Protecting Native Hawaiian Intellectual Property

Ko‘akā: a panel discussion held in conjunction with the exhibition KULEANA.

The Native Hawaiian Intellectual Property Working Group (NHIPWG) was convened in hopes of addressing the urgent need to protect Hawai‘i’s cultural expressions, language, and art forms. For generations, Native Hawaiian culture has been commodified-trademarked, copied, or used without consent-stripping it of meaning and benefit to the community.

A roundtable featuring NHIPWG Vice Chair and Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation Executive Director Makalika Naholowa‘a, State Representative Darius Kila (Mā‘ili, Nānākuli, Honokai Hale, Ko‘olina), attorney and cultural practitioner U‘ilani Tanigawa Lum, and moderated by artist Kapulani Landgraf will explore the impacts of cultural appropriation, limitations in the law, and strategies to ensure Native Hawaiians maintain authority over their cultural legacy.

Representative Darius Kila

U‘ilani Tanigawa Lum

Makalika Naholowa‘a

All programs are free and open to the general public. We kindly ask that no video, sound recordings or photographs be taken during these panel discussions, out of respect for the speakers and the shared space. For more information, contact kapulani@hawaii.edu.