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Kahoʻohanohano Midwifery & Traditional Birthing Practices Litigation Settled

As a result of litigation and legislative advocacy, Native Hawaiian practitioners can now train and engage in traditional birthing practices without fear of criminal penalties   Today, the state of Hawai‘i agreed to end a case brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC), and the ...

How does adoption affect DHHL eligibility?

Can I designate my adopted child as the successor to my lease? What about other adopted relatives? By Henderson Huihui, NHLC Staff Attorney, ʻOhana Services There is a legal distinction between legal adoption and the traditional practice of hānai. The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) provides a specific list ...

September 30, 2025|Categories: Ask NHLC, Mana ka Wai Ola|Tags: |

Is there a way to prepare a will if you are unable to afford an estate planning attorney?

By Devin Kamealoha Forrest, Esq., NHLC Staff Attorney and Research Specialist In Hawaiʻi, wills are governed by The Uniform Probate Code under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (“HRS”) §560. This law generally outlines three criteria which are necessary for a document to be considered a valid will. First, the document must ...

September 30, 2025|Categories: Ask NHLC, Mana ka Wai Ola|Tags: |

How does putting land in a trust protect it for future generations?

By Devon Haia, Esq. Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Fellow and Staff Attorney Whether property was recently purchased, or passed down through generations, ʻohana can use a family land trust as a legal shield to protect and preserve their land for future generations. A trust is a legal tool ...

June 6, 2025|Categories: Ask NHLC, I Honua Ola, Kani Hou ka Iwi|Tags: |

NHLC Welcomes its Huʻeaʻo Summer Class of 2025

The Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation welcomes its 2025 Summer Students! NHLC’s Huʻeaʻo experiential learning program welcomes undergraduate, law, and other graduate students throughout the year. Most are with NHLC during the summer. NHLC’s program is a unique opportunity for students to learn in an Indigenous-lead, Indigenous rights legal ...

May 21, 2025|Categories: Huʻeaʻo Student Program|

Foreclosure Halts Permitting Process for Controversial Punaluʻu Resort Development Community

HILO, Hawai‘i- The future of Punaluʻu, one of the most biologically rich and culturally revered places in Kaʻū, is now uncertain, but a proposed resort development that threatened its integrity may be off the table for good. A Hawai‘i circuit court has approved an order of foreclosure against developer Black ...

May 19, 2025|Categories: I Koe ke Kuleana, Traditional Practices|Tags: |
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