“People who help the land and the culture, who give unselfishly for the sake of the land, they are the heroes, the real warriors.”
— Ed Lindsey, founder of Maui Cultural Lands
Maui Cultural Lands, Inc. (MCL) is a grassroots land trust organization. Our mission is to stabilize, protect and restore Hawaiian cultural resources—and the success of our efforts depends upon volunteers like you!
About
Maui Cultural Lands is founded on the principles of traditional Hawaiian values. It is through living these values that we are able to follow the path left behind by our kupuna.
I ka wa mamua, ka wa mahope: Our future is in the past.
Aloha: The foundation from which all of our values are built upon. Aloha is deep love and compassion.
Malama: is to take care of properly. It is not enough to take care of something, we have to take care of it properly.
Kuleana: is to be responsible. It is our responsibility to maintain the light that our Kupuna have lit, ensuring our Keiki and future generations can keep the flame burning bright.
He ali’ i ka aina, he kaua ke kanaka: The land is chief, we are its servants.
What we do
Hawaiian culture is intimately connected to the native flora of our islands. Plants have been used for building, transportation, food, clothing, weapons, medicine and religion. Many of these plants are nearing extinction due to the massive influx of invasive plant and animal species to the Hawaiian Islands.
History
Edwin “Ed” Robert Naleilehua Lindsey Jr. and his wife Puanani established Maui Cultural Lands as a nonprofit organization in February 2002. A Native Hawaiian and lifelong school teacher, Uncle Ed had the goal of bringing in the people of Maui—both residents and visitors—to help with the restoration of Honokowai Valley.
This deep sense of kuleana, of responsibility for the land and its gifts, was inherent in Ed. His parents Ned and Pua Lindsey were visionaries who worked throughout their lives to preserve Hawaiian culture and lands, often reminding young Ed to pay attention to the “sticks and stones,” native plants and pohaku, which the ancient Hawaiians used to build their self-sufficient society.
Since Ed’s passing in 2009, Puanani and Ed’s eldest son, Edwin “Ekolu” Lindsey III, carry on the work of Ed’s legacy. As Uncle Ed often remarked, it’s enough work for five lifetimes! But it’s also work that gives back in quiet and long-lasting ways.
In this verdant archeological site, you may feel the presence of those who were here before us, working alongside you, weeding, digging, planting. As you pull the invasive vines away from the fronds of a tiny koa seedling, you may learn how the ancient Hawaiians used this all-important tree to build their mighty canoes. As you feel the breeze cool your hot face, you may sense the powerful spirituality, the mana, that breathes in the very air of the valley.
In this way, Honokowai Valley serves as an inspiring example of sustainability and cultural preservation, a living classroom through the generations—just as Uncle Ed envisioned.
We welcome you to join us on our journey!
Projects
Working across three main Hawaiian cultural land assets: Honokowai Valley, Malama Launiupoko, and Malama Kaheawa-Hanaula on the island of Maui. Maui Cultural Lands is dedicated to an ongoing campaign of reforestation, archaeological stabilization, and education for the Hawaiian community, general public and visitors.
Featured Stories
Ekolu Lindsey joins The Nature Conservancy and the Polynesian Voyaging Society crew aboard the Hikianalia sailing vessel traveling 500 miles to the NW Hawaiian Islands.
Ekolu Lindsey stepped up as president of Maui Cultural Lands and taking the lessons learned from his dad and making them into reality.
Volunteering on Vacation is a unique opportunity to connect and help restore to an ancient land and the Hawaiian culture that nurtured it for thousands of years.
Project Malama Honokowai is focused on restoring the ancient home of a flourishing Hawaiian community over 500 years ago.