KOHANAIKI 'OHANA

The Kohanaiki 'Ohana is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1991 and incorporated in 1995. Our mission is to enrich the social understanding and appreciation of Hawaii's native culture and environments and to protect the natural and cultural resources and historic treasures along the Kohanaiki and ‘O’oma coastline. 

The Kohanaiki ‘Ohana was born of community advocates who organized when a proposal to develop a large-scale resort and marina at Kohanaiki met with controversy from the Kona community.  We successfully navigated the legal issues and land use process during the 1990’s to eventually come to a win-win settlement for the development of Kohanaiki.  A “Good Faith Agreement” was eventually forged in 2003 and recorded in the Bureau of Conveyances leading to the development of the Kohanaiki Shoreline Park. 

The Shoreline Park was dedicated to the County in 2013 and is now one of the most popular beach parks on the island for surfing, camping, fishing, gathering and other family-building activities.  The 100 + acre public park is managed and maintained by an innovative 3-way partnership between the county, the community and the land-owners and remains a place for our community to gather.

VISION STATEMENT (written in 1993 - demonstrates the power of a shared vision)

We envision a coastline with low-level, low impact projects that have a direct benefit to the community. We see an environment where people learn the value of fish-ponds, aquaculture, hydroponics, medicinal plants, self-reliance, and sustainability; and where traditional uses of the land are tied to the present and the future.

We envision a coastline where our community can continue to gather in an area open for fishing, surfing, camping, and other recreational and cultural activities, educational programs that combine environmental and cultural awareness, marine science, and Hawaiian studies, that will connect the coastline to the planned university. 

And when we look to the sea, we see a fleet of Hawaiian sailing canoes traversing the coastline linking the past to the present through hands-on interaction with the community.