In 1997 members of Nā Kūpuna a me Nā Kākoʻo o Hālawa (NKNKHI, or NKNKH Inc.) began clearing dense weeds and brush from Native Hawaiian cultural and sacred sites, clearing the land to advocate for the protection of those sites and to plant Native Hawaiian gardens.
Today, North Hālawa Valley serves as a healing and learning center, which we preserve and keep alive through cultural practices. It is a place of worship and observation. The valley heals the mind and body and it teaches values and skills from traditional arts and crafts to food sovereignty, history, politics, archaeology, and the sciences.
Practitioners, students and visitors are immersed in an environment that is healing itself through the efforts of volunteers restoring native vegetation and cultural sites. Knowledge and education are thus promoted through the teaching of traditional and contemporary practices on the land.
Photo: Auntie Sweet and Uncle Boots Matthews