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Support There are many ways to support Kīpuka Kuleana from donating to volunteering time and skills to care for a place you love. Hōʻahu Land Tax Support protection and restoration of vital ʻohana ʻāina through a monthly or one-time contribution to Hōʻahu. Learn More & Donate Kaiāulu: Gathering Tides All book proceeds go to Kīpuka Kuleana. Read about Kaiāulu Volunteer Interested in sharing your time and skills? We'll keep you updated on opportunities to mālama and support our communities. Complete This Form

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]

RESOURCES For ʻohana Below is our living library of land protection resources, which we update regularly. You can click on a specific topic below (see six tiles) or scroll through all sections. We know that all of this information can be overwhelming. Often, ʻohana aren't sure where to start. If you'd like to talk story with our team about your situation, we can help you find a starting point and offer suggestions for next steps. You can message us through our Contact Form at the bottom of the webpage or send an email to admin@kipukakuleana.org . Mahalo nunui! 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 The Mediation Center of the Pacific Website: https://www.mediatehawaii.org/mediation Call (808) 521-6767 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and ask for the Client Services Department Email: mcp@mediatehawaii.org Location: 1301 Young Street, 2nd Floor. Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 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 KEO Mediation Brochure 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. Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) provides this service. Their info: (808) 521-2302 www.nativehawaiianlegalcorp.org . Probate Probate is a legal process that deals with the assets and debts left behind after someone passes away. We have indicated in the list below probate attorneys who are accepting new clients, open to working with Kauaʻi ʻohana, and offer services for i nformal probate (also called "standard" or "uncontested" probate) and formal probate (contested, involving litigation). Referrals Below is a non-comprehensive list of estate and trust planning attorneys who can help determine which legal tools are best for your ʻohana's goals. Cynthia Hannah-White and Katherine A. Caswell | Kauai Estate Law LLLC Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration 4334 Rice Street, Suite 203, Lihue, HI 96766 Phone: (808) 245-9991 Email: info@kauaiestatelaw.com Website: http://www.kauaiestatelaw.com Dawn Murata | Law Office of Dawn N. Murata LLLC Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Contracts, Real Estate 2970 Kele Street, Suite 205, Lihue, HI 96766 Phone: (808) 245-4572 Website: https://www.kauailawesq.com/ Michael D. Scarbo (Kauaʻi-based) | McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon ("M4") LLP Estate Planning, Uncontested Probate Five Waterfront Plaza, 4th Floor, 500 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: (808) 529-7300 Email: Joy Clemente (jmc@m4law.com ) and Vera Tabe (vtabe@m4law.com ) Website: https://www.m4law.com/ Samuel K.L. Suen Estate Planning, Probate 1575 South Beretania Street, Suite 205, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 Phone: (808) 282-4411 Website: www.sklslaw.com Okura & Associates Estate Planning, Probate Oʻahu office: Interstate Building, Suite 760, 1314 South King St. Honolulu, HI 96814. (808) 593-8885 Hawaiʻi Island office: 155 Wailuluku Drive, Hilo, HI 96720. (808) 935-3344 For probate inquiries: Call the Probate Line (808) 937 9510 and fill out their question form to receive a quote. Website: www.okuralaw.com Yuka Hongo Estate Planning, Probate 2155 Kalakaua Ave #410, Honolulu, HI 96815 Fluent in Japanese and English Phone: (808) 204-4700 Website: www.hongolaw.com Sheryll Bonilla Estate planning, Uncontested probate Honolulu Phone: (808) 670-6177 Sterling & Tucker, LLP | Kanani M. Makaimoku Estate Planning Oʻahu office: 201 Merchant Street, Suite 950. Honolulu, HI 96813. (808) 531-5391 Maui office: 2158 Main Street. Suite 109. Wailuku, HI 96793. (800) 807-3820 Hawaiʻi Island office: 614 Kilauea Avenue Suite 8 (first floor). Hilo, HI 96720. (800) 807-3820 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) www.vlsh.org 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-Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm Intake in person: Monday-Thursday, 9:00am - 12:00pm General office number: (808) 528-7050 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: Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) 1164 Bishop Street. Suite 1205 Honolulu, HI 96813 info@nlchi.org 808-521-2302 www.nativehawaiianlegalcorp.org 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/

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-based 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.

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.

ʻOHANA ʻĀINA WORKSHOP January 21, 2023 About On January 21, 2023, we hosted an ʻOhana ʻĀina Workshop at Liliʻuokalani Trust in Līhuʻe that brought 65 community members together to learn from each other and share resources for keeping and protecting ancestral ʻāina. Community experts facilitated small group discussion on a range of topics, including: - Genealogy of Lands & Power of the Affidavit (Keʻeaumoku Kapu, Community Activist & Educator) - Hoʻoponopono in Navigating Family Land Issues (Kamanaʻopono M. Crabbe, Practitioner and Trainer) - Legal Tools for Ancestral Land Protection (Andrew Sprenger, Land Defense Attorney) - Tax Exemptions for Ancestral Land (John Kruse, Real Property Assessment Division, County of Kauaʻi). Below are downloadable resources featured at our workshop, including handouts on hoʻoponopono, legal resources, a worksheet to guide ʻohana members in setting goals and next steps to protect and mālama ʻāina, and more. To read about Keʻeaumoku Kapu's recent court victory to protect ancestral 'āina on Maui, check out this Civil Beat article . Mahalo to everyone who participated and to our wonderful partners at Liliʻuokalani Trust - Kīpuka Kauaʻi, Java Kai and Kapaʻa Ship, Print & Storage for your contributions to our community event! 1/26 Resources KiKu Presentation KiKu Presentation 1/1 Kīpuka Kuleana Presentation Slides about our nonprofit organization, an overview of the workshop, and our workshop goals and group agreements Download Agenda Agenda 1/1 Workshop Agenda Meeting schedule & s peaker bios Download Legal Resources Legal Resources 1/1 Legal Resources for ʻOhana List of Kauaʻi and state-wide resources for legal assistance in estate and family trust planning, mediation, navigation of quiet title and partition lawsuits, etc. Download Hoʻoponopono Hoʻoponopono 1/1 Hoʻoponopono Broad framework and principles of hoʻoponopono, a traditional Hawaiian healing process that may help families navigate difficult conversations around ʻohana ʻāina Download Tips for Interviewing Tips for Interviewing 1/1 Tips for Interviewing Kūpuna Tips for documenting stories and interviewing kūpuna about ʻāina Download Worksheet Plan Worksheet Plan 1/1 Plan for Mālama of ʻOhana ʻĀina Worksheet to guide ʻohana members in creating a plan to protect and mālama ʻohana ʻāina Download

Partners He Wahi Mahalo Mahalo to all of the individuals, community partners, and organizations who help support our work. Aloha Collection Mālama ʻĀina Program Common Ground Kauaʻi Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Hawaiʻi People's Fund Kapaʻa Ship, Print & Storage Native Voices Rising Education Partners Ann Eu (Hawaiʻi Land Trust) Kilauea School Lei Wann (Limahuli Garden & Preserve) Liliʻuokalani Trust Waipā Foundation Research Partners National Science Foundation (Grant #2133398) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Program Office (Grant #NA21OAR4310280) Stanford University Earth Systems Program University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa The Rising Voices Center for Indigenous and Earth Sciences Our "Land to Sea" Indigenous & Allied Research Partners LiKEN: Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (CA/KY) Asian Pacific Environmental Network (CA) DUNAS/Descendants United for Nature, Adaptation and Sustainability (Borikén) First Peoples Conservation Council (LA) Lowlander Center (LA) Para La Naturaleza (Borikén) Sierra Fund (CA) Sogorea Te' Land Trust (CA) Advisors: Louise Fortmann Alan Di Vittorio Beth Rose Middleton Sibyl Diver

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.

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.