Organization
Paepae o He'eia
Not yet reviewed by this nation. What follows comes from public records and research. It does not speak for the nation.
Paepae o He'eia, a Native Hawaiian nonprofit founded in 2001, manages an ancient fishpond on Oʻahu in partnership with its landowner, Kamehameha Schools.
- Kind
- 501(c)(3) Native Hawaiian community stewardship nonprofit
- Native-led
- yes-self-described
- Works with
- Native Hawaiian communities of Ko'olaupoko, O'ahu
- Region
- Hawaii; HI
- Focus
- Stewardship of He'eia Fishpond (land is owned by Kamehameha Schools; Paepae manages it), education and food production
- Registry
- EIN 71-0903791 (ProPublica: Paepae O Heeia, Kaneohe HI); own donate page states 501(c)(3) status
What happened
Paepae o He'eia is a private nonprofit that cares for He'eia Fishpond, which its website calls an ancient Hawaiian fishpond in He'eia, Ko'olaupoko, Oʻahu. The site says the pond was constructed nearly 800 years ago. The organization says it was established in 2001 by a group of young Hawaiians.
This is stewardship, not land return. The About page says Paepae o He'eia works in partnership with the landowner, Kamehameha Schools, to manage and maintain the fishpond for the community. The land is not owned by the nonprofit.
Its staff page lists Angela Hi'ilei Kawelo as Founder and Executive Director, and Keli'i Kotubetey as Founder and Assistant Executive Director. The site describes an 'Āina Momona program that aims to restore the fertility of the fishpond and share its bounty with the community. It also offers school field trips, tours and a year-round internship. A related network page says the group helped organize Hui Mālama Loko I'a, an association of fishpond practitioners, whose first statewide consortium met at He'eia State Park in 2004.
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer lists Paepae O Heeia of Kaneohe as a 501(c)(3), tax exemption issued in January 2005. It gives no acreage or restoration totals.
Good to know. Not a land return: Kamehameha Schools owns the fishpond land, and Paepae o Heʻeia cares for it in partnership.
Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error
What the sources say, and how this was checked
Well supported by the sources below.
Established in 2001 by a group of young Hawaiians, Paepae o He’eia works in partnership with landowner, Kamehameha Schools, to manage and maintain
About us - Paepae o He'eiaConstructed nearly 800 years ago, He`eia Fishpond has endured tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, invasive pests, and human development.
Paepae o He'eiaAngela Hi‘ilei Kawelo Founder, Executive Director
Staff - Paepae o He'eiaour first Statewide Fishpond Consortium was held at He’eia State Park in 2004.
Our Networks - Paepae o He'eiaTax exemption issued: Jan. 2005 EIN: 71-0903791
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Paepae O Heeia
Research notes. Not a land return: the fishpond land is owned by Kamehameha Schools. No acreage, harvest or restoration totals appear on the pages read. The donate page offers PayPal or mail; payee not verified at checkout.
Visit the organization’s website or give directly on its own page. This site takes no money.
Connections
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Works in 1
Works with 1
Sources
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The record’s fields
- Vetting notes
- 2026-10-17: ProPublica hit matches name and city. About page says established in 2001 by a group of young Hawaiians; board and staff pages not read in detail. Donate page on own domain offers PayPal or mail; payee not verified at checkout. Not a land return: it stewards land owned by Kamehameha Schools. Source: https://paepaeoheeia.org/about-us/ ("Established in 2001 by a group of young Hawaiians, Paepae o He’eia works in partnership with landowner, Kamehameha Schools")
- Kind
- Organization
- Confidence
- Medium
- Nation review
- Not yet reviewed by this nation