate about feeding the Lāhui and providing support where it’s needed most. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

Community news for March 2026! After headlines, we feature interviews with two HPF partners advocating for their communities during this legislative session: First, Cameron Miyamoto (co-president of PFLAG Oʻahu) shares about PFLAG Oʻahu's participation in the 2nd annual Queer Day at the Capitol on February 17 and about HB 1875, a bill to protect access to gender-affirming care. To learn more about...

A Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi episode featuring ʻĪmaikalani Winchester, lead organizer for the annual celebration of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea at Thomas Square, with guest host Hina Kaʻōpua Canonigo. Also check out our past English-language episode with the organizers of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea Honolulu. Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo ʻĪmaikalani Winchester e pili ana i ka moʻolelo o ka Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'...

An ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi special episode from 2023 with guest host Krisha Zane.  He kamaʻilio ʻana me Tanya Mailelani Naehu (Hui o Kuapā) e pili ana i ka hana o kona hui i ka loko iʻa ʻo ʻŌhalahala ma ke ahupuaʻa ʻo Kūmimi ma ka mokupuni ʻo Molokai.  For our English-language episode with Maile and Hanohano Naehu, see episode 1. Hui o Kuapā: Restoring Fish Ponds on Molokai. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii

In addition to fresh episodes in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi this Hawaiian Language Month, we're resharing this special episode in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi featuring Dr. Kū Kahakalau and Pōlani Kahakalau, with guest host Pualiʻi Rossi. Also check out our past English-language episode with Dr. Kū and Pōlani about EA Ecoversity. Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo ʻAnakē Kū Kahakalau lāua ʻo Pōlani Kahakalau e pili ana i ko lāu...

We kick off Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with a special episode in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi featuring Pualiʻi Rossi, the president of I Ola Wailuanui, with guest host Brad Watanabe. Also check out our English-language episode about I Ola Wailuanui with Pualiʻi and her fellow board member Mason Chock. Ma kēia hualono, kamaʻilio ʻo Pualiʻi Rossi e pili ana i kona aʻo ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me ka hana a ka hui ʻo...

A conversation about ʻāina stewardship with Kekupuloa Kim from ʻĀina Kōnea. ʻĀina Kōnea is a grassroots hui with the mission to restore the reciprocal ea between the kānaka and ʻāina of Wahiawā by way of cultural revitalization. They care for a kīpuka in the forest of Wahiawā Uka along a section of Kaukonahua Stream known as Kuaʻikua. Website: https://www.ainakonea.org Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawa...

Community news for January 2026! After headlines, we feature interviews with updates from two long-time grantee partners: ʻĀinaaloha Ioane, the executive director of the Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation, shares the latest milestones in the efforts of the King's Landing community to secure long-term leases on the homestead lands they have lived on for decades. Kami Yamamoto and Lauren Taijero...