Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 11, 1 November 2011 — Ka Mahiʻai ʻIhi O Wailea, ē o ē Ke Aliʻi Pauahi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ka Mahiʻai ʻIhi O Wailea, ē o ē Ke Aliʻi Pauahi

Eo ē nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Haloa, mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau, puni ke ao mālamalama. The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs comDleted

its annual convention in October 2011 at Kahuku, O'ahu. From the founding of the first Hawaiian Civic Club in 1918 by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole into this 21st century, the Hawaiian Civic Club movement, through its Island Councils and Mainland Council, models civic leadership by Native Hawaiians, perpetuates Hawaiian culture and tradition and advances educational achievements for

Native Hawaiians. The Ali'i Pauahi Hawaiian Civic Club, of the O'ahu Island Council, of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, pursues its self-determination as a model for Native Hawaiian leadership by establishing a startup business venture, Ka Mahi'ai 'Ihi O Wailea (the Sacred Farm of Wailea), located in the HakalauAVailea area on Hawai'i Island, 19 miles out of Hilo, to transition its club activities from small-scale fundraising events like bake sales into a larger-scale eeonomie development strategy. Ka Mahi'ai seeks to: strengthen Native Hawaiian families and subsistence practices and reduce the high rate of social challenges caused by a laek of business, social and eeonomie infrastructure; replenish former forest lands decimated by sugar cultivation with traditional Hawaiian plants; and stimulate long-termjobs and educational opportunities for Native Hawaiians thereby strengthening the loeal economy. A primary objective of Ka Mahi'ai 'Ihi O Wailea is to grow, harvest and market native plants, including maile, koai'a and other crops central to Native Hawaiian cultural practice. Finally, Ka Mahi'ai seeks to strengthen the community by serving as a focal point for loeal employment, community outreach programs, and establishment of a community meeting center. Following participation at an

entrepreneurship conference in 2007, a business idea emerged from the leadership of Ke Ali'i Pauahi, and between 2007 and 2008 they nursued technical assistance

and support from the Hawai'i Allianee for CommunityBased Eeonomie Development (HACBED), continued with peer review of their business idea at agricultural industryfocused conferences, and in 2009 competed in and won first plaee in the University of Hawai'i Shidler College Business Plan Competition, whieh awarded the group $10,000.

Ka Mahi'ai was awarded iniīial grant funding from both the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) and OHA in the amounts of $444,000 and $150,000, respectively. Both ANA and OHA have made subsequent grants to Ka Mahi'ai.

Keali'i Lum is the Executive Director of Ka Mahi'ai 'Ihi. Ka Mahi'ai has hired part-time workers and interns and partnered with Alu Like's Employment and Training Program, Nā Pua No'eau, Hilo and Laupāhoehoe high schools, Hilo and Laupāhoehoe Hawaiian civic clubs, UH College of Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resource Management, Wailea Village Historic Preservation Community, loeal plant nurseries and many others. Hulō ē Ke Ali'i Pauahi. 35/48 U

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