Hometown Heroes: The Kohala Center, OHA mālama ‘āina in leeward Kohala
June 9, 2021 (West Hawaii Today)—The Kohala Center has received a $150,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) to reinforce and strengthen native Hawaiian family, culture, and land in Kawaihae.
The grant, which comes through the OHA Ohana and Community Based Program Grant for Hawaii Island, will help the Kohala Center address needs throughout the ahupuaa (traditional mountain-to-sea land division) of Kawaihae in leeward Kohala, which includes the Honokoa watershed. Through its “Hoolauna Kawaihae: Building pilina through respectful engagement” initiative, the Kohala Center will use the grant funds to research, learn, assess, and incorporate ancestral practices to engage respectfully in restoring dryland native forests in the ahupuaa and strengthening relationships between its people and the natural environment.