Kaponoʻai Molitau has been appointed the director of Maui County's new Department of ʻŌiwi Resources.
Molitau is the founder and CEO of Native Intelligence, a Hawaiian cultural resource center and retail business in Wailuku.
A news release said he has trained in Hawaiian protocols for the past 32 years.
“Kaponoʻai has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to preserving and perpetuating the knowledge and traditions of our Hawaiian culture,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. “His deep connection to Hawaiian traditional practices will be invaluable in leading and developing this groundbreaking new department.”
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Maui County Council.
The Department of ʻŌiwi Resources was created in 2022 to ensure proper management of cultural resources, including Hawaiian language, cultural sites, burials and natural resources.
The department will be officially established on July 1.
