New County Dept. Puts Culture at Forefront
By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor
As the first of its kind, Maui County’s Department of ‘Oiwi Resources seeks to steward a variety of Hawaiian cultural resources county-wide.
The new department was established on July 1, 2024, after Maui County residents voted in favor of its creation in 2022. It is organized into three divisions looking at protecting specific cultural assets in each: Kumuwaiola, Kipuka and Pai Ka Leo. Kumuwaiola will focus on “eco-cultural landscapes.” Kipuka will look to “safeguard and steward lands of concentrated natural and cultural importance.” And Pai Ka Leo will support the Hawaiian language, reinforcing the bilingual nature of Maui County’s government.…