Kevin Chang Empowers Rural Hawaiian Communities to Restore Native Ecosystems, S2E15

In this episode of the Hawaii Business Podcast, Kevin Chang, the Executive Director of Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo, shed light on the organization’s mission to empower and increase the capacity of rural and Native Hawaiian, community-based natural resource management initiatives. With origins dating back to 2003 and Chang joining in 2011, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo has established itself as a driving force for positive environmental change across the Islands.

Chang emphasized the cultural significance of fishponds and their role as key components of traditional land stewardship. He also introduced the Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa network, a statewide initiative that fosters dialogue among fishpond practitioners for cultural and community revitalization, while simultaneously promoting environmental conservation.

“We would like to see a state that is a better collaborator with its own communities and people, but also a state that talks about justice, redistributes some of the resources so that actual work can be done on the ground.”

Chang passionately spoke about the need for justice in the context of land, people and culture, while shedding light on past injustices and advocating for procedural justice in government systems. He emphasized the importance of involving the community in managing fisheries and natural resources, highlighting a disconnect between government priorities and the environment, and ways local groups can close the gap.

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