About this speaker
Under the direction of the Board, Makalika leads and manages the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. NHLC is a public interest, non-profit law firm wholly dedicated to indigenous Hawaiian rights, and the protection and advancement of Native Hawaiian culture and identity. Each year NHLC helps hundreds of clients and their families with matters that range from brief service to litigation that has taken our team to appellate courts more than 50 times. From help with leaseholds to trust lands, the protection of ancestral burials and repatriation of ancestral remains, defense in quiet title actions, and protection and access to lands and waters necessary for indigenous religious and cultural practice, NHLC stands with the lahui as legal counselors and advocates.
We are proud to be the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ contractor for Native Hawaiian legal services. We do not believe that inability to pay should be a barrier to legal services. We are a provider of pro bono legal services to people that qualify as indigent, and we are a recipient of Indigent Legal Assistance Funds from the Hawai’i Judiciary for that purpose as a part of the legal aide network of legal service providers in Hawai’i.
We value diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our staff almost entirely identifies as women, indigenous, or both.
