Noa Mau-Espirito, a student of Kauaʻi immersion schools and 2009 graduate of Kapaa High School who has studied ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi since his childhood, began occupying a portion of the Coco Palms resort in early 2016. After researching his genealogy and the history of the local land, Mau-Espirito discovered a link to the area. With help from others, he began to plant taro and other traditional plants, care for burials and the nearby heiau, and clear a roadway of overgrowth with the goal of "living self-sustainably" on the land. Mau-Espirito and his cousin Kamuela Kapule O Kamehameha believed a royal patent, called a "Palapala Sila Nui", gave their family land rights in perpetuity. Mau-Espirita stated: "Because my bloodline goes straight to Kaumualii, because Kamu's bloodline goes straight to Kapule, we have vested rights and vested interests in this land that nobody can take away from us." A number of other kanaka maoli, some of whom were formerly homeless or descendants of Kauaʻi royalty, joined in his efforts. The group had encounters with police several times, but Kamuela believes this is a civil matter.