Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 11, 1 November 2014 — Lawaiʻa Pono, for Hāʻena, for Hawaiʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lawaiʻa Pono, for Hāʻena, for Hawaiʻi

Aloha from Kaua'i and Ni'ihau! Mahalo this month to the Kaua'i individuals and organizations who attended OHA's Grants Orientation held at Kaua'i Community College on Oet. 7. 1 often hear from people about projeets that need additional resourees and this was a great way to learn more about what OHA offers. Kaua'i definitely had a lot of interest as a seeond session was added in the afternoon to aeeommodate all the attendees. If your projeet benefits Native Hawaiians, you may want to eonsider an OHA grant. Grants information is available at www. oha.org/grants where the entire applieation is eompleted online. Tlie deadline for Programmatie Grants for projeets happening in Fiseal Biennium 2016-2017 is Dee. 17, 2014, at 4 pm. Mahalo also to Clarita, Jaeee, Misty and Naney of OHA's Transitional

Assistanee Program for flying to Kaua'i to eonduet tliis orientation and to answer questions. I know having all four of them there was very helpl'ul in answering a broad range of questions from the potential grant applieants. As this eolumn is being submitted, we are in what are possibly the hnal stages of seeing the Hā'ena Community Based Subsistenee Fisliing Area rules established. Hui Maka'āinana o Makana, the group leading the effort, is dedieated to perpetuating and teaehing the skills, knowledge and praetiees of our kūpuna tlirough the interpretation, restoration, eare and proteetion of the natural and eultural resourees that are loeated within Hā'ena State Park. After an extensive seven-year proeess, the proposed Hā'ena CBSFA rales went before the Department of Land and Natural Resourees for publie hearing and eomment on Friday, Oet. 3 at Hanalei Elementary Sehool. Hā'ena community members developed and drafted plans and rules based on native knowledge and help over 50 small and large public meetings. In my testimony, I noted two important points from our OHA Board of Trastees Resolution supporting CBSFA designations and rales: 1. Native Hawaiian traditional and cus-

tomary practices for sustaining fisheries were based on timetested intimate knowledge of aliupua'a resources; and 2. Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices and systems include aspects of community-based management and/or co-management in whieh the community of resource users itself takes part and is active and accountable in shaping the relationship with and management of their land and oeean resources. The people of Hawai'i rely on near-shore fisheries for food and perpetuation of traditional and customary practices. Tliese needs and practices are being compromised by climate change, fishery depletion due in part to centralized and underresourced management and other contemporary human environmental impacts. Globally, co-management

and more holistic approaches based on traditional customary practices and values have risen as effective management systems. Hā'ena is one of many communities seeking increased collaboration with the State. Others include Kaua'i's Hanalei; Moloka'i's Mo'omomi; Lāna'i's Maunalei; Maui's Polanui, Wailuku, and Klpahulu; and Hawai'i Island's Klliolo, Ka'ūpūlehu, Ho'okena and Miloli'i. Supporting these community-led efforts helps to perpetuate unique place-based futures and the uniqueness, food security and sustainability of Hawai'i nei. Hā'ena's proposedrales consist of traditionally defined boundaries; gear, harvesting and practice restrictions (non-commercial, not over extractive); subzones/replenishment areas ('Opihi Restoration Area; Makua Pu'uhonua Area); and time restrictions, size, species and catch limits. As a former teacher, eoaeh and charter school leader, I know how important it is to lay a solid foundation so that our youth will have every opportunity afforded to them for success later in life. And that is exactly what the Hā'ena community is trying to achieve tlirough these proposed rales. Malialo nui loa for reading ! ■

The Lawai'a Pono logo encourages people to "Fish Hawaiian" and was used by Hō'ena supporlers. - Courtesy: KUA

Dan Ahuna TrustEE, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau