Koʻihonua
Keeping Hawaiian Hands in Hawaiian Lands
About
Koʻihonua is a not for profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and providing cultural space for our lāhui to learn/practice/engage in Hawaiian traditions and practices.
At Koʻihonua, we seek to make transformative change in our community. Since our humble beginnings in 2016, weʻve been working hard to restore and revitalize our land base at Hanakēhau, Waiawa to create a space and place to grow our lāhui. We are driven by a single goal; to empower our lāhui, our Hawaiian community.
Mission: To reclaim and to restore Hawaiian lands and provide the means and resources for Hawaiians to enagage in traditional practices by creating Hawaiian cultural space. Much of our work is focused on hana no`eau — creating traditional and modern Hawaiian implements — and using those implements in our daily practice to grow our Hawaiian consciousness and understanding.
Ōlelo Noʻeau, Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi
"E kuʻu kaua i ka loko awa o Waiawa"
Let us cast our net into the ʻawa pond of Waiawa.
Our Leaders
Committed to the Cause
Camille Kalama
Project Coordinator
Camille Kalama comes from a large family with roots in Kīpahulu and Kaupō, Maui. After spending 15 years in litigation as an attorney specializing in Native Hawaiian rights, an ANA grant allowed her the chance to work full-time to fulfill the mission of Koʻihonua.
Andre Perez
Project Director
Andre Perez is a community organizer, activist, and cultural practitioner from Koloa, Kauaʻi. He is a 2021 Changemaker Fellow recognized for his work towards cultural preservation and Hawaiian liberation.
