About Us 

Ka Hale Manu o Lono is guided by  Leadership Directors composed of Kanaka Maoli whose genealogy descends directly from Kauakahi II, also known as Kauakahilau, a high chief and royal of both the Kauaʻi and Maui Kingdoms. He is the child of Kahalemanuolono Kaumeheiwa and Kihapiʻilani, from whom our organization’s name is inspired. 

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Kahalemanuolono Kaumeheiwa was the sister of Queen Kamakahelei, mother of King Kaumualiʻi of Kauaʻi. 
Kihapiʻilani was the son of Chief Piʻilani, the first king of Maui, and the brother of Kihawahine, the revered moʻo (serpent/lizard) goddess. 

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The Kaumualiʻi ʻohana kuleana lands, awarded through the Great Māhele, are located in the Wailua ahupuaʻa of Kauaʻi, within the ʻili of Kihapiʻilani. These lands hold profound cultural and spiritual significance, encompassing: 

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• Two Kaumualiʻi family birthing heiau 

• Burial sites 

• An ʻiliahi (sandalwood) grove 

• Mokila’s moʻo cave 

• Auwai (irrigation channels) 

• Fishponds and loʻi kalo (taro lands) 

These ancestral lands continue to anchor the mission, stewardship, and cultural responsibility of Ka Hale Manu o Lono. 

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Legend / Mo‘olelo 

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Kihawahine, the powerful moʻo (serpent) goddess, and Kihapiʻilani were siblings, both children of Chief Piʻilani, King of Maui. The term “Kiha” is associated with serpents and lizards, symbolizing sacred guardianship and spiritual power. 

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The Kaumualiʻi ʻohana kuleana lands in the ʻili of Kihapiʻilani at Wailua are known as the home and dwelling place of Mokila, a sacred and renowned moʻo guardian of the rivers, streams, and freshwater springs of Wailua. 

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It is said that the royal lineages of Kauakahi, Kamakahelei, Kaumualiʻi, and Piʻilani are directly connected to the sacred wahi pana in the uplands of Wailua Puna, Kauaʻi, known as Pihanakalani. 

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Kauakahialiʻi resided at Pihanakalani, and in the mo‘olelo of Kamehameha and the Nāhā Stones of Wailua, it is told that the Priestess of Pihanakalani was present on Moku o Keawe (Hawaiʻi Island) when Kamehameha lifted the sacred Nāhā Stones, which originated from Wailua, Kauaʻi. 

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This mo‘olelo shares the enduring spiritual authority, genealogy, and sacred responsibility carried through these ancestral lines.