TULALIP, Wash. — Kuhio Lewis, CEO of the Hawaiian Council, and Chief of Staff Nick Carroll recently walked the entry to Ko Olina Resort, where they’re helping bring to life the historic ahupuaa (division of land) of Honouliuli — once a retreat for alii (royalty), a navigational marker for fishermen, and a source of natural abundance.
A few repurposed Hawaiian hale are the only visible signs that the council — formerly the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement — is working with the Ko Olina Community Association and Ko Olina Resort Operators Association to activate two undeveloped parcels totaling 17.96 acres.
The hale’s modest footprint belies ambitious plans to transform land near Ko Olina’s entryway into a space where locals and visitors can experience Hawaiian traditions from mountains to sea.
Ideas include a curated pathway for lei makers and cultural practitioners, and a Holua sled racing track inspired by scenes from the Apple TV+ series “Chief of War.” Unlike the show’s dramatic cliffside track, Ko Olina’s version would start from a moderate hill and end on land.
“The concept is to turn it into a space that is traditional,” Lewis said. “When visitors come here, they’ll ask, ‘Where’s the Chief of War?’ It doesn’t exist — so we’re going to build it.”
Ko Olina is part of the council’s broader strategy for economic sovereignty — a central theme of the 2025 Native Hawaiian Convention, held last week at Tulalip Resort Casino on the Tulalip Reservation in Washington state. Hosting the event on federally recognized Tulalip Tribes land underscored how culturally rooted economic development can elevate communities.
“(The Tulalip Tribes) have found a way to maintain their cultural identity and economically flourish in this modern world,” Lewis said. “We need to take a closer look at how we can do the same in Hawaii.”
Building momentum
Bringing the convention to Washington — the state with the fastest-growing Native Hawaiian population — helped the council expand its reach. As of 2020, more than half of Native Hawaiians in the U.S. (360,000 of 680,000) lived on the mainland.
Rebecca Soon, chief operating officer of Solutions Pacific, said in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser “this data tells a story that many of our families have felt for decades — Hawaii’s housing and affordability crisis have had a devastating effect on our communities, pushing many Native Hawaiians out of their homeland.”
Washington now has the third-largest Native Hawaiian population after Hawaii and California, with an 83% increase since 2010.
Cyndi Pa, owner of Colors of Hawaii Gifts &Treasures in Everett, Wash., left Hawaii in 1996 and now caters to fellow Hawaiians and visitors seeking island-themed gifts.
“People call this the ABC Store on steroids,” Pa said. “You can take the woman out of Hawaii, but you can’t take Hawaii out of the woman.”
She was so excited that the council brought the convention to Washington that she volunteered throughout the week.
Lewis said many Nevada-based Hawaiian organizations joined the council after its 2023 Las Vegas convention — the first held on the continent. He expects similar results from the Washington event, which drew 1,300 attendees from 37 states and four nations.
“We only have a physical presence in Hawaii, however, we are a national intermediary that has the ability to support nationwide initiatives,” he said.
Tanya Jose, owner of T.J.’s Lei Stand in Federal Way, Wash., attended preconvention activities to learn from lei master Bill Char.
“I wanted to learn from Uncle Bill,” Jose said. “I wanted to learn different methods of lei making.”
She said she strives to utilize local blooms in a traditional way, and that while she is extremely busy during graduation season, she wants to make a website and scale up her business.
Economic diversification
With an annual budget of $79 million and about 300 employees, the council offers capital access, financial education, business training and workforce development.
As COVID-19 and Maui recovery contracts wind down and federal cuts begin — including a $1 million reduction — the council is diversifying into tourism, housing and retail.
In August 2023, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority awarded the council a $24.7 million contract to deliver destination stewardship services through its tourism arm, Kilohana. The agreement, which runs through November 2026, makes Kilohana HTA’s second-highest-paid contractor after the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Carroll, who led the tourism push, said “tourism is the vehicle. It drives economic development and cultural support.”
The council acquired Hawai‘i Stage (formerly Hawai‘i Stage &Lighting Rentals) in September 2024 and is pursuing more contracts in Hawaii’s meetings and events industry.
Hawai‘i Stage produced the Tulalip convention’s content and the premiere of “The Epic Tale of Hi‘iaka,”a Broadway-caliber musical set to open in 2026 at Leeward Community College before moving to a 400-seat amphitheater at Ko Olina.
Lewis said the council also is planning a new luau near Ko Olina Marina, slated to open in December after Paradise Cove closes for redevelopment.
In August 2024, Kilohana launched “Na Lei Aloha Luau” at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki — Hawaii’s only all-Hawaiian, all-hula luau.
In June 2025, the council debuted a TV talent competition, “Hawai‘i to the World, Hawai‘i Island Calls,” and brought on former Hawaiian Airlines executive Blaine Miyashiro as chief brand officer and executive producer.
It also acquired Na Mea Hawai‘i, a cultural hub and marketplace at Ward Centre, adding to its retail presence alongside The Makeke, an online marketplace for Native Hawaiian and local products.
On July 1 the council assumed operation of the Bishop Museum’s gift shop, now called Shop Pacifica by Na Mea Hawai‘i.
In August, it launched Kalahiki, a new initiative focused on energy sovereignty, climate resilience, and economic security.
Bending capitalism
The council promotes economic sovereignty as a vital tool to uplift the Hawaiian community and pave a direct path to a thriving future. Asserting their economic presence and influence may help Native Hawaiians move forward despite long-standing divisions over political status.
Robin Danner, founder of CNHA and now CEO TiLeaf Group, led a convention breakout session on Economic Sovereignty on Wednesday, which focused on how economic sovereignty can address historical barriers stemming from colonialism, lack of infrastructure, limited capital and restricted access to opportunities to help indigenous people achieve self- determination.
Danner, a Native Hawaiian born in Hawaii and raised in Niumalu on Kauai as well as on reservations of the Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache and Inuit villages in Alaska, brings a unique perspective shaped by her experiences as a former banker and chairwoman of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations.
Her message was clear: “No one is coming to save us. It’s going to be us that saves ourselves through various tools.”
She highlighted economic sovereignty as a means to reshape capitalism for the communal prosperity of Native Hawaiians, pointing to the Tulalip Tribes as a successful example of Indigenous economic development.
“I haven’t been to Tulalip in like 40 years — it’s very different now. I hope on the drive over you saw the beauty of it all,” Danner said. “As Native Hawaiians, we are Indian Country’s youngest siblings.”
Danner advocated for economic sovereignty through the Homestead Beneficiary Association and Kupaa Hawaii, a homesteads plan to enlist and connect Native Hawaiians to share strategies and distribute benefits.
“We need to control our capital, our assets, our land,” she said. “We have to be ‘the man’ of our own economic future.”
Source: The Garden Island
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