**2. Na Kilo ' ¯ Aina: A Biocultural Programmatic Approach ¯**

Established by Na Maka o Papah ¯ anaumoku ¯ akea (NMP) ten years ago, the NKA Program utilizes ¯ a multifaceted, culturally grounded approach to address the complex resource management issues of today through biocultural monitoring tools and programs for community engagement that support positive cultural and social behavior shifts (Table 1). The systemic disconnect between people and nature underscores the need to develop measures of holistic health through a cultural understanding of social–ecological systems. The NKA Program works towards healing disconnects between people and the environment through honoring the importance of pilina. Pilina (defined as relationships) are threads that bind people to the places to which they connect, and to each other, to encourage a return to indigenous knowledge systems. Ultimately, NKA emphasizes the need to develop, build, and nurture pilina within the community to become more aware of dominant patterns of both the environment and people.

In the face of environmental, social, and political change, NKA operates on the shared understanding that, in order to improve place-based resource management, it is vital to strengthen pilina to ❛ aina through building communities of kilo, defined as both the practice and role of keen ¯ observer. Native Hawaiian knowledge systems of kilo support multigenerational communities to build a collective and intimate understanding of biocultural landscapes and seascapes. NKA initiatives are designed to empower communities through biocultural monitoring and community engagement to gather and build relationships between people who are committed to deepening place-based knowledge and expanding culturally grounded research. The program also builds the capacity of Native Hawaiians and local students, conservation professionals, and educators to serve communities and increase their voice and participation in management. This initiative weaves ecological and sociocultural information together to explore the holistic interconnectedness of the paired human and natural environment and assesses intertidal ecology (marine invertebrates and algae), algal diversity, population densities, and reproductive seasons and size of resource invertebrates such as ❛ opihi (*Cellana* spp.) and ha¯❛ uke❛ uke (*Colobocentrotus atratus*).

Building networks through a biocultural approach to community-based resource management increases knowledge sharing and empowers communities to navigate through highly complex social and cultural systems. NKA creates a safe space for critical discussion within community-based resource management for communities to co-develop management solutions that ensure the continuation of a productive and resilient ❛ aina. Ultimately, it is important to consider the sociocultural impacts of ¯ management decisions [45].
