A conversation about graduate worker organizing with Dianne Deauna and Ken Reyes, two Executive Committee members of Academic Labor United (ALU). ALU organizes graduate workers of the University of Hawaiʻi system to empower them to hold their employers accountable. Even as graduate worker labor is recognized by the University as fundamental to its …

A conversation about community care and shifting the perception of consensual sex work in Hawaiʻi with Doug Upp and Jin Kwak, organizers with the Hawaiʻi chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP). SWOP Hawaiʻi is a grassroots organization led by sex workers, advocating for the safety, healing, and liberation of marginalized communities eng…

A conversation about Palestine solidarity organizing in Hawaiʻi with Cynthia Franklin and Imani Altemus-Williams from the Hawaiʻi chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. JVP Hawaiʻi works to educate Hawaiʻi communities about settler-colonialism in Palestine and the links to colonialism and militarism in Hawaiʻi. They organize Jewish and non-Jewish commu…

A conversation about creating spaces of reconnection for Black folks in Hawaiʻi 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, …

A conversation about organizing for a rehabilitative justice system with Kaleihau Kamauʻu and Ron Fujiyoshi from ʻOhana Hoʻopakele. ‘Ohana Ho’opakele was founded by kūpuna as an intervention to the disproportionate number of Kānaka Maoli in Hawai’i’s prisons. The hui began this journey by opposing the building of new prisons on Hawai’i Island, and …

Announcing a new season of Hawaiʻi Rising featuring our 2024 grantee cohort, coming soon wherever you listen to podcasts. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, HawaiiDoor Hawaiʻi People‘s Fund

Each year for Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, two people are honored for their activism and commitment to ea. This year, the two honorees are Sparky Rodrigues and his late wife Leandra Wai of Mālama Mākua, who have fought for the care and reclamation of Mākua Valley since 1996. In this special episode, Sparky reflects on his and Leandra’s life, work, and legacy. T…

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea is coming up at the end of July! In this special episode from 2023, learn about community celebrations of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, or Sovereignty Restoration Day, in recent years. The 2024 Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea celebration at Pōkaʻi Bay, Waiʻanae, is on Saturday, July 27, and the celebration at Thomas Square, Honolulu, will be on Sunday, July 28. Co…

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea is coming up at the end of July! The 2024 LHE celebration at Thomas Square will be on Sunday, July 28. In this episode from 2022, we spoke with organizers of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea Honolulu: Imaikalani Winchester, Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻopua, and Mahina Kaomea. LHE Honoluluʻs mission is to provide safe spaces to celebrate Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea through…

In this episode with Hui Iwi Kuamoʻo, Halealoha Ayau and Mana Caceres talk through a case study of a successful repatriation of iwi kūpuna (Hawaiian ancestral bones) from the Duckworth Laboratory at Cambridge University, from first learning about the iwi at Cambridge to their reburial last year. This repatriation was noteworthy as the first ever su…

In this two-episode special, we hear from five students active in the 2019 mobilization to protect Mauna Kea from the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Part 2: "The Occupation Bachman Hall" shares the experiences of students who occupied the Board of Regents' office building on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus during the fall 201…

In this two-episode special, we hear from five students active in the 2019 mobilization to protect Mauna Kea from the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Part 1: "Students Standing for Mauna Kea" focuses on action up on the Mauna during the summer of 2019. These stories were recorded in conjunction with the Kūkulu Exhibit "Hoʻomana" brought…

In this special episode, we take a step back and share some of the voices of the HPF board and grantmaking committee whose volunteer service and leadership behind the scenes is crucial to the work. We ask them: why do you choose to serve with HPF? Mahalo to these directors and grantmakers for sharing their voices: Ashley Galacgac, Hina Kaʻōpua-Cano…

In this episode, hear updates about the restoration of Kahaluʻu Loʻi with Phillip Kapu and Aimee Sato from Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu. Kaiāulu ʻo Kahaluʻu is a grassroots hui created to serve, organize, and uplift community voices of the Kahalu’u ahupuaʻa on Oʻahuʻs windward side. Currently, their primary focus is the restoration of the Kahalu’u Lo’i, hos…

In this interview with Jesse Kekoa Kahoʻonei and Kim Kahoʻonei from Kahaluʻu Kūāhewa, we hear updates on their ʻāina restoration and community education work in the ahupuaʻa of Kahaluʻu in Kona, Hawaiʻi. Kahalu’u Kūāhewa is based in one of Konaʻs largest intact traditional agricultural field systems preserved within a 354-acre area owned by Bishop …

An interview with Kāhealani Collins on her experience training to be a koʻokua (culturally-based birth worker) in Ka ʻĀmana Mentorship Program at Kalauokekahuli. Kalauokekahuli supports Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people by providing culturally-based perinatal support and education. Through Ka ʻĀmana Ment…

In our third episode with Ke Ea Hawaiʻi, we hear updates and what's on the horizon for this hui, featuring Laʻakea Chun (current student), Hina Kaʻōpua-Canonigo (alum), and Trevor Atkins (kumu and advisor). Ke Ea Hawai’i is an interscholastic student council composed of elected representatives from 17 Hawaiian-focused charter schools. To learn more…

An interview about political education and building organizational structure with ʻIlima Long, the pelekikena (president) of Ka ʻAhahui Hawaiʻi Aloha ʻĀina. Ka ʻAhahui Hawaiʻi Aloha ʻĀina, or Hui Aloha ʻĀina, was reactivated in 2016 from its original formation in 1893. HAʻĀ exists for the express purpose of perpetuating Hawaiian national identity, …

Ma kēia kamaʻilio ʻana, ʻōlelo mai ʻo Mehana Vaughan e pili ana i ka hana o ka ʻahahui ʻo Kīpuka Kuleana ma ka mokupuni ʻo Kauaʻi. Na Kīpuka Kuleana e kākoʻo i nā ʻohana ʻōiwi e mālama a noho mau i ko lākou ʻāina kupuna. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi special episode with Mehana Vaughan (Kīpuka Kuleana), hosted by Hina Kaʻōpua Canonigo. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Haw…

A short companion episode to today's interview with Mehana Vaughan in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. In this excerpt from an earlier interview with Mehana in English, she shares about the origin and the work of Kīpuka Kuleana. Listen to the full episode here: 2. Kīpuka Kuleana: Protecting Ancestral Lands on Kauaʻi (2021). Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii…

Good news from East Maui! In this interview with Nā Moku Aupuni o Koʻolau Hui, Jerome Kekiwi, Jr. and Jessie Kekiwi-Aweau share about a recent win for their community: Nā Moku received a 65-year lease for Keʻanae Uka! Nā Moku Aupuni o Koʻolau Hui perpetuates the Kanaka Maoli traditional and customary lifestyle of Keʻanae-Wailuanui, Maui. Encompassi…

Ma kēia kamaʻilio ʻana, ʻōlelo mai ʻo Nāhōkū Kahana e pili ana i ka hana o ka ʻahahui ʻo Hui Hoʻoleimaluō a me nā wahi pana o Keaukaha ma ka mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi. Na lākou e mālama i nā loko iʻa a aʻo aku i ia hana i nā haumāna a me nā ʻohana o ko lākou kaiāulu. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi special episode with Nāhōkū Kahana (Hui Hoʻoleimaluō), hosted by Hina Kaʻ…

An interview about feeding community and training the next generation of fishpond stewards with Kamala Anthony and Nāhōkū Kahana from Hui Hoʻoleimaluō. Established in 2013, Hui Hoʻoleimaluō has spent the past decade conducting long-term historical, cultural, physical, natural, and scientific studies of fishponds in Keaukaha, including Honokea Loko,…

An interview about education and liberation with Dr. Kū Kahakalau and Pōlanimakamae Kahakalau, the president and executive director of EA Ecoversity. EA Ecoversity is a culture-based, post-secondary education and career training institution grounded in Education with Aloha (EA). Their inaugural Kanaka Culinary Arts Diploma program is being launched…

Later this month, we're celebrating Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month) with episodes in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, guest hosted by Hina Kaʻōpua Canonigo. Each episode will be released alongside a companion episode in English from a previous interview with the same guest. Tags: Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawaii…

January 17, 2024 is the 131st anniversary of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Each year, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi Political Action Committee and the Queen's Court convene the ʻOnipaʻa Peace March and Rally to make sure the overthrow is never forgotten. In this podcast short, Healani Sonoda-Pale from Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi shares about the importanc…

An interview with Aunty Joan Lander (Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina) and Emma Broderick (Puʻuhonua Society) about preserving decades of documentary video footage of the movement for future generations. Pu’uhonua Society is committed to community, the arts, and Native Hawaiian culture through public programming. In their Hoʻomau Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina Cataloging & …

An interview about developing community stewardship in Puna, Hawaiʻi, with Leila Kealoha from Pōhaku Pelemaka. Pōhaku Pelemaka aims to protect and preserve cultural and natural resources along the Puna Coast through culture-based education and community-based input to mitigate the impacts of visitor and resident traffic within the wahi pana. Facebo…

An interview about ʻāina restoration and hale construction with Ed Gomes and Kukona Lopes from Ke Kahua o Kūaliʻi. Ke Kahua o Kūaliʻi’s mission is to inspire and support cultural and environmental wellness through land stewardship of Palalupe and Pōhakea at Kawainui fishpond in Kailua, Oʻahu. Their Kūkulu Kauhale Program fosters traditional land ma…

A special update on Mākua Valley with Uncle Sparky Rodrigues and Aunty Lynette Cruz from Mālama Mākua. In a joint statement submitted with Mālama Mākua in federal court yesterday, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army stated that they no longer need to conduct live fire training at Mākua "now or in the future." Uncle Sparky and Aun…

An interview about restoring ʻāina and creating a place of refuge for people dispossessed of the their land with Keoki Fukumitsu and Jasmine Slovak from Hoʻi Hoʻi Ea. Hoʻi Hoʻi Eaʻs mission is to (re)establish sovereignty through the reclamation of land, water, and nearshore marine estuaries in mālama ʻāina traditions and responsive campaigns, embo…

An interview about feeding community and training the next generation of fishpond stewards with Kamala Anthony and Nāhōkū Kahana from Hui Hoʻoleimaluō. Established in 2013, Hui Hoʻoleimaluō has spent the past decade conducting long-term historical, cultural, physical, natural, and scientific studies of fishponds in Keaukaha, including Honokea Loko,…

An interview with Sergio Alcubilla and Arcy Imasa from the Hawaiʻi Workers Center. Hawaiʻi Workers Center envisions a Hawaiʻi where all workers are empowered to exercise their rights to organize for their social, economic and political wellbeing. They provide workshops on workers’ rights, safety, health, and protection from wage theft, labor traffi…

In January 2024, Hawaiʻi People's Fund will embark on our 4th sail of our Giving Project journey to radically transform the way we move money to movements for real change from the roots up. Listen to this special episode originally posted in 2022 to hear what Giving Project is all about. Visit www.hawaiipeoplesfund.org/giving-project/ to learn more…

An interview about the protection of Hawaiian burials with Healani Sonoda-Pale from Puʻuhonua o Wailupe. Puʻuhonua o Wailupe is a living sanctuary for the stewardship and protection of iwi kūpuna, cultural sites, natural resources, and traditional Hawaiian rights and practices. Located in a predominantly settler community on East Oʻahu, they aim to…

An interview about food access and resilient futures with Hulali Soza and Megan Fox from Mālama Kauaʻi. Mālama Kauaʻi has been working to increase food production and access for a resilient Kauaʻi since 2006. They do this through a lens of resilience and sustainability, leveraging workforce and economic development efforts, partnerships, and innova…

Announcing a new season of Hawaiʻi Rising, coming to all major podcast platforms.Door Hawaiʻi People‘s Fund

A special episode about community celebrations of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, or Sovereignty Restoration Day, from last year. Come join this weekend! July 29 at Pōkaʻi Bay and July 30 at Thomas Square. Guests in order of appearance: Imaikalani Winchester, Pōlani Kahakalau-Kalima, Wahinehula Kaeo, Ke‘alohi Quiamno, Kyle Kajihiro, Uʻi and Kalani Puaʻoi, Makaio V…

A follow-up interview with Aunty Pua Case about maintaining the momentum behind the movement to protect Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea Education and Awareness educates and raises awareness of communities in Hawai’i and beyond on the spiritual, historical, cultural, environmental, and political significance of Mauna Kea and ALL sacred places, and provide cult…

An interview about heritage language learning with Catherine Taylan, Janine Mariano, and Rebecca Carino-Agustin from LAING Hawai’i. LAING Hawaiʻi utilizes heritage language learning as a tool for social and political education. Their programming provides opportunities for cultural reclamation of ancestral knowledge as they work towards collective l…

A follow-up conversation about STEM in Hawaiʻi with Kyle Yoshida, one of the founders of Honua Scholars. Honua Scholars empowers students to pursue STEM careers and advanced degrees to be Hawaiʻi’s STEM leaders. A critical aspect of Honua Scholars is the creation of a network of future leaders who aim to empower others and to promote personal and p…

A follow-up conversation with ʻĀinaaloha Ioane and Haʻawina Wise about celebrating Makahiki at King's Landing, lease negotiations with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the re-release of Uncle Skippy's music. Keliʻi William Ioane Legacy Foundation was created in 2020 to honor and perpetuate the legacy of Keliʻi William Ioane Jr., the Mālama Ka…

A conversation about EAducation and student leadership with student representatives Hema Watson and Leinani Gutierrez-Kelley and advisor Trevor Atkins from Ke Ea Hawaiʻi. Ke Ea Hawaiʻi is an interscholastic student council composed of elected representatives from 17 Hawaiian-focused charter schools. After a two year COVID break, theyʻre relaunching…

An interview about reconnecting ʻohana and ʻāina with Kalei Miner and Iokepa Miner from Kuhialoko on Oʻahu. Kuhialoko promotes Native Hawaiian, Indigenous, and culture-based land, species, and natural resource management. As an ʻohana, they encourage the growth and education of family units to reconnect with ʻāina and each other. They do this work …

An interview about community empowerment and language access with Eola Lokebol, an advocate and interpreter at Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant and Migrant Resource Center. Waipahu Safe Haven provides holistic programs and services with language access to empower and uplift Hawaii’s immigrant and migrant communities, primarily serving our growing Marsh…

A conversation about intergenerational community development with Trina Nahm-Mijo, president and founder of the Grassroots Community Development Group, or GCDG, on Hawaiʻi Island. GCDG has been a 501(c)(3) since 2005 and is best known for its award-winning program Keaʻau Youth Business Center (now Hawaiʻi Youth Business Center), which piloted an in…

An interview about ʻāina stewardship and community care with Kuʻulei Keakealani and Monika Frazier, the cultural director and interim executive director of Hui Aloha Kīholo. Hui Aloha Kīholo is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect, perpetuate, and enhance the cultural and natural landscape of the Kīholo Bay area on Hawaiʻi Island th…

A conversation about peace-building and intergenerational community care with Laulani Teale, the coordinator of the Hoʻopae Pono Peace Project. Hoʻopae Pono Peace Project builds strength in the Hawaiian community, and in its connections with others, through culture-based support for the prevention and resolution of family and community issues, supp…

Our third ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi special episode 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 Pond…

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi special with guest host Krisha Zane. E hoʻolohe mai i ko Kekaiokalani Naone (Uluhāhāloa) lāua ʻo Kalani Puaoi (Mole Kumu) manaʻo e pili ana i ke kalo ma ka ʻaoʻao mahiʻai, ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana, a me ka ʻaiaola. For our English-language interview with Kekai and his co-founder Lahela Paresa, see episode 35. Uluhāhāloa: Kalo, Cookbooks,…