Programs

NHLC operates 6 legal services programs to fulfill its mission to protect and advance Native Hawaiian identity and culture. The links below provide information about each of these programs. If you have a legal issue and would like to see if we can help you, please call our office at (808) 521-2302 or contact us using our Contact Form.

Ola nā Iwi

Protecting pilina within healthy families with legal services necessary to maintain and nurture familial relationships between mo’opuna, mākua, kūpuna, and iwi kūpuna.

I Honua Ola

Protecting ʻohana homestead and family land rights against lease cancellation, adverse possession, and other land loss.

Mana ka Wai Ola

Protecting water, including streams, groundwater, and aquaculture.

I Koe ke Kuleana

Protection of Wahi Pana and Culturally Significant Places

Hoʻohua Hou

Protecting the pono use and stewardship of Native Hawaiian traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and genetic resources.

Kani Hou ka Iwi

Enabling ʻohana and communities to recover from disasters and build disaster resiliency.

Published On: June 6, 2025
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 ...
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Published On: May 21, 2025
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. ...
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Published On: May 19, 2025
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 ...
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Programs

Ola nā Iwi

I Honua Ola

Mana ka Wai Ola

I Koe ke Kuleana

Hoʻohua Hou

Kani Hou ka Iwi

News + Insights

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

NHLC Welcomes its Huʻeaʻo Summer Class of 2025

Foreclosure Halts Permitting Process for Controversial Punaluʻu Resort Development Community