Hawaii Public Radio (HPR) launched a new podcast last month called “O ko makou Hawaii keia: This Is Our Hawaii.” It is HPR’s premiere “digital-first” podcast.

“This Is Our Hawaii” explores the legacy of large land ownership in Hawaii. As such, the Molokai episode also focuses on the ongoing conflict over Molokai Ranch and the recent work of the Molokai Heritage Trust. In the episode, Akutagawa and Yamashita explain their perspectives on how sovereignty and sustainability relate to land-back efforts.

Hawaii Public Radio (HPR) launched a new podcast last month called “O ko makou Hawaii keia: This Is Our Hawaii.” It is HPR’s premiere “digital-first” podcast.

“This Is Our Hawaii” explores the legacy of large land ownership in Hawaii. As such, the Molokai episode also focuses on the ongoing conflict over Molokai Ranch and the recent work of the Molokai Heritage Trust. In the episode, Akutagawa and Yamashita explain their perspectives on how sovereignty and sustainability relate to land-back efforts.

We apologize for the long hiatus and thank you for your patience as Momi Afelin transitioned out of her position as the community facilitator to focus on her studies. At the same time, we have transitioned Kawaipuna “Puna” Kalipi as the incoming community facilitator. We remain committed to the Molokai community and will be providing updates and next steps to get involved in this process. At this meeting we will thank Momi for facilitating these discussions thus far, introduce Puna to the community, and continue building the Molokai Heritage Trust (MHT).

A Hong Kong investment firm has left Molokai Ranch to rot and blocked beach access. Locals have a plan.

Molokai residents marched on Molokai Ranch when the only road to Kawakiu Beach was gated and locked.

The lands, currently owned and operated by Molokai Properties Limited, whose parent company is Hong Kong-based investment firm Guoco Group, have repeatedly changed hands and operations over the last century and a half. From the royal Hawaiian line, to the Bishop and Cooke families, to foreign based investment firms, from dryland forest to pineapple plantation and ranch lands to abandoned resort. That’s where Molokai Heritage Trust comes in.

Formed as a “special purpose vehicle to acquire and manage ranch lands,” the Molokai Heritage Trust is a nonprofit led by Molokai residents and currently facilitated by Sust’ainable Molokai. As such, Sust’ainable Molokai’s team has been gathering feedback from the Molokai community for the past year on how best to proceed.

Mahalo, Molokai, for your feedback and participation in the 13 meetings about community ownership of Molokai Ranch this year. The facilitation team has listened to your feedback and done our best to adjust our processes.

Firstly, we have a website! Please visit molokaihertitagetrust.org to learn more and stay updated.

Secondly, it’s go time! We are aiming to finalize the bylaws of the Molokai Heritage Trust, the nonprofit formed to manage the ranch lands, by the end of the year.

If they succeed, the residents would become the new owners of the seventh-largest landholding in Hawaii.

Please join us this month for meetings regarding community ownership of Molokai Ranch. Each meeting has a different purpose. Subcommittee meetings will focus on technical research about funding options and community ownership models.

These meetings will be followed by a community meeting that will provide distilled updates on working group progress and serve as an opportunity for broad community input.