Hulihia: Learning from the Kauhale in times of transformation

Abstract

This article explores the persistence of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) spatial intelligences, specifically the kauhale (village), against the backdrop of Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis and settler-colonial property regimes. Tracing the historical transition of Kalihi, Honolulu—from traditional ahupuaʻa (land division) to multi-ethnic plantation “camps” that maintained communal, relational living—the paper highlights the enduring nature of Indigenous place-knowing. By examining contemporary Hawaiian architectural and kīpuka aloha ‘āina (places of cultural resurgence and Indigenous refusal), the article argues for a paradigm shift in housing policy. It advocates for collective land tenure and adaptive building codes that restore housing as a living, reciprocal relationship with ‘āina (land).