Brief Overview and History

Local kiaʻi expressed a need for a set of guidelines to help ensure that the many research projects focused in the Heʻeia Fishpond engage in equitable and reciprocal partnerships with those connected to and caring for the ahupuaʻa. In response to this need, a partnership was formed between the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA), the Hawaiian Islands Sentinel Site Cooperative, and the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve, among others. The Kūlana Noiʻi serves as a starting point for deeper conversation and lays out a set of ideas, values, and behaviors that when applied alongside hard work can build more just and generative relationships between researchers and community. The Kūlana Noiʻi are not unidirectional, but rather reflect the perspectives and responsibilities of both community members and researchers entering into a partnership together. More information on Kulana No’i available here.