Beneficiary urges DHHL to adopt ‘Wahhuli Makai’ pilot to give wait‑list families immediate agricultural access

A beneficiary told the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands commission on June 16 that the agency should adopt the Wahhuli Makai pilot program to give wait‑listed Native Hawaiians immediate agricultural access and cultural stewardship rights rather than continue large capital projects she said leave people waiting generations for land.

"Our people are dying on the wait list. On Maui, the wait for land is generational," Rose Hattorii told commissioners, urging the agency to adopt a "two‑ to five‑year renewable framework" that would cluster five‑ to ten‑acre parcels for immediate, low‑cost productive use and shared water systems. Hattorii said the model relies on beneficiary sweat equity and leverages USDA indigenous agricultural grants, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and nonprofit partnerships under DHHL oversight.

Supporters of the idea described the pilot as an alternative to ‘‘multi‑million dollar traditional subdivisions’’ and said it could prioritize beneficiaries for permanent homestead leases or long‑term agricultural leases after a transition period. Hattorii argued the approach reduces upfront DHHL capital needs and enables immediate cultivation, agroforestry and cultural practices on the land.

The testifier contrasted the pilot with other departmental spending listed on the meeting agenda, urging commissioners to ‘‘stop funding shifting into corporate software and start investing directly to our people and our land.’’

Commissioners did not take an immediate vote; the testimony was part of the public‑comment portion of the meeting. Staff and commissioners will consider the idea as they review departmental budget and legislative packages in coming meetings.