PURPOSE & HISTORY

OUR PURPOSE is “Paipai a ola”, which means encourage and live ‒ encourage each other to sustain the relationships within our communities and with the land and sea. Those are the relationships that we need to thrive.

OUR MISSION is to connect communities across Maui Nui to care for and restore healthy ecosystems on which Hawai'i's people depend. We want to share and learn from our diverse experiences, lessons, and best practices to help member sites mālama specific makai areas.

OUR VISION is to see our relationship restored to both land and sea as we reach across communities and generations to enhance our strength through diversity. We envision that the land and sea are healthy and productive and our actions are consistent with ahupua'a stewardship practices and supported by the best of scientific insight.

• PARTNERSHIP
• 5-YEAR STRATEGY
• SHARED KULEANA

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We proudly share the Maui Nui Makai Network's PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT signed originally in February 2013, and most recently in October 2025.

​Every five years we come together to refresh and revisit the overall direction and strategy of the Network. To view our Maui Nui Makai Network 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN 2023-2028, click here.

​​Together we commit to provide a legacy of ecosystem health and food security for future generations through education and 'āina restoration. We are motivated by our love for our island home and actively and purposefully support community-driven efforts to mālama 'āina under the direction of nā kūpuna and other knowledgeable community members. With humility, we put fish first to ensure that ka pae 'āina will return to abundance during our lifetime and for future generations.

​In 2013, Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia set sail on the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage to highlight diverse global cultural and natural treasures and the importance of working together to protect them. As part of this journey, individuals and organizations throughout Hawai‘i signed the Promise to Pae‘āina, a pledge to increase the health of Hawai‘i’s oceans by the return of the wa‘a in 2017. Through their strong connections to each other and their places, in July 2014, the Maui Nui Makai Network pledged to help protect, restore, and conserve marine resources around Maui Nui.

TIMELINE OF OUR JOURNEY

Take a moment to explore significant milestones for the Network since it's establishment in 2013.

2013

2013, February 22-23 A meeting was held for the original 6 Alaka'i and 2 Kāko'o Members to form and join the Network! 40 people attended this event on Lāna'i, where six Maui Nui community groups signed an agreement to establish a learning network similar to the Locally Managed Marine Area Network in the Western Pacific. 

2013, September 6-8 A meeting was held to discuss the governance structure for the newly formed Network, undergo a strategic communications training and workshop, and select chairpersons from each community group to lead the Network group each year. The first community group chosen to lead the Network was Polanui Hiu!

2014

2014, February 21-23 Polanui Hiu hosted a Network Meeting at Polanui, Maui for Network Members and guests. Activities included water quality testing, fish surveys, building manini hale (rock houses for fish aggregation), and exploring the connection between resources, management efforts, stories and traditions from mauka to makai (mountains to the sea).

2014, July 16 Network Members attended the 2014 Hawai'i Conservation Conference where they made their Promise to Pae'āina to members of the Hōkūleʻa’s Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage in a Kai Ceremony. Each community group brought kai (ocean water) from their home to pour together showing their connectedness and commitment to community-led marine management with the goal of a return to abundance.

2014, September 11-14 Polanui Hiu hosted a Network Meeting at Camp Olowalu on Maui for Network Members and guests including Ron Vave of the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area network, Dr. Peter Adler of the Accord Group, and Erin Zanre of DAR. The group learned about best practices for data management and sharing, community engagement, and Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Areas. Leadership for the Network was passed to Nā Mamo O Mū'olea.

​​2015

2015, February 27-March 1 Nā Mamo O Mū'olea hosted a Network Meeting in Hāna, Maui for Network Members and guests. The objectives of the meeting were to learn about Native Hawaiian Rights Law from Professor Malia Akutagawa, Shae Kamaka'ala and Khara Jabola-Carolus from UH, reflect on the culture and history of Mū‘olea and efforts to mālama Mū‘olea, and build relationships within the Hāna community. Check out some of our discussions from the meeting.

2015, August 6 The Network held a workshop at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference entitled Recapturing Kuleana: Community-Based Stewardship Tools to Rebuild our Collective Capacity to Mālama from Mauka to Makai. Representatives from the six Maui Nui communities led small talk-story groups where they shared challenges, lessons learned, and practical advice from their personal experiences​.

2015, September 18-20 Nā Mamo O Mū'olea hosted a Network Meeting at Hāna, Maui for Network Members and guests. The agenda included training sessions on pono fishing code of conduct, development of common biological and social measures, methods of fish gonad collection and use of results in management. Leadership for the Network was passed to Wailuku CMMA at the close of this meeting.​

2016

2016, March 28 The Network has a new logo! The inspiration for the design is the ʻupena, or thrownet. Depicted in the image is the piko, or center of the net. Extending outward are six maka, or eyes of the net, representing the six founding community members of the Network.

2016, April 1-3 Wailuku CMMA hosted a Network Meeting in Makawao, Maui for Network Members and guests from networks in West Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi. The agenda included a session on collaborative resource management in Hawaiʻi with a panel of distinguished guests; DLNR Chair Suzanne Case, DAR Administrator Dr. Bruce Anderson, and TNC Hawaiʻi Executive Director Ulalia Woodside, and MNMN 2016 Chair Jay Carpio.

2016, September 23-25 Wailuku CMMA hosted a Network Meeting in Kahului, Maui for Network Members and guests. ​TNC’s Chad Wiggins led the group through a training: Utilizing Fish Ecology to Design Puʻuhonua, and Wally Ito of KUA led an out-planting of two native limu (algae) species that were formerly abundant in Kahului Harbor. The Network welcomed KUA as a new Kāko'o Member, and leadership for the Network was passed to Maunalei Ahupua'a CMMA.

2017

2017, March 3-5 Maunalei Ahupua'a CMMA hosted a Network Meeting on Lāna'i for Network Members and guests. This meeting focused on editing the Network's How-To Guide, a book developed to share the participatory planning tools of the Network. The guidebook will serve as a training document for other communities seeking to organize themselves for the purposes of advancing marine conservation.  

2017, July 19 The Network held a workshop at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference entitled A Nuts and Bolts Approach to Community Organizing and Planning: The Maui Nui Network's How-To Guide for Makai Managed Area Success. The workshop took participants through 3 activities in the How-To Guide using a region on Moloka‘i as their example location, and small break-out groups identified threats to the marine resources and developed strategic actions for solutions.

2017, September 29-October 1 Maunalei Ahupua'a CMMA hosted a Network Meeting on Lāna'i for Network Members and guests. Participants enjoyed ‘opihi monitoring with Dr. Chris Bird from Texas A&M, a fish survey training at Hulopo‘e Beach, a “talk story” session with DAR about the Manele-Hulopo‘e MLCD and island-wide fishing rules, and a presentation from DOCARE about the Makai Watch Program. Leadership for the Network was passed to Kīpahulu 'Ohana. 

2018

2018, March 30-April 1 Kīpahulu 'Ohana hosted a Network Meeting in Kīpahulu, Maui for Network Members and guests, including the Kai Kuleana Network from West Hawai'i Island. This meeting focused on revisiting Network governance, visiting the 'opihi rest area within the National Park, working the lo'i at Kapahu Living Farm, and learning more about the state's 30x30 initiative from Anne Chung, the Marine 30x30 planner.

2018, September 7-9 Kīpahulu 'Ohana hosted a Network Meeting in Kīpahulu, Maui for Network Members and guests, including East Maui communities. This meeting offered an informational walk along Maka'alae and a training workshop on facilitation tools useful for community planning and discussed how we can work together as a region. Leadership for the Network was passed to Hui Mālama O Mo'omomi. 

2019

2019, March 8-10 Hui Mālama O Mo'omomi and Ka Honua Momona hosted a Network Meeting on Moloka'i at the Ali'i fishpond for Network Members and special guests, including Walter Ritte, Brad Stubbs, the State’s 30x30 Coordinator, Luna Kekoa, the State’s Community-Based Fishing Area Planner, Kehau Springer from Conservation International, and Supin Wongbusarakum, Social Scientist from NOAA. This meeting focused on learning from Hawaiian Scientists about Mo'omomi and Ka Honua Momona.

2019, May 10-11 The Maui Nui Makai Network and The Nature Conservancy conducted the first “Mālama I Ke Kai Workshop” for East Maui Community Action Planning (CAP), at the YMCA in Ke‘anae, Maui. During the workshop, over 40 participants divided among four project teams (Ke‘anae, Nahiku-Hāna, Maka‘alae, and Kaupō) and started the process of developing plans for managing their makai areas and resources.

2019, June 22-23 The second of three Mālama I Ke Kai Workshops for East Maui Community Action Planning was held in Kaupō at the Nu'u Refuge. During the workshop, the four project teams (Ke‘anae, Nahiku-Hāna, Maka‘alae, and Kaupō) continued developing plans for managing their makai areas and resources by exploring the resources they'd like to protect, the threats that need addressing, and the power of working together as an East Maui region.

2019, August 9-11 The third of three Mālama I Ke Kai Workshops for East Maui Community Action Planning was held in Hāmoa. During the workshop, the four project teams (Ke‘anae, Nahiku-Hāna, Maka‘alae, and Kaupō) continued developing plans for managing their makai areas and resources by refining their goals and objectives and developing outreach strategies. Each group graduated from the workshop series with a certificate!

 2019, November 16 During the 10th Annual Hāna Limu Festival, the four Mālama I Ke Kai project teams (Ke‘anae, Nahiku-Hāna, Maka‘alae, and Kaupō) signed the "East Maui Ho'omau", an agreement they wrote together that affirms their dedication to working together as a region to mālama east Maui, symbolized through a ceremony where each member combined water from their places into a single gourd.

2019, October 18-20 Hui Mālama O Mo'omomi hosted a Network Meeting on Moloka'i at the Waialua Congregational Church Pavilion for Network Members and special guests. We celebrated Hui Mālama O Mo'omomi and Hui Maka'āinana O Makana's receipt of the UN Equator Prize, welcomed Ka Honua Momona as the Network's 7th Alaka'i Member, and handed the Network chairmanship over to Polanui Hiu.

2020

2020, September 3 Network members hosted an hour-long virtual forum at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference titled: #312 Mālama I Ke Kai: Community Action Guide for Coastal Abundance. Presenters shared their experience writing and using the MIKK Guide to create management plans for their community's makai areas.

2020, September 18-19 The Network held their first ever virtual Network Meeting hosted by Polanui Hiu. The meeting consisted of an annual Board of Directors meeting, a virtual huaka'i of west Maui from mauka to makai, a discussion with Brian Nielson about the State's 30x30 Initiative, a hana no'eau session, and the passing of Network leadership to Claudia Kalaola with Nā Mamo O Mū‘olea.

2020, October 12 The Mālama I Ke Kai: Community Action Guide was officially released on Indigenous People's Day. Within 24 hours, the Guide was downloaded over 40 times from viewers across the world.

2021

2021, January 26, March 16 & 20 The Maui Nui Makai Network hosted 3 public presentations for the Kīpahulu 'Ohana to share and gather feedback about their proposed Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) designation in Kīpahulu Moku.

2021, April 24 Nā Mamo O Mū'olea hosted a virtual Network Meeting for Network Members and special guests. We updated our Standard Operating Procedures, identified common measures to track the progress of our efforts, and took time to enjoy each other's company through virtual bingo!

2021, October 23 Nā Mamo O Mūʻolea hosted a second virtual Semi-Annual Gathering for Members and community guests. The meeting consisted of an annual Board of Directors meeting and the passing of Network leadership to Maile Carpio with Wailuku CMMA.

​​2022

2022, April 22-23 Wailuku CMMA hosted the first gathering of 2022, which included a tour of Waiheʻe stream with Scott Fisher, a rules discussion at Kahului Harbor with Russell Sparks, and discussion around Common Measures in Ulupalakua. 

 2022, August 22-24 An Exchange was hosted by the Kai Kuleana Network on Hawaiʻi Island. The Network was able to visit different sites from Kīholo, Kaʻūpulehu, Miloliʻi and Kailapa learning about the similar efforts of mālama i ke kai.

2022, September 30-October 2 The Network’s second semi-annual gathering was hosted by Wailuku CMMA in Ulupalakua. The Network welcomed two new Alakaʻi Members: Ke Ao Hāliʻi and Nā Moku Aupuni O Koʻolau Hui. The Poʻo was handed to Solomon Kahoʻohalahala with Maunalei CMMA.

2023

2023, February 3-9 The Network attended the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in Vancouver, Canada to hold space at an international level and network with indigenous groups abroad working to address similar issues in conservation.​

2023, April 5 Manuel Mejia of CORAL and Ekolu Lindsey of Polanui Hiu shared the Network’s MIKK Guide at the Pacific Risk Management ʻOhana (PRiMO) Conference, the premier venue for community leaders interested in protecting Pacific Island communities from natural hazards. They received a special visit from Mayor Richard Bissen.​

2023, May 5-7 The Network hosted our semi-annual gathering as the Canoe Peoples Exchange at Keʻanae Uka with the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and We Are Oceania. Participants shared cultural similarities and differences around resource management and signed a letter of commitment to support one another in National Marine Sanctuary designations. Mayor Bissen and members of his cabinet participated in the opening ceremony.​

2023, July 10-28: Two Network members, Ekolu Lindsey and Solomon Kaho‘ohalahala, attended the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting in Jamaica in opposition to Deep Sea Mining and to speak on behalf of the people of the deep sea. 

2023, November 3-5 The Network’s second semi-annual gathering of 2023 was hosted by Kīpahulu ʻOhana in Kīpahulu, Maui. The Network was able to hoʻoulu our  pilina with each other and the ʻāina of Kīpahulu by working at Kapahu loʻi kalo. The Poʻo was handed over to Tiani Cook with Ka Honua Momona.

May 20, 2021- December 7, 2023 The Mālama I Ke Kai Speaker Series was hosted by the Network on a monthly basis featuring voices of resource managers and practitioners from Hawaiʻi and across the globe. All speaker series recordings are posted to the Network’s YouTube channel for greater outreach.

2024

2024, April 12-14 The Network had our semi-annual gathering on Molokaʻi hosted by Ka Honua Momona. At the gathering, we held our annual board meeting at Mo'omomi and removed gorilla ogo while kūpuna cleaned fish with Uncle Mac.

2024, October 25-27 The Network had our semi-annual gathering at Aliʻi Fishpond on Molokaʻi. At the gathering, we celebrated the leadership of Ka Honua Momona and welcomed Kīpahulu ‘Ohana as the next Network poʻo. During the weekend, the group repaired part of the fishpond wall that was damaged in a recent storm. ​

2025

2025, May 2-4 The Network hosted our semi-annual gathering in Kīpahulu. At the gathering, participants attended a traditional Hawaiian net making workshop hosted by Shae Nakamura and attended a Maui Hikina Huliāmahi discussion in Kaupō. 

2025, November 17-19 The Network hosted our semi-annual gathering at Ala Kukui in Hāna. At the gathering, leadership passed from Kīpahulu 'Ohana to Nā Moku Aupuni o Ko'olaui Hui, and we welcomed our tenth Alaka'i Member - Nā Kahakai o Kaupō! Together we attended a lo'i workday in Ke'anae, attended the Festival of Aloha parade, and held our annual Board meeting.

IN THE NEWS

Learn more about the collective projects, press, and commitments of the Maui Nui Makai Network:

• Kīpahulu in East Maui becomes Hawaiʻi’s third Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area - Maui Now (March 15, 2024)
• ‘One can think of life after there are fish in the canoe’ - ICCA Consortium (June 8, 2022)
• Want to learn about Maui’s first community-based marine conservation network? - Maui Now (May 25, 2022)
• CORAL Joins Maui Nui Makai Network - Coral Reef Alliance (September 3, 2021)
• Maui Nui Makai Network Mission and Speaker Series - KHON2 Living 808 (May 18, 2021)
• Strengthening Conservation Management and Leadership in Hawaii - The Nature Conservancy (November 20, 2020)
• Community action guide aims to help restore abundance to oceans - The Maui News (October 17, 2020)
• Maui Nui Makai Network attracts new communities - The Maui News (March 31, 2019)
• Maui Nui Makai Network, Strengthening Local Knowledge to Restore Oceans - Hawai'i Community Foundation (2019)
• Maui Nui Makai Network - International Symposium on Capacity Building For Sustainable Oceans (July 19-20, 2016)
• Learning Networks as a Powerful Tool for Increasing Effectiveness of Coral Reef Conservation - International Coral Reef Symposium (June 19-24, 2016)​
• 'Boatload of Decision Makers' studies plight of West Maui Reefs - Lahaina News (June 16, 2016)
• Maui Nui Makai Network Pledges Support for Mālama Honua - Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (March 6, 2015)
• Maui Nui Network receives Nature Conservancy’s Kako‘o ‘Aina Award - The Maui News (November 23, 2014)
• Maui Nui Makai Network Receives Kākoʻo ʻĀina Award - Maui Now (October 30, 2014)
• Promise to the Pae‘āina o Hawai‘i - Hōkūle'a (April 23, 2014)
• Maui Nui Community Managed Makai Area Learning Network - The Early Years: Laying the Foundation (2010-2013) - NOAA (March 2014)
• Hawai'i's First Marine Network for Maui Nui - The Nature Conservancy (2013)