Aloha Akua:  Divine Essence through Inspiration

• Pōhaku  are not viewed as mere building materials, but as living entities that hold mana (spiritual power) and connect the people to their ancestors (kūpuna) and the gods.
• Adhere to traditional Hawaiian land protocol. 

Aloha Kanaka: Human Ingenuity through Restoration

• Revitalizing the traditional practice of Uhau Humu Pōhaku relearning how to live in tune with the tides, moon, sun, and local ecosystems, serving as living classrooms for traditional ecological knowledge.
• Perpetuating Ancestral Wisdom
• bringing people together to learn their history, builds social capacity, and foster cultural identity, ensuring that Native traditions are passed on to the next generation

Aloha ʻĀina:  Commitment to Land through Perspiration – Hard Work!

• stabilizing ecosystems, strengthening community relationships with their immediate environment, 
•  protecting native species and maintaining an oasis of traditional practice amidst modern development. 
• Reclaiming Food Sovereignty: Because Hawaii imports nearly 90% of its food, reviving ancient aquaculture is a powerful step toward local sustainability. Restoring loko i’a directly benefits Native communities by providing access to fresh, traditionally harvested seafood.

Currently leading the restorative efforts at: 

•  A significant and ancient Hawaiian fishpond at Kapoho, Waiheʻe on the island of Maui, Hawaiʻi. 
• Kuleana parcel at Malaʻihi, Waiʻehu, Maui Hawaiʻi
•  New Pā construction at Kekaulike High School

We appreciate all of the work each of our volunteers do. We have a hierarchical structure to help organize the work:

Kiai is too busy to provide a description of his life and work. But his family and friends love him.

ʻŪlili Quenga is a Kia’i Loko with Ka Poholima Kāʻeo from Kīhei, Maui.

This work matters to ʻŪlili because it carries the legacy his kūpuna protected and passed down through generations. He remains deeply immersed in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through his upbringing in Kula Kaiapuni and his continued work at Kapoho since 2020. Through this work, ʻŪlili is helping restore an ancestral system and witnessing it come alive again for the lāhui and kaiāulu. Bringing wai back into the loko iʻa kalo after more than a century remains an unreal experience for him. This aloha ʻāina work requires commitment, sacrifice, and the full support of his ʻohana, without whom he could not carry this kuleana.

Outside of the work, you’ll find ʻŪlili making and throwing net, holoholo, listening to music, and spending time outdoors with friends and ʻohana. guided by the ʻike of his kūpuna and the values his parents instilled in him.

Kealoha  Ishikawa is a Kiaʻi Loko with Ka Poholima Kāʻeo from Pāeloko, Waiheʻe, where he was raised immersed in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

This restoration work matters to Kealoha because it reconnects him to something deeper than productivity or profit. Through his time in Kapoho since 2020, he has learned lessons of patience, balance, and stewardship—understanding that true strength is found not in control, but in tending with care, noticing early, and showing up consistently. In a world that often rewards speed and extraction, the pond asks him to slow down and think in generations, grounding him in a responsibility to the ʻāina, the community, and his ʻohana. This work offers a living example of success rooted in continuity, respect, and the right relationship rather than outcomes alone.

Kealoha carries with him the value of Ma ka hana ka ʻike, allowing the lessons of the ʻāina to shape how he shows up in this work and in his life as a husband and father. Beyond the pond, he fills his time fishing, diving, hunting, and serving where he can. With a grin, he admits he hasn’t stacked a new rock in a while—just keeps resetting the same one at the end lol.

Jobi Miguel was raised in Kula on Maui and now resides in Kihei with his ʻohana. He carries a deep commitment to continuing the path our kūpuna worked tirelessly to preserve. His life’s mission is to live and share these ʻike and practices with the next generation, ensuring our keiki understand the importance of protecting and perpetuating them.

Through this work, Jobi has gained more than cultural knowledge—he has come to understand how these ancestral practices are foundational to our ecosystem and essential to the health of our communities. He believes that when we come together with a shared purpose—to restore, mālama, and uplift a place—we strengthen not only the ʻāina, but one another. Jobi hopes to continue this work throughout these islands, building stronger communities and helping create a thriving future for generations to come.

Outside of his work, you can find him enjoying jam sessions with friends and family. And if you know him, you know—he’s got a deep love for pōhaku.

Kūākea “Kū” Yasak

He was raised immersed in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through Kula Kaiapuni, where his pilina with being a Kia’i Loko of Ka Poholima Kāʻeo began. He quickly learned the art of ʻuhau humu pōhaku and has been involved with the hui since 2023. As a lawaiʻa, he says it is his kuleana to pursue loko iʻa restoration work to restore the abundance in our oceans and ʻāina. The importance of protecting and preserving the loko i’a kalo of Kapoho is not only for future generations, but it is also important for the kūpuna who stood to fight for this place. He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kaua ke kanaka.

As a creative, he also pursues painting and printmaking in his daily life when he is not down at Kapoho and enjoys spending time with his family in their home garden.

Enzo Magliozzi is a Kia’i loko from Kihei, Maui, who believes our time here is best spent serving the community through Aloha ʻĀina. Being part of kpk since 2021 He feels honored to learn ‘uhau humu pōhaku and to be part of restoring cultural practices that sustain both land and people. Watching the evolution of the loko iʻa kalo—and the growth of the hui alongside it—has been life changing. The work has taught him to move with greater intention and reflection, and he finds deep fulfillment in seeing the keiki develop their ʻike and step confidently into their kuleana. The relationships and lessons built here, he believes, will carry forward for a lifetime.

Raised in the ocean on Maui, Enzo formed a deep connection to the waves and reefs from an early age. Working in the loko iʻa strengthens that bond and gives him a tangible way to care for the place he calls home. When he’s not building the kuapā, you’ll find him teaching surf lessons, tending his garden, working on his old VW, paddleboarding, whale watching with his wife, or enjoying a big bowl of pasta.

Will Anana, Originally from Oʻahu, Will has called Maui home for the past 39 years and currently resides in Waiʻehu. A husband and father of four, Will brings a lifetime of experience, heart, and dedication into the work he does.

A ʻuhau humu pōhaku practitioner since 2021 with a background in the food and beverage industry, Will is also an avid surfer who stays deeply connected to the ʻāina and kai. He has been a part of KPK for four years and is grateful to contribute to the restoration of the kalo loko iʻa.

Will’s goal is to see the loko fully functioning and producing—restoring the ecosystem, feeding our community, and having a crazy good time making it all happen.

Dustin “Mark Thompson” Draper Originally from Golden, Colorado, Dustin has called Maui home for the past 10 years. His goal is to live a sustainable and intentional life rooted in purpose and contribution. Mark Thompson joined kpk back in 2022 and has never left. 

As a Kiaʻi loko, this work is meaningful to him because it represents something beyond personal profit. He believes the most enriching way to live is by building and restoring systems that will outlast us. Moving earth and stacking pōhaku builds character and strengthens community.

Through this effort, Dustin has found an ʻohana in the hui. Outside of the loko iʻa, he enjoys sailing, shredding mountains on a snowboard, and woodworking—staying connected to land, sea, and craft in everything he does.

Dominic “Nic” Sardinha is from Kailua, Maui, and was raised in Waiʻehu.

His pilina to ʻāina began as a curiosity that grew into a kuleana. Through his work with Ka Poholima Kāʻeo since 2024, Nic has learned that true community work takes time, patience, and the collective hands and intentions of the people. As a Kia’i Loko, he understands that loko iʻa restoration is not only about rebuilding walls or restoring abundance, but about healing an entire ʻili ʻāina and carrying forward Hawaiian thought for future generations.

As a father and husband, Nic values time spent with his ʻohana, he enjoys singing, playing guitar, and writing music, and finds joy in watching his sons grow with a shared love for ʻāina and culture.

Chaise Kahula Born and raised in Wailuku, Maui, Chaise enlisted in the United States Army after high school, serving across the mainland and abroad. His time away gave him perspective — witnessing how communities neglected their lands and recognizing that his own homeland was facing similar challenges.

With a long-standing desire to mālama ʻāina, Chaise always knew he wanted to be part of meaningful change but didn’t know where to begin until he found Kapoholima Kā’eo in 2024. Through KPK, he realized that our generation is only a small part of the greater effort to preserve ʻāina and culture for those who come after us.

He does this work for his keiki and future descendants, believing they deserve a healthier future and a deeper connection to their homeland. Fun fact: he’s a true foodie and loves to cook — feeding people is one of his favorite ways to show aloha.

Kaiave Arnold Born and raised in the macnut fields of Waiheʻe, Maui, Kaiave carries a deep connection to the land that shaped him. Growing up surrounded by ʻāina instilled in him a desire to reconnect with both the land and the people of his home. His goal is to help perpetuate the values and practices he finds most important so they can thrive for generations to come.

Kaiave believes in working toward a Hawaiʻi that is self-sufficient again — where skills, ʻike, and stewardship are rooted in ancestral practice. Through hands-on work and cultural restoration, he is committed to learning not only the physical skills of those who came before him, but also the spiritual presence and mindset that guided them.

When he’s not on the land, Kaiave spends his time blacksmithing — shaping metal with fire and intention, carrying forward the same respect for craft and creation that fuels his work in the community.

Marketing Coordinator

Dianah Kapoi is from Kapoho, Maui, and has been part of Ka poholima Kāʻeo since its beginning. She currently manages the organization’s social media and website, helping share KPK’s mission, stories, and ongoing restoration efforts with the broader community.

Since Ka poholima Kāʻeo became a nonprofit organization in 2025, Dianah has taken a deeper role in building the organization’s online presence and strengthening community outreach. Through storytelling, digital media, and engagement, she is committed to helping preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture, ʻike kūpuna, and the connection between people and ʻāina.

Outside of Ka poholima Kāʻeoikdldj8u8fk r8ukefhjfhjyewjufedu7gdyq2 ydo9hgx  lkc jw5tjicijdcjhdfbk,sdj8u3eyuy6b7h6t38igx, Dianah enjoys spending time with her ʻohana and friends, looking for shells along the shoreline, and cruising around Maui with her family in the truck on the weekends, appreciating the simple moments, good company, and beauty of the ʻāina.

Grant Coordinator

Brissa Kamakaniokekai Christophersen was raised in the moku of pūʻali komohana, in the area also known to most as Wailuku and now resides with her ʻohana in Pūlehunui. From a young age she knew that she wanted to pursue a livelihood in perpetuating connection to ʻāina and creating art. After graduating from Kamehameha Schools Maui (‘15) she went off to double major in Wildlife (Conservation and Management) and Fine Arts at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.

After coming home in 2020 she began working in bird conservation, later going back to school and getting her Master’s degree in Environmental Management with a certificate in Kūʻokoʻa ʻĀina-Based Leadership from UH Mānoa. Further deepening her pilina with our manu relatives, she has spent the past few years envisioning a future of abundance for endangered birds near extinction through her work with ʻalalā, ʻakikiki, and kiwikiu. As a learner with Hālau ʻŌhiʻa and practitioner of traditional fiber arts, she continues to expand on her connections with Hawaiʻi lifeways. Currently she serves on the Pae Houlu as Kākoʻo with grants and community outreach. She enjoys spending time with her ʻohana outside in their māla and eating yummy food.