Native Hawaiian Community Guest Stewardship

The Hawaiian value of hōʻihi (to treat with reverence or respect), as reflected in the ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) “E hōʻihi aku, e hōʻihi mai,” meaning “show respect, get respect”, represents the core principle of ONHR’s Hōʻihi Grant Program. Through showing respect, visitors (tourists) can then be welcomed as guests with a shared kuleana (responsibility) in perpetuating the values and importance of Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge and cultural practices. This ʻōlelo noʻeau serves as a foundational guide for ONHR’s Hōʻihi Grant Program to aide in actions that: 1) Showcase the heritage, places, art, foods, traditions, history and continuing vitality of the Native Hawaiian Community; 2)Identify, enhance, revive, or maintain lōea (cultural traditions and practices), wahi kūpuna (ancestral spaces) and wahi pana (sacred spaces) that are important to sustain the distinctiveness of the Native Hawaiian Community; and 3)Provide for authentic and respectful visitor experiences in Hawaiʻi. These grants and subsequent actions by NHOs are also expected to facilitate job creation, stimulate economic activity, and contribute to elevating the living standards in the Native Hawaiian Community. The funds are used to provide technical assistance and financial assistance to Native Hawaiian organizations to enable them to fully participate in the tourism industry and improve self-determination and self-governance capabilities to promote greater self-sufficiency.