Molokai Monk Seal Pup Recovering on Big Island

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

By The Molokai Dispatch staff
This has been another “banner year” for monk seal pupping in the main Hawaiian Islands, with 35 new pups so far, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a recent news release. As the peak pupping season winds down, most of these new pups are thriving and exploring the reefs on their own.
However, two small pups, one on Molokai and another on Kauai, needed extra help. Due to quick action by NOAA’s team and partners, both are now receiving life-saving care at the Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital, Ke Kai Ola, in Kona, Big Island.…

Bissen Hears Concerns at Holomua Kākou

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

By Léo Azambuja

Mayor Richard Bissen landed on Molokai last week as part of the Holomua Kākou series designed to reach out to Maui County’s further communities, including the Friendly Isle, Lanai and Hana. 

“The whole purpose is to come in and get your concerns, your priorities, and how we can be available to you folks,” Bissen told about 30 residents at Mitchell Pauole Center Aug. 25. 

The meeting only lasted about an hour, but Bissen left with a bag full of issues and concerns. He made assurances he would look into all of them and follow up, despite some not being the county’s responsibility, and others being caused by previous administrations.…

Through the Words of John Papa ʻĪʻī

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

By Léo Azambuja
Some of the most invaluable insights on how Hawaiian kings and commoners lived in the 19th century came from the written accounts of a man who served four generations of the Kamehameha Dynasty and wielded a significant power and influence in the Kingdom.
“If anyone needed something to be done, they always seemed to call John Papa ʻĪʻī. He was the guy to get it done,” Awaiulu head researcher Kalei Roberts said at the E Hoʻomanaʻo series event at Molokai Public Library Aug. 26.
Close to 20 people came to the library to learn more about the life and legacy of Ioane Kāneiakama Papa ʻĪʻī — widely known as John Papa ʻĪʻī — including members of the Alu Like Kupuna Program and members of the Kaʻahumanu Society, Molokai Chapter 8.…

Nail Bar Molokai Offers Free Kupuna Care

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

By Léo Azambuja

An advanced medical nail technician has set the bar high on caring for the feet of Molokai’s kupuna, an important service specially for those with certain health conditions such as lymphedema and diabetes.

“The treatment I do helps. I’ve seen some amazing results. People are getting their mobility back. They are saying that they are feeling better,” Chisa Kalani said. “I feel really good with what I have been doing.”

Last February, she opened the Nail Bar Molokai, a professional nail care center offering full manicures and pedicures, gel-x and acrylic nails, upper body massages and even a venue for nail parties.…

The Spirit of Obon

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

By Léo Azambuja
When the first Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawai‘i in the 19th century to work on sugar plantations, they brought the bon dance with them, which would become an integral, colorful part of Hawaiʻi’s folk and religious tradition.
“It’s a symbolic dance, where we dance with our departed loved ones who have passed on. And this is a very traditional Japanese and Buddhist practice,” Buddhist Bishop Shuji Komagata said at the Guzeiji Soto Mission’s Bon Dance in Kaunakakai Saturday evening.
During the Obon season, the spirits of the deceased return home to visit their families. Chochins, or paper lanterns, help the spirits find their way home and join their families in the bon dances.…