Keaukaha Homestead transitions to fresh leadership after centennial celebration

Fireworks lit up the sky over Puhi Bay as the Keaukaha Homestead community commemorated its 100th anniversary on Dec. 16 with a day of celebration, reflection and solidarity. 

Located on the shores of Hilo, Keaukaha was one of the first communities established under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, a groundbreaking program that aimed to rehabilitate the Native Hawaiian people by returning Native Hawaiians to the land through homesteading opportunities.

Keaukaha is now not only the oldest Hawaiian Home Lands community on Hawaiʻi Island but also the oldest residential neighborhood established under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.

“Keaukaha represents to me the deep connection of my roots and a sense of belonging that is hard to find anywhere else,” said former Keaukaha Elementary student Dorcasgrase Grube-Chesebro. “It’s a place built on values of kindness, respect and togetherness.”

The 100th anniversary brought hundreds from the community together in celebration and also as a call to action for continued advocacy and support for Native Hawaiian initiatives – especially as Uncle Pat Kahawaioaʻa stepped down as president of the Association after 40 years of leadership.

Kaaka Swain was elected as the new president, who represents a new generation of Keaukaha homesteaders.

““The shift is palpable,” said Leialoha Hutchinson, social media manager for the association. “Some may say there is much to improve on and most will say that we are thriving as a community and a people, and our 100th anniversary celebrated that.”

On Wednesday, Swain hosted the first meeting of the year, which included a budget run-down, conversations about issues ongoing in the community, an update from the county from Keaukaha’s county councilmember Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, a presentation on restorative justice from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and an update from the community policing officer Darren Abalos. 

“Everything is going well so far, but it’s a huge learning curve filling in Uncle Pat’s shoes since he had this position for over [40] years and knows everything about the [Department of Hawaiian Homelands),” Swain said. “It’s scary, but it’s exciting and invigorating. This is a new generation for us and we need more people to come to the meetings, participate and be more vocal about their needs.”

With a new generation taking on leadership positions, the Keaukaha Community Association has implemented more outreach measures by utilizing social media and hosting more events.

Some events in 2024 included:

• Kūhiō Day celebration in March at Kula Pae celebrating the birth of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole.
• Lā Pili ʻOhana – Kupuna Talk Story and Moʻokūʻauhau in June at Malia Puka O Kalani Church 
• Camping at Keaukaha Beach Park, which resumed after a 4-year hiatus due to COVID, where families gathered for fishing tournaments and movie nights
• The annual Hoʻolauleʻa and Battle of the Streets in August, revived after being postponed since before the pandemic
• Kupuna Day held in October, offering community resources for kūpuna and care givers 
• Huaka’i Hele was led by Halena Kapuni-Reynolds for four weekends of mo’olelo of wahi pana along the homestead shoreline.

“We held six events this last year and had surveys available for residents each time, so we could learn what they want to see done in the community,” Swain said. “These surveys are part of our strategic plan to refine our processes and help us move forward more easily.”

During the meeting, Onishi gave an update from County of Hawaiʻi about some of the long-standing concerns that have not been addressed, such as the Kawananakoa Gym and the repairs it has needed for nearly a decade.

According to Onishi, Kawananakoa Gym – the central hub for sports, clubs and activities for keiki to kūpuna in Keaukaha – has needed repairs since his previous term on the County Council from 2008 to 2016. While Parks and Recreation has $330,000 in funding available for the repairs, it is not enough. 

“These repairs will cost over $1 million,” Onishi said. “Iʻm disappointed, because I’ve been gone for 8 years, and there has been no progress on the gym. It’s bad because it’s the community that hurts when we don’t do what they need us to do.” 

According to Onishi, in his last term on county council, he used Parks and Recreation contingency funds to purchase rubber flooring that could be used to protect the court in the gym during events. However, Mona Ubedai, secretary for the association, quickly brought up that the community has not seen the flooring in years.

“The flooring allowed the community to use the space for events without damaging the court and it worked great. That was a big roll, like 12 to 15 feet long and it had to be rolled on wheels,” Onishi said. “To hear that it’s gone, Iʻm kind of shocked.”

Onishi informed the community that he plans to meet with multiple departments and administrators in the coming weeks, including:

• The State Department of Health to get Puhi Bay tested for bacteria;
• The Hawaiʻi Police Department to create a part time job for a crossing guard at the busy intersections near Keaukaha Elementary School;
• Chauncey Wong Yuen, District Manager for the Hilo International Airport, to develop a plan to make sure the gate to the tarmac can open at all hours as an escape route during a tsunami;  
• Hawaiʻi County Recreation Administrator Clayton Honma to get to the bottom of the missing floors.

“There was so much talked about during the meeting that I remember from my previous term,” Onishi said. “It seems that things have only been addressed with a band-aid and I want to change that way of thinking. It’s our job to improve our district and to make things better for the next administration and the next after that, and so on.” 

Association members also asked if Onishi or his office could inform the community when the Planning Commission is scheduled to hear from developers who are requesting permits in Keaukaha. 

“Once developers come to me, my first point is always that they need to talk to the community first,” Onishi said. “I plan to attend every meeting to answer questions and to take the time to listen, because this is what our job is – helping our communities by hearing them, working with them and informing them.”

Last September, students from Ka Ana Laʻahana Public Charter School attended a Windward Planning Commission meeting to oppose two high-impact housing projects in Keaukaha, which were rejected since they were inappropriate for the community.

“They wonʻt know the process unless we take (the students), and I told them that sometimes your presence speaks loud enough and that just by being there you make a difference,”  said Mapuana Waipa, director of Laʻahana. “They are learning about affordable housing and seeing how one road in and out is not enough.”

Waipa, who is also the vice president of the Association, and Poʻokumu (principal) Nohea Nahale-a from Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo gave the group quick updates on what is going on at their respective schools and how students are doing. 

Attendees brought up environmental issues such as the prevalence of drivers burning rubbers and a 50% increase in tourism bringing even more traffic to Kalanianaʻole, which is the only road in and out of Keaukaha.

“We ended on a high note last year with the anniversary, and now that we’re back, to meeting with the same people and three new faces,” Swain said. “I was born and raised here and looking at the experiences I had growing up versus now, there is a huge disconnect. My goal is to change that by engaging the community so we can make decisions together as a collective instead of those on the Board.

For more information about the Keaukaha Homestead Centennial or the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, email Hutchinson or visit the Keaukaha Community Association website. Then, follow the Keaukaha Community Association on Instagram and Facebook for upcoming events and other announcements.