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I(A '11(1= i\IiA ANC "in Working, One Learns" January 22, 2026 Edith Kanaka`ole Foundation 1500 Kalaniana`ole Street Hilo, HI 96720-4914 Re: Support for the protection and purchase of Ka`alaiki Kula, Ka`u, Hawaii Island Aloha mai kakou, On behalf of Ma Ka Hana Ka `Ike, I write to express our strong support for the Ka`u community, the Edith Kanaka`ole Foundation (EKF), and the Trust for Public Land in their efforts to purchase and permanently protect Ka`alaiki Kula (approximately 1,600 acres) in Ka`alaiki, Ka`u, Hawaii Island. Ka`alaiki Kula extends from Highway 11 on the makai side to Ka`alaiki Road on the mauka side. Protecting these kula lands would preserve the integrity of the entire ahupua`a and allow the area to serve as a living cultural and educational site demonstrating traditional Hawaiian land management practices. This protection would also safeguard significant cultural and archaeological resources, including a historic railroad trestle and `Imakakaloa Heiau, one of only two intact hula heiau in the Hawaiian Islands. Established in 1990, the Edith Kanaka`ole Foundation is a Hawaiian culture—based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to perpetuating the teachings, practices, and philosophies of Edith and Luka Kanaka`ole. EKF's mission—to elevate Hawaiian intelligence through cultural education grounded in traditional knowledge—has made it a trusted leader in land and resource stewardship, cultural site restoration, and the observance of protocol and ritual. Their depth of `ike and demonstrated capacity position EKF as the right organization to carry the kuleana of restoring and stewarding Ka`alaiki. Ma Ka Hana Ka `Ike is a community-based, hands-on learning program rooted in Hana, Maui. For more than twenty years, we have worked alongside Hana's young people to build practical skills, cultural connection, and a sense of responsibility to `aina and community. Through this work, we understand how essential it is to steward lands in ways that reflect community values and ensure access to meaningful learning beyond the classroom. Several members of our staff have directly benefited from EKF's cultural leadership,most recently through their Papaku Makawalu workshop series. These experiences have deepened our understanding of Hawaiian ways of knowing and strengthened our capacity to serve our community with integrity. We also bring firsthand experience in community land return efforts, having partnered closely with Ke Ao Hali`i, the Hana-based nonprofit established to acquire and steward land returned to community. This work has shown us the critical role a strong, values- driven nonprofit plays in ensuring that land is properly cared for and preserved in perpetuity. P.O.Box 968 fir' HANA,HI 96713 PH (808)248-8581 Fax(877)595-3585 kokua@hanabuild.org 0 www.hanabuild.org Sugg.26-05