KALO at Unity Farm

KALO’s mala serves as a vital space for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the diaspora to affirm our existence, share our stories, and nourish our people with traditional foods. It fosters connection, cultural education, and a sense of place in the Pacific Northwest, while also inviting partners to understand the Pacific Islander experience in this region.

In August of 2019, the very first meeting happened in the hālau of Ka Lei Haliʻa O Ka Lokelani. Over 25 Native Hawaiians gathered with an understanding of the possibilities that a Hawaiian Civic Club could bring to Oregon and SW Washington. Pelekikena Hailama Farden of the Association of the Hawaiian Civic Club reached out to kanaka here in Oregon in hopes that it would happen. When we all came together there was a common understanding and goal of creating a community māla. A mala that would serve our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community. Relationship to ʻĀina continues to drive our organization as we uplift the final words of our founder, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, “After extensive investigation and survey on the part of various organizations organized to rehabilitate the Hawaiian race, it was found that the only method in which to rehabilitate the race was to place them back upon the soil.”