Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 3, 1 March 2022 — Wai'anae the First Precovery-Pod Site [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Wai'anae the First Precovery-Pod Site

Hawai'i Foodservice Allianee (HFA) is partnering with neighboring communities to create Hawai'i's first-ever disaster pre-covery-pods for some of our most vulnerable communities. The food pods will provide long-term meal storage to support communities that are vulnerable to natural disasters. The vision is to establish food pods throughout the state. The first precovery-pod will be located in Wai'anae and will be maintained by the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. The name "precovery" denotes that these are planned and installed pre-disaster to help

ensure that communities have food supplies in plaee should the need arise. The precovery-pod is designed to hold 135,000 meals to be used to help feed people in the community until normal supply chains resume. These meals are shelf stable, healthy, survival food that ean be stored for up to 25 years. "Some of Hawai'i's most vulnerable communities are at risk of being blocked from emergency services including food distribution," said Chad Buck, CEO of HFA. "Understanding that the Wai'anae community has limited access made it the ideal location to plaee the first precovery-pod. We have been working with county, state, and federal government agencies regarding disaster preparedness for two years and hope that they will adopt this concept and deploy these pre-covery-pods to our vulnerable communities before disaster strikes." For more information visit ready.gov/plan.

Promoting Hawai'iGrown Staples Ihe Hawai'i Foodservice Allianee (HFA) and the Hawai'i 'Ulu Cooperative (HUC) are teaming up to address Hawai'i's food security and self-sufRciency concerns by stocking retail supply chains across the state with locally grown staple foods that honor Hawai'i's history, culture, and unique sense of plaee. Hawai'i 'Ulu Cooperative's line of recipe-ready, Hawai'igrown staples - 'ulu (breadfruit), kalo (taro), pala'ai (pumpkin), and 'uala (sweet potato) - will now be available pre-cooked, frozen and chopped at loeal grocery stores. HFA is the largest locally owned supplier of perishable foods to grocers, retailers, and club chains throughout the state and HUC is a farmer-owned food hub for a diverse network of small farms across Hawai'i Island, O'ahu, and Maui. In January, HFA launched the co-op's retail line of frozen staples in the freezer aisles of gro-

cery stores throughout the state. These convenient 12 oz. bags of cleaned, cut, and pre-cooked 'ulu, kalo, 'uala, and pala'ai will eome ready to reheat and add to whatever you are cooking: salads, stir fry, soups or stews. "'Ulu are fast-growing and require very little labor, fertilizer, or pesticides compared to other crops," said Dana Shapiro, general manager of the Hawai'i 'Ulu Cooperative. "In fact, 'ulu is eonsidered a superfood because of its exceptional nutritional value, making it a perfect food to move our state toward a more secure and resilient future." Hawai'i shoppers ean find these staples at Longs/CVS, Tamura's Enterprises, Tamura's Super Wai'anae, and Wai'anae Store. Find new and exciting recipes at eatbreadfruit.com. Alakoko Fishpond Fundraisino eamoaian

A campaign launched by nonprofits Mālama Hulē'ia and The Trust for Puhlie Land to support the restoration and future use of the 600-year-old Alakoko Fishpond, has raised nearly $190,000 in gifts ranging from $25 to $95,000. Loeal residents, businesses, and foundations have stepped up to protect and invest in this Kaua'i wahi pana, known also as Alekoko Fishpond or Menehune Fishpond. Financial gifts support the future of Alakoko Fishpond, and will help with projects such as repairing the fishpond wall, building a traditional hale to be used as a classroom, delivering impactful educational programs to Kaua'i schools, and developing a master plan and vision for the property with community input.

The fundraising campaign kicked off in November 2021 after Mālama Hulē'ia and The Trust for Puhlie Land announced the successful purchase of Alakoko Fishpond. The fishpond, now owned by Mālama Hulē'ia, will be protected and used in perpetuity for eonservation and education. More than 100 donors have already been inspired to help support Alakoko's future. If you would like to invest in the fishpond's future, please join the community fundraising campaign at www. RestoreTheFishpond.org. Environmental Groups Sue Maui Grand Wauea

Conservation groups in Hawai'i represented by Earthjustice have filed a lawsuit against Maui's Grand Wailea Resort for failing to address the bright lights on its property that attract endangered Hawaiian petrels, or 'ua'u, frequently leading to their grounding and death. For more than a decade, the bright lights at the Grand Wailea have disoriented the seabirds as they navigate between their breeding colonies and the oeean. Last year, the Conservation Council for Hawai'i and Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter of intent to sue the Grand Wailea, warning that the resort's lights harm the 'ua'u, in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Although the resort modified some lights in response to the letter, a grounded fledgling was recovered during the 2021 fallout season, indicating ongoing harm to the species. "The Grand Wailea knows that its lights are harming imperiled seabirds on Maui. This SEE NEWS BRIEFS ON PAGE 14

J POKE NUHOU ^ N EWS BRIEFS '

NEWS BRIEFS Continued from page 13 isn't rocket science — there are pragmatic, straightforward solutions the resort could — and, by law, should — be pursuing," said Leinā'ala Ley, an attorney in Earthjustice's Mid-Pacific Ofhce. "We're taking the Grand Wailea to court to ensure the resort becomes a responsible neighbor, rather than watch native birds like the Hawaiian petrel disappear." 'Ua'u are federally endangered native seabirds that travel thousands of miles across the Paeihe to forage. However, Hawai'i is the only plaee on Earth where they breed. "Fashion Fitfor Royalty Tour"at 'lolani Palaee 'Iolani Palace's newest spe-

cialty tour highlights royal fashion and jewelry from 19th-cen-tury Hawai'i. This private, intimate tour allows guests a closer look at the opulent gowns, elegant uniforms, and the precious

accessories that were worn at formal court occasions. "Over the years, we've been so fortunate to acquire some beautiful reproductions of garments worn by our ali'i that have helped us to deepen our understanding of Hawai'i's history," said Paula Akana, executive director of The Friends of 'Iolani Palaee. "We hope that our guests will enjoy learning about Hawai'i ffom this new and unique perspective." Guests get a closer look at items and garments that help to contextualize this significant time in Hawai'i's history, including reproductions of Queen Kapi'olani's coronation gown, King Kalākaua's uniforms, and Queen Lili'uokalani's ribbon

gown, as well as royal orders in the Palace's collection and mueh more. The tour takes guests through the first-floor State Rooms of the Palaee; Queen Kapi'olani's Bedroom, the King's Library, and Music Room on the second floor; and the Chamberlain's Office in the Basement Galleries. To match the occasion, docents wear special dress attire as they grace the palaee rooms to showcase the historical garments and accessories. The Fashion Fit for Royalty Tour is available on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. For more information or to book a visit, go to www. iolanipalace.org/visit/. Painting MuralsAround 'A'ala Park Ihe Trust for Puhlie Land and Better Block Hawai'i recently partnered with Kamehameha Schools Kapālama's Mural Club to paint three bus shelters and nine utility boxes surrounding A'ala Park to promote pedestrian safety, visibility, and access to the park. The puhlie artwork also eelebrates the area's rich history

and cultural diversity. This effort is part of a larger community driven "Parks for People Program" led by The Trust for Puhlie Land to catalyze revitalization of Hawai'i's urban parks. Kamehameha's Mural Club, a group of 20 students who paint murals at their campus and in the surrounding community, was selected as the lead artist of this project through a eom-munity-wide selection process, facilitated by Hawai'i FEAST. The new art shares traditional mo'olelo from the area to help connect the past to the present. The bus shelter murals depict Lepeamoa, a mo'olelo from the neighboring ahupua'a of Kapālama ('A'ala Park is located in the Kou Ahupua'a). The story is about a girl who could turn into a beautiful ehieken with feathers that were the colors of every native bird. The students designed, installed, and painted the murals in partnership with KVIBE and other community members and organizations. The Trust for Puhlie Land and Better Block Hawai'i plan to carry this project forward through additional murals and art programming to encourage

the community to visit and enjoy 'A'ala Park and other urban parks. Department of lnterior Enhancing Compliance with NAGPRA The National Park Service (NPS) has hired a full-time investigator to enhanee oversight and museum eomplianee with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) for the first time in in the Act's 31-year history. Additionally, the Department of the Interior (DOI) recently completed consultations with 71 Tribal Nations across the U.S. to improve NAGPRA regulations. These efforts will further the DOI's commitment to facilitate and ensure respectful disposition and repatriation under NAGPRA. The proposed changes to NAGPRA regulations, available for puhlie review and comment later this year, would streamline requirements for museums and federal agencies to inventory

and identify Indigenous human remains and cultural items in their collections. "The repatriation of human remains and sacred cultural objects, and the protection of sacred sites, is integral to preserving and commemorating Indigenous culture," saidAssistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. "Changes to the NAGPRA regulations are long overdue." The proposed updates will incorporate input from more than 700 specific comments made by Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations during consultations. "Repatriation is a sacred responsibility for many Native Americans. We hope our efforts to streamline the requirements of NAGPRA and invest in additional staff will lead to more instances of proper repatriation and reburial of Indigenous ancestors and cultural items," said NPS Director Chuck Sams. ■