Citizen Journalism

A lifelong resident of Waianae on the west side of Oahu, Hanale Hopfe knows the area and its history well. He also knows the people well, including Waianaeʻs houseless population, so he got the idea for people who are on the land to help take care of the land. When we met Hanale we quickly saw how perfectly suited these age-old approaches are for the present. Join us in our fascinating visit with Hanale Hopfe as he shows us why Hawaiiʻs ancient ways of land management are far superior to todayʻs.

When you first arrive at Kaiaka Bay, it looks like another beautiful beach park, near Oahuʻs north shore. But then you see it - the massive stone sitting elevated in the middle of everything. When we met up with Malia Evans, our first question was “what is that and how in the world did it get here?” Donʻt miss our amazing visit with Malia as she explains the ancient stones of Kaiaka and why this park was such a sacred and important place in ancient times of old Hawaii.

If youʻve ever wondered what homes looked like in ancient Hawaii, look no further than Francis Sinenci. We saw for ourselves when we met him that Francis builds traditional Hawaiian hale, or homes the same exact way they used to be constructed using the same methods and materials. And we got what we came for, a tour of one of his amazing hale he built at a beach in beautiful Hana, Maui. Join us in our visit with Francis as he takes us back in time and youʻll soon see how Hawaiians lived in old Hawaii.

If youʻve ever wondered why Hawaiians are so passionate about Hawaii, you donʻt have to look any further than Joshua Noga. Aloha aina is the Hawaiian phrase for love of land and as we discovered, those two words perfectly describe Joshua. An activist dedicated to preserving Hawaiiʻs land and natural resources for generations to come, he helped produce some of the Aha Aloha Aina self-governance workshops which have been instrumental in preparing for an independent Hawaii. Join us in our visit with Joshua and we bet some of his passion for a Free Hawaii will rub off on you, too.

With literally decades of activism under her belt, Aunty Max is one of Hawaiiʻs most unique caretakers. Over the years sheʻs fought almost non-stop for Hawaiiʻs land and natural resources as well as itʻs people, culture and way of life all the while raising her own children as a widowed mother and a full time worker. When we met her, we soon found out she speaks her mind like few others do. Donʻt miss our amazing visit with Aunty Max as she tells it like it is and reveals why activism has been such a big part of her life.

Many of us as we go through life find weʻre sometimes at a place where we just need a little help. Thatʻs what Kahumana Community Farm located in Waianae does. As we quickly saw in our visit and tour with Executive Director Tom McDonald, Kahumana is a healthy and inclusive farm-based community helping Oahuʻs homeless families, people with disabilities and youth become productive on their own once again. Join us in our visit to Kahumana and like us, youʻll see why this very special place indeed.

Long-time champion of Hawaii's land and environment, Marti Townsend has the perfect job. As KAHEA’s program director working to improve the quality of people's lives, Marti has helped design some of Hawaii’s most significant environmental legislation. Not only a keen detective for what’s at risk, you’ll discover she also knows what’s possible - Hawaii as the shining example for the world on how to get the balance right. As she says, the land and the people are one.

Oahuʻs North Shore is one of the most beautiful areas in all Hawaii, yet few other places have been more in jeopardy of commercial development. And thatʻs where we met Choon James who works tirelessly to, as she says, “keep the country, country.” Choon should know - she grew up in the concrete jungle called Singapore, but even more amazing today sheʻs a real estate agent in Hawaii. Filmed on location at beautiful Kahana Bay, youʻll see why this one-woman dynamo is so devoted to preserving the North Shoreʻs scenic beauty.

Danny Bishop says heʻs a lucky guy, so naturally we wanted to find out why. And when we arrived, it was all too obvious. Dannyʻs a modern guy who lives by ancient values of Old Hawaii in a place of incredible beauty where you can feel the ancestorʻs presence and time just seems to stand still. Donʻt miss our incredible visit with Danny, but be warned - youʻll wish you were this lucky too.

How do you know when you have a purpose in life thatʻs larger than you? And what do you do when you realize that purpose isnʻt just about you but involves serving all of mankind? These are some of the questions we asked Kahu Bruce in our amazing visit with him which we will long remember. Join us as Bruce Keaulani explains how he helps people to live again by putting them back on the path of light.