Pū‘ā Foundation and Friends Bless Punahoa Heritage Forest

Gratitude to Pu’a Foundation, supporting individuals and organizations for blessing ceremony to preserve Punahona Heritage Forest

Members of the Pūʻā Foundation hosted a blessing ceremony for the Punahoa Heritage Forest, which they received in 1996 as part of the Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ's apology and redress. The Foundation aims to preserve this forest to reconnect Hawaiians with their heritage, aligning with Punahoa and Pua Foundations’ shared values of environmental stewardship and Hawaiian traditions. 

Representatives from supporting organizations joined the blessing ceremony on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, including the State Council of Hawaiian Congregational Churches, the Nature Conservancy, and universities. The gathering included the Native Hawaiian traditions of pule, oli, and hula, as well as a tour of the 1,300-acre forest. 

An article by Ku‘uwehi Hiraishi for Hawai‘i Public Radio discusses how the Pū‘ā Foundation was formed from the UCC's reconciliation initiative, and its new project to preserve part of the forest as a healing space for Native Hawaiians.

We share our immense gratitude to Pūʻā Foundation, the UCC, and all supporting individuals and organizations for your reconciliation and conservation efforts. Thank you for your blessing to protect Punahoa, the people, and their practices, that will collective heal from this land.

Read the full article at the Hawaii Conference United Church of Christ website