About Us
Our Purpose: Ka Lei o Ka Lāhui is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that is dedicated to providing Hawaiian culture-centered legal and support services to survivors of domestic, sexual, and family violence.
“Ka Lei o Ka Lāhui” is the lei of the beloved Hawaiian people, the indigenous people of Hawaiʻi. Lāhui refers to a people or nation and is often used in reference to Hawaiians or the Hawaiian Kingdom. It also means to gather or assemble.
A lei is given with aloha (love) to someone who is treasured or honored. It is figurative of a beloved child, wife, husband, sweetheart, or younger sibling. Flowers and lei are also associated with children. A lei is symbolic of a beloved child carried on the shoulders, with its legs draped down on both sides of the bearer just like a lei at the poli (bossom or chest) with its arms wrapped around the bearer's neck.
This name was selected for our work because we are committed to caring for and supporting Kānaka as the beloved people of Hawaiʻi, the genealogical children of Hawaiʻi. We cherish each person as we would a child. We act with love for our children and future generations of Hawaiʻi at the forefront. We focus our efforts on assisting individuals in their relationships with ʻohana (family) through cultural healing practices and utilizing legal services to support this work.
Pathways to Healing: Exploring Victim and Survivor Services in and Beyond Hawaiʻi’s Justice System
Our Executive Director joined a powerful panel discussion on the evolving landscape of victim and survivor services. The conversation explores restorative justice, trauma-informed care, and survivors’ rights, while highlighting the critical role of community-based programs in fostering healing, accountability, and empowerment. Watch the full discussion below to learn more about survivor-centered approaches to justice.