Original members were taught cultural protocols both traditional and contemporary to reconnect to their own ancestors and the ancestors being rescued to communicate with and engage them in a meaningful way to support the  practitioners with the tools required to be successful. Restoration of ‘ike pāpālua, or avenues of communication is one of the fundamental practices taught by Mr. and Mrs. Kanahele that led to the repatriation and reburial of several thousands of ancestral remains and funerary objects, as well as sacred objects. These results of course inherently recognizes that the ancestors responded in kind, and were an integral part of their own rescue and return.

The totality of these efforts were intended to restore the ancestral foundation upon which ka lāhui Hawai‘i, the Hawaiian nation could be resurrected and rebuilt.

In 2015, at the direction of Mrs. Kanahele, Halealoha dissolved the non-profit corporation ending the organizational formality but certainly not the cultural responsibility. The original name Hui Mālama was metaphorically put to rest. Halealoha established the successor organization and named it Hui Iwi Kuamo‘o, to represent the backbone of the efforts required to care for the ancestors, their possessions and sacred objects.

In terms of the kuleana (duty, responsibility, privilege) to provide care and protection to iwi kūpuna, moepū and mea kapu through repatriation and reburial, Hui Iwi Kuamo‘o was established to continue the significant efforts of Hui Mālama.

A key undertaking of Hui Iwi Kuamo‘o is the training of the next generation of repatriation and reburial practitioners, which is the extension of the genealogy of ‘ike (knowledge) restored to our awareness and conscience by Edward and Pualani Kanahele. This ‘ike brilliantly recognizes that while native Hawaiians did not have protocols for reburial since disturbing iwi kūpuna was traditionally considered so egregious, that it could start a war between families, we do have traditions and the responsibility to evolve our cultural practices to responsibly address contemporary problems including those caused by the theft of our ancestors, their possessions and sacred objects.

Halealoha Ayau carefully handles the kiʻi lāʻau retrieved from Roger Williams Park Museum.

From this perspective, the Kanahele’s created contemporary protocols that have become traditional following over three decades of practice.