There is a growing opportunity in wildlife conservation to embrace indigenous perspectives in the fight against biodiversity loss and extinction. Given the extent of threats to native biodiversity worldwide, it is necessary to critically evaluate how standard models of wildlife conservation are faring at local and regional scales and to build relationships with indigenous communities to help guide and optimize wildlife initiatives. Like many indigenous cultures, a traditional kanaka oiwi (native Hawaiian) worldview is grounded in reciprocal relationships that bind individuals to their communities, resources, and ancestral places. He pilina wehena ole, meaning an unseverable bond, is a cultural reference to the inherent symbiosis between kanaka oiwi and the lands of Hawai'i and highlights the unique ecological knowledge and long-term commitments indigenous communities are making towards wildlife protection and human-nature coexistence. Hawaii provides many examples of resource-driven co-management between local communities and agencies, thus providing invaluable insights towards developing new and more culturally responsive models for wildlife conservation. Here, we summarize the efforts of several “pilina-based” subsistence programs operating across Hawai'i and identify unifying themes that may translate across different ecological systems for wildlife conservation. Additionally, we advocate for greater indigenous representation within new and current models of wildlife conservation.