Project Hanauna Mau's goal is to restore and perpetuate real and native foods in our diet, aiming to heal and empower Native Hawaiians to feed themselves physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and even economically. Eating, preparing and cultivating a restored native food system aims to grow healthy families and  communities with reduced dis-ease, expanded cultural practices and a strong connection to place.  We believe the voyaging canoe to be a symbol of our indigenous excellence, hope and possibilities of the positive outcomes reached when we pool our strengths together. 

The Mauloa Restoration Project brings together the remaining six Masters of traditional Hawaiian canoe carving and construction (Kālai Waʻa) to pass on their knowledge and skills for the traditional sailing canoe, Mauloa. The Kālai Waʻa built Mauloa in 1992-93 being the first traditionally built canoe in over 200 years from a koa log felled with traditional adzes, hewn with adzes, and fabricated with locally collected natural resources. Mauloa now needs all parts replaced, including cordage and a newly assembled sail; however, replacing these parts has proven difficult given that the practice of traditional canoe carving is rapidly declining.

Hawaiʻi Land Trust is working with the Kohala community and Nā Kālai Waʻa, the current stewards of Koʻa Heiau Holomoana, to ensure this 642-acres of land remains undeveloped, available for public coastal trail access and education, and an active place of Hawaiian cultural practice. Hawaiʻi Land Trust and the current private landowner have signed an agreement for Hawaiʻi Land Trust to purchase the land and protect it perpetually

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The Mahukona Stewardship Project is a partnership between Hawaiʻi Land Trust and Nā Kālai Waʻa to mālama this wahi pana. 

In 2023, NKW launched our latest series of Crew Training called Huluʻena to develop our crew and community into Ocean Stewards. For us this means taking the crew training back to the basics, back to our foundations as voyagers and stewards for our places from the moku (land environments) to the waʻa (canoe environments).

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The name Huluʻena comes from the moʻolelo of Pupuhuluʻena. He established coastal resources through fisheries along West Hawaiʻi while sailing to retrieve food from the land of the gods in Kaʻū. Upon his return he shared the food he acquired on land in alignment with the same fishery resources he previously established.