King Kamehameha Shows Support for Molokai Heritage Trust

Kauai’s Kaina Makua, who plays King Kamehameha I in the Apple TV+ series Chief of War, showed support for Molokai Heritage Trust’s plan to buy Molokai Ranch during their annual meeting Sept. 20. Photo by Léo Azambuja

By Léo Azambuja
ʻĀina is no small legacy, according to a relatively young, grassroots nonprofit organization seeking to make history on Molokai. Even Kamehameha, the Great knows this and supports this community-led and -driven initiative.
“All the way. Let’s go. Anything for Molokai,” said Kaina Makua, the actor who plays King Kamehameha I in the new Apple TV+ series Chief of War.
A Native Hawaiian community leader and taro farmer on Kauai, Makua attended Molokai Heritage Trust’s annual meeting Sept. 20, showing support for the nonprofit’s plan to purchase more than 55,000 acres — about a third of Molokai — from Hong Kong-based investment holding company Guoco Group Ltd.
Makua’s words were in response to Native Hawaiian activist and educator Walter Ritte’s plea for his help in showing everyone on Molokai is serious about figuring out the different parts of the complicated process of buying Molokai Ranch from the Guoco Group.
“This is the first time I’ve seen so many people coming to an event that have been put on by this group,” Ritte said. “I wanted to suggest that at least we ask everybody to come up and take at least one visual shot that the community is together, Kamehameha is here, supporting us all the way.”
The Guoco Group — a member of the Malaysian conglomerate Hong Leong Group —listed Molokai Ranch for $260 million in 2017. Four years later, an informal working group formed to find out if the Molokai community was interested in buying the Ranch rather than hoping for a new owner aligned with the community’s desires. After more than 150 meetings over two years, the Molokai Heritage Trust came to life in 2023.
“We would like to really thank Kaina (Makua) for this portion of his wonderful inclusion into our program,” board member Zhantell Dudoit Lindo said.
She emphasized transparency and integrity in the online voting system for three board members, verified by an independent third party. Josh Pastrana was elected as a new board member, along with incumbents Hanohano Naehu and Hawai‘iloa Mowat.
Dudoit Lindo also highlighted the nonprofit’s ongoing efforts, and said they received $5,000 from more than 50 donations within 24 hours of the publication of a news article featuring Molokai Heritage Trust’s efforts.
She ended her portion with a call to action, encouraging members to take up their kuleana, or responsibility, and support the nonprofit organization’s mission.
Maui County Council member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez said the most important takeaway Dudoit Lindo made was that this is an effort that needs everyone onboard. She didn’t measure words of support and encouragement.
“When I travel around, I love talking about how excited I am that, real soon, our Molokai kupa ʻāina (native of the land) and community will be the ones that are charting our future,” Rawlins-Fernandez said.
People, she said, are watching and conspiring for the trust’s success, and the County Council is investing heavily into seeing this effort through, including a recent resolution passed unanimously.
“All we need to do is believe. When we believe we can, we are unstoppable. We must break the ‘no can’ mindset of colonization and embrace the hiki no (can do),” Rawlins-Fernandez said.
Visit www.molokaiheritagetrust.org for more information.