Faith Nālani Kanakaʻole
March 19, 1946 – Jan. 3, 2026

mina.mina

1. nvt. To grieve for something that is lost; regret, sorrow.
2. To prize greatly, value greatly, especially of something in danger of being lost; to value, place great value on; value, worth.

Beloved Kumu Hula Nālani Kanakaʻole was born into an extraordinary hula lineage and ʻohana. The youngest of Luka and Edith Kanakaʻole’s six children, she was raised in Keaukaha on Moku o Keawe. She was brought up in the old way, immersed in nā mea Hawaiʻi and, like others in her prominent ‘ohana, she worked her entire life to preserve and perpetuate ‘ike Hawaiʻi.

At the tender age of 3, Nālani began rigorous hula training, initially under her grandmother, Mary Kekuewa Ahiena Kanaele Fujii, and later under her mother. By the age of 14 she was teaching.

Her mother founded Hālau o Kekuhi in 1953. Nālani always knew she would be a teacher and she eventually took on the kuleana as a kumu of Hālau o Kekuhi along with her sister, Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele, and later, with her niece Huihui Kanahele-Mossman.

Over the decades, Hālau o Kekuhi has staunchly protected traditional, pre-contact forms of hula, garnering international acclaim and helping to elevate respect and appreciation for ʻai haʻa (a vigorous, ancient style of hula performed close to the ground).

For a time in the 1970s, Nālani studied art history at UH Hilo. But it was through hālau that she met and later married artist Sig Zane. Their son, Kūhaʻoimaikalani, was born in 1983, and in 1985, the pair founded the eponymous Sig Zane Designs, known for its elegant clothing and inspired designs. Nālani later resumed her studies and graduated from UH Hilo with a bachelor’s degree in art in 2001.

In 1993, Nālani and her sister, Pualani, were named National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts and last November, the sisters were honored with lifetime achievement awards by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts. Nālani also served for decades as a Merrie Monarch judge.

All of this serves as a prelude and backdrop to my own personal, unique remembrances of Nālani Kanakaʻole.

I first encountered Nālani when she was her motherʻs kākoʻo in my ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi class at Hilo College 52 years ago. More than half a century past.

Her mother, Aunty Edith, was a gem who welcomed any and all into her warm embrace. No matter age, ethnicity, or social standing. Her father, Uncle Luka, was also patient as he shared the how-to construction instructions to fashion ʻulīʻulī and pūʻili. We were all expected, it was assumed, that we would practice what they preached.

And then there was Nālani. Much more circumspect and to many, intimidating. She was her own woman. Thought-filled, grounded in that inimitable ʻai haʻa way, she didn’t cut much slack for anyone.

When asked a question in conversation, there was that inevitable pause. Sometimes short, often unnervingly long. One might think to one’s self, “OMG, does she hate me? Does she think I’m stupid?”

But no. She was thinking and forming an appropriate response. Mayhaps calculating one’s level of knowledge or degree of competence before saying anything.

We became close and sometimes went holoholo to Kīlauea or Pāpaʻi. Lots of lively talk story in the moonlight with our group of friends. And then one night I worked up the courage: “I can come hula?” Pause. “Yeah.”

I was a skinny Portuguese boy with thick glasses and a muʻumuʻu (paralyzed) arm. But I went, and sweated, and got scolded. Same like everybody else. For a season I immersed myself, worked hard, played hard. After a few years I moved on from hula. But she remained, always one of my kumu. Always accessible.

Much later in life, a good friend told me, “Get hula with Nālani! Come! Going be ‘Hula-Lite’ for us mākua and kūpuna types.” Again I worked up the courage, this time for ʻauana. “Can?” Smile. Nod. Still the commitment, carpooling to hula and learning new words every week.

Of course it wasn’t “lite” but we were hooked. “Secret” practices so we wouldn’t disappoint her. Older brains and bodies, but always with obedience to Kumu Nālani. We figured it out, using medical appliances for our wasted knees and ankles.

We were inspired to do our best because of our collective awe of, and aloha for, Kumu Nālani. Her voice, her intellect, her rigor, her absolutely incomparable choreography. She was unequaled.

We’d chuckle at the kāholo to the right, kāholo to the left styles, understanding, as she shared with us, that hula motions are based on life: swimming, digging, planting, paddling, surfing. “Move fluidly like that. Get outside and do it so you know how. But you folks know already. The young kids need help. Too many computers.”

The best, the very best thing, was just being in hālau and listening to Kumu Nālani inimitably strum and sing our old favorites. Her old favorites.

Ever-curious, always exploring and selflessly sharing. Making art, writing, composing, always busy, always inspiring, and always demanding excellence.

Those who lived times with Nālani truly lived them with enthusiasm, and that continued even when beers on the beach segued to white peach bellinis at restaurants, and outfits fashioned from Indian tapestry morphed into designer wear accented with pearls and jade. How exquisite are all our memories. Almost like a dream.

On the minds of many, each with their own very personal relationship with Kumu Nālani, we collectively grieve as, again, another fount of kūpuna knowledge is lost. Auē. . .

Kumu Hula Nālani Kanakaʻole is survived by her husband Sigmund Zane; son Kūhaʻoimaikalani Zane (Shaelene Kamakaʻala); grandchildren Loliʻi Kamakaʻala Barron and Naholowaʻa Zane; sister Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele; the extended Kanakaʻole, Kanahele, and Zane ʻohana; and the many haumāna and cultural practitioners who have learned from her. Her hoʻolewa and celebration of life was held on February 21 at Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo.

The post Always Inspiring and Always Demanding Excellence appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Submitted by the Polynesian Voyaging Society

The Polynesian Voyaging Society honors the life, leadership, and enduring legacy of Pwo Navigator Milton “Shorty” Bertelmann, a foundational leader of Hōkūleʻa and a quiet pillar of the Polynesian voyaging renaissance.

From the earliest days of Hōkūleʻa, Shorty stood at the heart of the mission. Beginning in 1975, as Hōkūleʻa first sailed throughout the Hawaiian Islands recruiting crew members, Shorty committed himself fully to the care of the canoe, the discipline of the crew, and the deeper purpose of restoring traditional voyaging knowledge.

In 1976, Shorty was selected from among dozens of highly capable candidates to sail on Hōkūleʻa’s historic maiden voyage from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti, a journey that reawakened traditional Polynesian voyaging and forever changed our understanding of who we are as Pacific peoples.

And it changed Shorty. His selection was no accident. He possessed extraordinary leadership qualities: quiet, unwavering, and deeply grounded. He understood why he was there and never lost sight of it: to care for Hōkūleʻa, to protect and support Mau Piailug, to learn traditional navigation, and to help ensure that the canoe found Tahiti.

Central to Shorty’s legacy was his profound relationship with his teacher Mau Piailug. Shorty approached navigation with humility and absolute focus, recognizing the rare and sacred opportunity to learn from a master.

Mau, in turn, recognized Shorty as a true student, one who listened, observed, and committed fully. Their teacher–student relationship became historic, representing one of the first times Micronesian navigational knowledge was shared beyond its homeland. That bond succeeded because Shorty wanted to learn, and Mau was willing to teach. Shorty protected Mau, held sacred Mau’s teachings, upheld the strict standards of conduct that Mau lived by, and ensured that the space around him remained respectful and focused.

Shorty remained deeply committed to the mission beyond that first voyage and emerged as one of Hōkūleʻa’s most trusted captains. He made several pivotal voyages and was instrumental to their success and to the continued growth of the voyaging movement across the Pacific.

In 1980, he sailed again from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti on a demanding 31-day voyage marked by relentless weather and extreme physical and mental challenges.

In 1985, Shorty captained critical legs of Hōkūleʻa’s maiden voyage to Aotearoa (New Zealand), including the journey from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, to Waitangi, Aotearoa – the first deep-sea leg without Mau on board. It was a difficult and deeply spiritual leg of the voyage, marked by extraordinary moments at sea.

Shorty was the captain the canoe needed. He was thorough in preparation, exacting in training, calm under pressure, and steady in spirit. Everyone trusted him. His leadership carried the canoe safely through uncertainty and into new horizons.

He continued to serve as captain on numerous significant voyages, including bringing Hōkūleʻa home from Aotearoa in 1987, and later captaining the voyage to the Cook Islands in 1992.

Across these journeys, he raised the bar of excellence for voyaging, establishing rigorous standards of training, safety, preparation, and conduct that remain foundational today.

He was known for staying awake long hours, checking everything, and paying attention – not only to the canoe, but to what nature was doing to her.

In his quiet way, he was always present. He was kind, but firm. He rarely spoke his expectations aloud, but everyone felt them. He held himself, and everyone around him, to the highest standards: care for the canoe, care for Mau, care for one another, succeed together.

Behind Shorty’s steadiness was a life shaped by profound experiences. Shorty served in the Vietnam War, a chapter that deeply affected him. Those who knew him understood that the war left lasting scars, and that when Hōkūleʻa returned home in 1992, Shorty carried both the weight of that history and the toll of years of intense commitment. He pulled back quietly, as he lived by never seeking attention, never asking for recognition; but his impact never diminished.

Shorty helped lay the foundation for everything Hōkūleʻa stands for today, and from his character emerged our voyaging values: the canoe is your home, the crew is your family. These principles became embedded in the culture of Hōkūleʻa and later carried forward into journeys such as the Worldwide Voyage.

He taught us that finding islands begins with caring for your home and your family and that through discipline, humility, and commitment, navigation becomes a way of life. His leadership, integrity, and devotion to the mission shaped the voyaging renaissance in Hawaiʻi and throughout the Pacific. He showed us that true leadership does not need volume or rank. It needs clarity of purpose, discipline of action, and unwavering commitment.

We honor and thank Shorty for who he was, for what he gave, and for the standards he set that continue to guide us. His spirit will forever be felt on the deck of Hōkūleʻa. His leadership remains our compass and his legacy lives on in every voyage, every crew member trained, and every horizon crossed by Hōkūleʻa.

Aloha ʻoe, e Shorty. You found Tahiti, and you helped us find ourselves.

Shorty, who was also a rancher on Hawaiian homestead land in Waimea, Hawaiʻi Island, is survived by his wife, Sue Bertelmann; son Kainalu Bertelmann; daughter Bree Malia (Shayne) Bertelmann; sister Lynda Bertelmann; sisters-in-law Delsa Bertelmann and Deedee Bertelmann, and Kathy Hau of Kahaluʻu; four grandchildren; nieces and nephews. His celebration of life was held in February.

The post A Quiet Pillar of the Polynesian Voyaging Renaissance appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

“We cannot continue to let others decide our future,” wrote longtime Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) trustee, Rowena Akana. “We will be one nation and one people. Let us embrace each other’s views no matter how different they are from our own.”

Known as a passionate, strong-willed and outspoken advocate for Native Hawaiian rights, Akana came from humble beginnings. Born during World War II, she grew up in Pālolo Valley on Oʻahu.

A proud Roosevelt High School “Rough Rider,” upon graduation, Akana moved to the continent, enrolling at New York University. A haumana of nā kumu hula Puanani and Leilani Alama from Kaimukī, she had the opportunity, while living in New York, to perform at the 1964 World’s Fair. She later continued her formal education at Kapiʻolani Community College and UH Mānoa.

In the late 60s Akana got married and started a family. Her husband, an air traffic controller, was later relocated to Guam and the family lived there for two years.

They returned to Hawaiʻi in the aftermath of the 1978 Constitutional Convention. It was 1979 and more than a hundred candidates were vying for one of the nine trustee seats for the newly created Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Akana’s friend, Rodney Burgess, was one of them. He asked Akana to be his campaign coordinator.

This was the catalyst for Akana’s political awakening. In a 2018 interview on ThinkTech Hawaiʻi, Akana recalled first learning about Hawaiʻi’s political history through workshops provided to educate the community by attorneys John Waiheʻe, Sr., John Van Dyke and Judge William Richardson – information she described as “eye opening.”

As she came to understand the hope for change that OHA represented, she increasingly focused on the fact that, since its establishment, OHA has been under-funded by the State of Hawaiʻi.

“OHA had a difficult time with the mandate to ʻbetter conditions for Native Hawaiians’ [because] they had no money. The state was just giving them peanuts and Hawaiians began to get disenchanted with OHA thinking, ʻwell this is our great hope and nothing is happening,’” Akana said in the 2018 interview.

This, along with her growing activism, prompted Akana to run for OHA herself in 1990. She won an At-Large trustee seat, eventually serving for nearly three decades (from 1990 through 2018). She was re-elected seven times and during her tenure she twice served as both board chair and vice-chair.

Throughout her political career, Akana was a vocal advocate for Native Hawaiians. She was an early critic of Maunakea’s mismanagement; was involved in a kūpuna health care task force; and advocated to exempt Kuleana Lands from property taxes – as a result, the maximum property tax on Kuleana Lands is $100 per year.

In 2007, her advocacy for Hawaiian soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan influenced the creation of the Army’s Warrior Transition Units to coordinate care for soldiers with serious physical or mental conditions.

Akana was known as a formidable opponent who did not shy away from controversy.

“Rowena lived her life as a voice for Hawaiian people. She was strong but always open to hearing positions contrary to her own. A worthy opponent and good friend,” said attorney Mililani Trask who served as an OHA trustee with Akana in the late 1990s.

Beyond politics, Akana worked as a federal grants reviewer, a substance abuse counselor, a radio newscaster and a substitute teacher. She also served for a time as the Pacific Region representative of AIANTA (American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association).

While serving on AIANTA’s board, Akana got to know Pohai Ryan, a tourism executive with the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA). Ryan convinced Akana to travel with NaHHA to the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin, the world’s largest annual tourism expo.

“She was very committed to economic development for Native Hawaiians,” Ryan recalled. Akana and Ryan later traveled together to AIANTA conventions held on tribal lands.

“Unforgettable. That is how I would describe former OHA Trustee Rowena Akana,” said Ryan. “She was very strong willed, and she enjoyed representing the Hawaiian people.”

As a resident of East Oʻahu, Akana was active with the Niu Valley Community Association and the Hawaiʻi Kai Bobby Sox Softball League. She also belonged to the Musicians Association of Hawaiʻi, the Society of Hawaiʻi Entertainers, and performed as a singer and emcee for the Tavana Polynesian Show in Waikīkī.

“Mom was a force,” said daughter Toni Nickens. “She was a straight shooter and wore her heart on her sleeve. Her methods were not embraced by everyone, but you knew exactly where she stood. You could criticize her approach, but never her heart for our lāhui.”

Akana’s heart for the lāhui is best understood through manaʻo she shared in a September 2017 Ka Wai Ola column:

“What we face today as Hawaiians, the Indigenous people of our lands, is no different than what occurred over 100 years ago. We are still fighting to protect our culture, rights to our lands, and our entitlements. Times may have changed but people are still the same. Greed is still the motivation behind efforts to relieve us of whatever entitlements we have left. The fight is even more difficult now that our enemies have become more sophisticated in ways to manipulate us and the law.

“We are one people. We cannot afford to be divided, not when so much work remains to be done. The struggle to regain our sovereign rights requires unity and the strength of numbers. Let us work together for the cause of nationhood. Let us agree on the things that we can agree to and set aside the things we differ on and move forward together for the future generations of Hawaiians yet to come.”

Rowena Akana is survived by her daughters Toni Akana Nickens and Ann-Marie Tomisato, and her three grandchildren, Cheyenne Noʻeauonalani Nickens, Nathaniel Tomisato and Micah Tomisato. A hoʻolewa and celebration of life will be held at Kawaiahaʻo Church on Thursday, January 15 (her birthday). Visitation at 10:00 a.m. and services to follow at 11:00 a.m.

The post “A Worthy Opponent and a Good Friend” appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Lawyer, plaintiff, activist, teacher, businessman, father, grandfather, and friend, Clarence Ching was affectionately known as Uncle Ku. He was also sometimes known as “Goat.”

“The kids used to call him goat, not just because they thought he was the ‘greatest of all time,’ but because he was like a billy goat,” laughed Ching’s oldest daughter, Christi Maumau.

Born on June 27, 1936, in Pauoa, Oʻahu, Ching passed on Sept. 16, 2025, at the age of 89. He was a father of four, grandfather of seven, and great-grandfather of one.

In his later years, Ching spent most of his time walking Maunakea, tracing the traditional trails on the mauna and leading huakaʻi for his friends and family – earning him the nickname “goat” from his grandchildren.

He also acknowledged that he was referred to by some as “Ku: the old man of the mountain.”

“All the native trails are actually part of the highway system,” said Maumau, recalling the lessons her father taught her. “He felt that, as long as he could keep walking on those native trails, he could prove that people were still using them and that they couldn’t be taken away. He was trying to preserve the trails.”

Ching once wrote about his given name, Kukauakahi. “My DNA ascends through all islands, principally Liloa and ʻUmi on Hawaiʻi; Manokalanipō on Kauaʻi; and Kakuhihewa and Kualiʻi on Oʻahu. Also, Lonoikahaupu (one of Liliʻuokalani’s ancestors). I took the name of another of [my] ancestors, Kukauakahi.”

Prior to enrolling at Kamehameha Schools and graduating in 1954, Ching had attended Pauoa Elementary School. It was there that he first met Mary Maxine Kahaulelio.

“He was quite a guy, yeah. Very, very warm-hearted and yet kolohe,” said Kahaulelio of her friend of 75 years. “He was brilliant.”

After high school, Ching attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where he studied chemistry, and later earned his juris doctorate from the University of Idaho. Before becoming a private attorney in Honolulu from 1976 to 1992, he worked as a stockbroker, a radiochemist, a clerk, and a lifeguard.

His steadfast advocacy for the protection of the ʻāina and Native Hawaiian culture dates to the 1980s, eventually bringing him to serve as a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) for one term, from 1986 to 1990.

Reflecting on his time at OHA, Ching wrote on his website: “Before I ran for OHA, I had already dedicated myself to the restoration of the Kingdom. When I was elected, I hoped to assist in the restoration of the Kingdom and continued revival of our culture and spirituality. As a trustee, I worked on the ʻOHA Blueprint’ to connect Hawaiian issues with global issues and helped negotiate with the state for back rent on ceded lands.”

Ching was involved in many cultural organizations over the years and was also part of the construction crew for the voyaging canoe Hawaiʻi Loa from 1990 to 1993.

He also served on the Cultural Advisory Committee for the Pōhakuloa Training Area from 2000 to 2013. In 2002, he led Huakaʻi i nā ʻĀina Mauna, which focused on learning about Maunakea landscapes by hiking from the Hāmākua Coast, starting at sea level, to Maunakea’s summit, then back down to swim in Luahinewai at Kīholo on the Kona coast.

Maumau recalled joining one of the huakaʻi and having difficulty with the altitude. “He came over, he goes, ʻcan you make it to the road?’ I said, ʻyeah, I think I can make it to the road.’ He goes, ‘okay, I’m going to go up and get the truck, and I’m going to meet you right there. Just go right there.’ He took off. He was so much older than me, but he was so much more fit than me.”

Ching hiked those trails well into his mid-80s, until his body could go no longer. “I feel that when he’s not checking on us, then he’s definitely there,” Maumau added.

Kahaulelio moved to Waimea in 1999 where she crossed paths again with her childhood friend and became active as a kiaʻi ʻāina alongside Ching.

“We were getting involved with a lot of struggles here, like Pōhakuloa, Maunakea, other things pertaining to real bad things happening in Waimea – let’s put it that way,” said Kahaulelio. “But 2014 is the time we went to court.”

In 2014, Ching and Kahaulelio filed a lawsuit against the State of Hawaiʻi and the Department of Land and Natural Resources over the state’s mismanagement of public trust lands at the Pōhakuloa Training Area. The land, part of the ceded lands trust, has been leased to the U.S. military for training purposes since 1964.

As trust beneficiaries and cultural practitioners, they argued that the state failed its constitutional duty as trustee by not adequately monitoring, inspecting, or enforcing lease conditions, instead relying on the military to self-report compliance.

The lawsuit, Ching v. Case, resulted in a 2019 Hawaiʻi Supreme Court decision affirming the state’s obligation to actively oversee third-party use of public trust lands.

“Malama ʻāina became codified as a legal argument and [that] set a kind of legal precedent,” said Candace Fujikane, of the landmark case.

Fujikane, a University of Hawaiʻi English professor and author of Mapping Abundance for a Planetary Future: Kanaka Maoli and Critical Settler Cartographies in Hawaiʻi first met Ching in 2012 and became a part of Huakaʻi i nā ʻĀina Mauna.

She reflected on the lessons learned along the way – from the beauty of the landscapes and their historical and scientific significance – to moments of stillness and kilo (observation) as Uncle Ku shared moʻolelo.

“He was my alakaʻi,” Fujikane said. “He was our fearless leader. He was the one who would plot out our course.”

The post A Brilliant and Fearless Hawaiian Leader appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Kapualehuaonapalilahilahiokaala Kaʻapu Sproat Fonoimoana
March 9, 1938 – Oct. 2, 2025

Honolulu, Oʻahu: Beloved traditional Hawaiian healing practitioner Kapua Kaʻapu Sproat Fonoimoana was a member of Ke Ola Mamo’s board of directors and the kūpuna council of practitioners of Hawaiian healing traditions. Sproat Fonoimoana was raised in Punaluʻu, Oʻahu, and despite being born in the mid-20th century, she had an unconventional upbringing. Her ʻohana lived in a traditional hale pili (grass house) without electricity or running water – part of a kauhale built by her father, David Kaʻapu, on the family’s 2-acre ʻohana parcel. The family planted loʻi kalo and lived traditionally and self-sufficiently on the ʻāina. Sproat Fonoimoana later attended Kamehameha Schools, her love of education fostered by her mother who was a school teacher. As a result of her extraordinary childhood and upbringing, Sproat Fonoimoana was an early advocate of ʻai pono as well as a lāʻau lapaʻau practitioner, and an avid gardener and farmer, who grew both food and medicinal crops. With ʻike gleaned from her childhood, she also taught public health educators and dietitians how to dry and preserve traditional Hawaiian foods in preparation for open ocean travel – and then she traveled with dietitian Kaʻiulani Odom to carry those dried traditional provisions to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia to supply crew members of the Hōkūleʻa as they made their way home to Hawaiʻi. Sproat Fonoimoana often worked with Koʻolau physician Dr. Miriam Chang, even sharing patients from time-to-time – including one patient with severe external injuries. Sproat Fonoimoana treated the patient with lāʻau lapaʻau, and they were healed without scars.

George “Keoki” Fukumitsu
June 2, 1953 – May 18, 2025

Hakipuʻu, Oʻahu: Keoki Fukumitsu, affectionately known as “Kalo Man,” was a seventh generation kalo farmer born and raised on ʻohana kuleana land in the ahupuaʻa of Hakipuʻu. A respected community leader, advocate and organizer, Fukumitsu was a kumu of kalo and traditional agro-ecological management, providing advice and guidance on restoration and farming efforts based on the ʻike kūpuna passed down through his ʻohana. Fukumitsu was also active in the Aloha ʻĀina movement and Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana in the 1970s and 80s, and was one of the original members of the Hakipuʻu ʻOhana (part of a coalition of plaintiffs collectively known as “Windward Parties”) in the landmark Waiāhole water case in the 1990s that sought to restore streams diverted from Windward Oʻahu by Central Oʻahu sugar plantations. Fukumitsu was the founder of grassroots nonprofit Hoʻihoʻi Ea which offers programs designed to provide a comprehensive approach to cultural preservation, sustainable development and community empowerment. Fukumitsu was profiled in a 1985 Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina documentary, Today’s Makaʻāinana – the Fisherman and the Farmer, and in a 2011 segment on the Free Hawaiʻi Broadcasting Network called Kalo Man – A Visit with Keoki Fukumitsu. Fukumitsu served as an advisor on various taro projects for UH Mānoa, Windward Community College, Kauaʻi Community College, the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council, and the Kawainui Marsh Ulupō Heiau Project, and was appointed to the state’s Taro Purity and Security Task Force. Beloved by his ʻohana and friends for his strength and resilience, Fukumitsu was steadfast in his aloha for the ʻāina, for his ʻohana, and for his kaiāulu.

Jonelle Leināʻala Pavao Jardin
Nov. 26, 1973 – Oct. 4, 2025

Kalāheo, Kauaʻi: Kumu Hula Leināʻala Pavao Jardin was the beloved and celebrated kumu of Hālau ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala from Kauaʻi. Since 2011, the multiple award-winning hālau has been a top performer at the annual Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula Competition, but in 2022 Hālau ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala made history as the first hālau from Kauaʻi to win the prestigious Lokalia Montgomery Perpetual Award at the Merrie Monarch Festival after a clean sweep in all wāhine categories. Earlier this year the hālau made history again when Jardin’s niece, Jaedyn Janae Puahualani Pavao, was crowned 2025’s Miss Aloha Hula – the first dancer from Kauaʻi to earn the coveted title. Jardin was a graduate of Waimea High School on Kauaʻi and of UH Hilo. She began dancing at the age of 3 under Kumu Hula Kuʻulei Punua, and later trained under Kumu Hula Lovey Apana and Kumu Hula Beverly Muraoka. While attending UH Hilo, she continued her advanced training under Kumu Hula Rae Fonseca. A year after returning to Kauaʻi in 1995 to care for her mother, Jardin opened her hālau with Kumu Fonseca’s blessings. Over the past 30 years, her hālau has grown to include some 200 haumāna on Kauaʻi, and in Japan and Mexico. Beyond achieving excellence in the artform that is hula, Jardin emphasized culture, language and history, connecting her haumāna with experts, resources and service opportunities in the community to dignify cultural practices and inspire restorative action. Jardinʻs daughter, Breeze Ann Pavao, now leads the hālau as its kumu hula.

Natalie “Tasha” Kama
Aug. 14, 1952 – Oct. 26, 2025

Kahului, Maui: Respected community leader, social justice and housing advocate, kahu and Maui County Councilwoman Natalie “Tasha” Kama was in the middle of serving her fourth consecutive term when she passed. Born and raised on Oʻahu, Kama moved to Maui as an adult 10 years after her dad received a homestead lease there. Known as a woman of deep faith, compassion and aloha, Kama became a pastor at her fatherʻs Christian Ministry Church in Wailuku soon after moving to Maui in 1983. With an associates degree in human services and certificates of competence in case management and substance abuse counseling, she was a passionate social justice organizer with Faith Action for Community Equity on Maui and helped establish the Waiohuli and Keokea homestead community associations. A mother of 11 keiki – and raised with 11 siblings herself – Kama led the revival of the parent-teacher association at Iao Intermediate School. She won her first election to the Maui County Council in 2018 after beating former Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. Kama said in an interview that she was motivated to serve on the county council because half of her children live on the continent due to the lack of affordable homes in Hawaiʻi. Kama was the council’s presiding officer pro tempore and chair of the Housing and Land Use Committee – handling some of the council’s most polarizing issues including Bill 9, the controversial short-term vacation rental phase-out measure and South Maui’s Honuaʻula master-planned community project. Kama was beloved for her grace, patience and kindness.

Parker Kaipo Kaneakua, Sr.
Sept. 24, 1943 – Aug. 29, 2025

Kalihi, Oʻahu: For decades, respected Loea Lāʻau Lapaʻau Kaipo Kaneakua was a pillar of Hawaiʻi’s traditional Hawaiian healing community. During his lifetime, he touched many people with his healing skills, intuition and discernment. Born to a family of traditional healers whose members specialized in treating specific diseases, Kaneakua began training when he was just 5 years old, learning how to identify, gather and prepare the plants needed for remedies, as well as in a variety of diverse healing practices. Although his training included instruction from more than a dozen of his kūpuna, he learned lāʻau lapaʻau and lomilomi from his father and pule, hoʻoponopono and pale keiki (midwifery) from his grandmother. Born and raised in Kalihi Valley on Oʻahu, he learned his healing skills the traditional way – by listening, observing and doing. Deeply spiritual, Kaneakua combined his faith in Ke Akua and Christianity with traditional practices, developing a holistic perspective on treating illness. Sought after as a healer, even from patients outside of Hawaiʻi, Kaneakua often healed injuries when western approaches were unsuccessful. He was steadfast in his belief that Ke Akua was the source of all healing. Generous with his knowledge, Kaneakua was kumu to those who wished to learn, taking his haumāna on “herb walks” in both rural and more urban settings, pointing out plants used for lapaʻau and explaining their uses and preparations. He also worked with physicians on Kauaʻi, Maui and in Kohala sharing the ways in which he used his senses – including smell, voice vibrations and pulse readings to diagnose illnesses.

Mervin Lionel “Merv” Lopes
Sept. 23, 1932 – May 8, 2025

Waikoloa, Hawaiʻi Island: Best known as Chaminade University’s beloved basketball coach, Merv Lopes became a household name in Hawaiʻi in 1982 after coaching his team to a historic victory over top-ranked NCAA Division 1 University of Virginia – at the time, Chaminade was an underfunded NAIA school. Considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history, the win was followed by subsequent victories against nationally ranked teams like Southern Methodist earning the Chaminade Silverswords the nickname “Giant Killers” and Lopes the nickname “Merv the Magician.” Lopes coached basketball at Chaminade for 12 seasons, from 1977-1989, and remains the “winningest” coach in Chaminade history. Lopes was born in Nānākuli and his athleticism provided him with the opportunity to attend ʻIolani School. He graduated from ʻIolani as a three-sport athlete and went on to play football at San Jose State University. After earning a master’s degree from UH Mānoa and serving in the U.S. Army, Lopes became an educator, working for 30 years in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education as a middle school guidance counselor and as a high school P.E. teacher. In addition to coaching at Chaminade, Lopes coached at both Kalaheo and Kailua high schools, as well as in international sports programs around the world. Despite his success, those in the know say that for Lopes, coaching was more about building character than winning games. Known as a humble and aspirational leader, Lopes was devoted to his ʻohana and loved spending time at the ocean and fishing. In 2022, Lopes was named to Chaminade University’s Hall of Fame.

Author’s note: This hoʻomanaʻo is intended to recognize and honor the extraordinary contributions to our lāhui of those profiled. These are individuals who are widely known in our community, and this is a mere snapshot of their achievements based on information compiled from various community resources. The true richness of their lives – and how deeply they are loved and will be missed by their ʻohana and friends – cannot be captured in this format. We also acknowledge that there are many, many others who were lost to our lāhui this past year who we did not profile. For this, we apologize because we know their loss weighs heavily on the hearts of those who they loved and who loved them. As ever, our readers are invited to submit Haliʻa Aloha (fond remembrances) of their loved ones for publication in Ka Wai Ola newspaper. Ke Akua pū.

The post Ua Lele nā Manu i Kahiki: Remembering and Honoring Some of Those We Lost This Year appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Louis “Lui” Hao
Jan. 2, 1935 – June 20, 2025

Lifelong community servant and social justice advocate Louis “Lui” Hao was born in South Kona on Hawaiʻi Island in 1935 to Louis Kanoa Hao and Mona Doris Kaholo.

His father came from a long line of lawaiʻa (fishers) from Kalapana. His mother’s ʻohana worked as ranchers in the uplands of Puʻuanahulu. When WWII started, the ʻohana moved from South Kona to the ahupuaʻa of Waiākea in the moku of Hilo.

Hao enjoyed a happy childhood in Waiākea. Athletically gifted, he was an outstanding basketball player at Hilo High School and, after leading his team to the Territorial Championship in 1953 his senior year, Hao was voted MVP.

His athletic prowess was noted by recruiters at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Hao was soon offered an athletic scholarship. After graduating from UH Mānoa in 1958 with a degree in sociology, Hao began his long career in government service working as a recreation director for the City and County of Honolulu.

An opportunity to pursue a master’s degree presented itself when Hao won another athletic scholarship to Indiana University. So, after six years with the City and County of Honolulu, Hao moved his young family to Bloomington, Indiana.

However, his enrollment at Indiana University was short lived; low on finances, he put his education on hold to support his family. He took a job at the Chrysler Transmission Plant where he worked for three years. While delaying his educational pursuits to work full-time, Hao nevertheless used his athletic skills in service to his new community, coaching basketball at the Carver Community Center in the predominantly Black community of Kokomo.

Hao eventually enrolled at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and in 1971, he graduated with two master’s degrees: one in sociology and one in counseling. While attending graduate school, he worked as the minority group counselor at the Indiana State Employment Agency. The agency eventually reimbursed him for his graduate school tuition expenses, noting that his studies complemented his work as a counselor.

Armed with his graduate degrees and practical experience, Hao returned to Hawaiʻi. Preferring to work on the neighbor islands instead of on Oʻahu, he applied for a position on Molokaʻi and was hired as coordinator of the Progressive Neighborhood Program in Kaunakakai.

Hao went on to become administrator for the County of Maui, serving under four administrations – Elmer Cravalho, Hannibal Tavares, Linda Lingle and, briefly, under Kimo Apana – for a total of 25 years. In his capacity as a Maui County government leader, he also served on the Maui Economic Opportunity Council and the Maui County Planning Council.

During his tenure with Maui County, Hao also served on various community boards on his adopted island of Molokaʻi including as chairman of the board of trustees of Molokaʻi Hospital, and chair of the Molokaʻi Task Force, providing training through the State Comprehensive Employment Act and the federally funded Comprehensive Employment and Training Act program, which ran from 1973 to 1984. Hao was also a member of the Molokaʻi Chamber of Commerce.

In 1980, Hao made a run for the Molokaʻi/Lānaʻi seat of the newly established Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) but lost to community activist Walter Ritte. Undaunted, he ran again four years later and, in 1984, was elected. Hao served as the OHA trustee for the islands of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi for two terms through 1992.

After retiring from his position with Maui County in 1999, Hao left Molokaʻi and returned to Hilo. However, still an energetic and youthful 60-something, Hao did not settle into retirement. Upon his return to Hawaiʻi Island, he was appointed as East Hawaiʻi district manager for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) – a position he held until 2017.

As he did everywhere he had lived, Hao was actively involved in his community. He was a member of Hale Pule o Ka Hōkū Ao Mālamalama, the Keaukaha/Panaʻewa Farming Association, Hale o Nā Aliʻi, Ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi, and a board member of Hui Mālama Ola nā ʻŌiwi, a Hilo nonprofit focused on community health and wellbeing.

Shortly after returning to Hilo, Hao, who was divorced from his first wife, Constance, rekindled a friendship with childhood acquaintance Leifi “Puna” Pratt, an ordained minister, musician, kumu hula and resource instructor in the Department of Education’s Kūpuna Program. The couple married in 2004.

In 2018, after retiring from DHHL the previous year, Hao, then in his 80s, was made the executive director of Hui Mālama Ola nā ʻŌiwi after serving as a board member for six years. Hao held this position through the pandemic, stepping down in 2023 at the age of 88.

Following his third retirement, Hao and Leifi busied themselves in their home garden, remained active in their church (Hale Pule o Ka Hōkū Ao Mālamalama) where Leifi served as a kahu and Hao as an assistant kahu (hope kahu), and in their community.

With his background in social services and aloha for his community, Hao was a longtime champion of economic and social change in Hawaiʻi. He was concerned about the growing diaspora of Native Hawaiians and felt that the most pressing need of our community was to return Hawaiians to the ʻāina.

Hao was an advocate for diversified agriculture, aquaculture and vertical farming using techniques such as hydroponics to achieve economic stability, sustainability and food security.

He also advocated for improved educational opportunities and the establishment of high-tech industries in Hawaiʻi to lessen dependence on the military and tourism industries; for improved state investment in infrastructure for housing, economic development and social services; for incorporation of Hawaiian culture and values in the correctional system; and for OHA to be involved in the management of Maunakea to ensure its protection.

Hao was predeceased by his wife, Leifi “Puna” Leolani Keonaonaʻokupupio Pratt-Hao. He is survived by his daughters Bambi Lynn Kanani (Calvin) Eaton-Hao, Tracy Ann Kapua Hao, Lesley Mae Kalei (Matthew) Brittain, and Terry Lee Kala (Carl) Chapman; by his brother Lawrence K. Hao; by his former wife, Constance I. Hao; and by his 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

“As a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, I can speak from my experiences raising keiki,” Hao wrote in a 2018 message to Hui Mālama Ola nā ʻŌiwi beneficiaries shortly after his appointment.

“One of the most important things we can pass along to our keiki is values. Of these values, I want to highlight the importance of respect. As a community, we need to respect our kūpuna, the ʻāina, and all that supports us. Families have to love each other and respect one another. If we take care of each other, the ocean, and the ʻāina, we will be a healthier and happy people.”

Some of the information for this hoʻomanaʻo honoring Louis Hao was gleaned from a 2019 article published in “Ke Ola” magazine by writer Marcia Timboy.

The post A Life of Service and Advocacy for Native Hawaiians appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Julia Kealoha Kalama-Cabral
April 27, 1932 – June 22, 2025

Editor’s note: In 1995, Kealoha Kalama was interviewed for the Kalihi Pālama Culture and Arts Society’s “Nānā i nā Loea Hula” oral history project. Her quotes here are sourced from that transcript.

Kealoha Kalama, whose life embodied the rhythm, beauty and spirit of Hawaiʻi, passed away peacefully at the age of 93. Her daughter Jewel and granddaughter Julianne served as primary caregivers during the last years of her life.

As a dancer, singer, kumu hula and producer, Kalama inspired thousands with her movement, her voice and her creative energy as she shared the vibrancy of the Hawaiian culture with audiences across the globe.

From an ʻohana of 13 brothers and sisters – she was the eighth child – Kalama was raised in Nānākuli and Kapālama.

“We grew up with lots of music and hula, but most of all a good life out in the country. We had a big place for us to run around, lots of flowers everywhere and parents who gave all of us what they could. My big love was the hula,” Kalama said.

She said she was “somehow always involved” with music and singing, learning how to play the ʻukulele, piano and even trying her hand at guitar.

Kalama’s mother, Virginia Hamau Kalama, was the community association president and the president of the Nānākuli Hawaiian Civic Club. She was also very much involved in politics.

“While growing up I saw her work so hard for that community,” Kalama said. “She always played music, and she got us children involved too. I always say that my mother was my biggest inspiration in my entertainment life.”

Kalama’s first formal hula instructor was Puanani Alama, whom she described as a beautiful hula dancer and wonderful instructor. She then met John Piilani Watkins.

“I was very honored to perform for his group. He was also my kumu in hula and sometimes music. John was a great composer, beautiful singer and musician, and just a fantastic entertainer.”

In the late 1950s, Kalama was featured on shows held at the old Kapahulu Tavern, the Waikīkī Sands Club and on the neighbor islands. Her first trip to the continent in the early ʻ60s was an exciting month-long excursion spent entertaining from Los Angeles to Washington state.

Watkins introduced Kalama to Joseph Kahaulelio who, along with Pauline Kekahuna, was looking for hula dancers for their big shows at the Princess Ka- ʻiulani Hotel and at the Moana Hotel.

Kalama would go on to become the featured dancer at shows at the Halekūlani Hotel and Hilton Hawaiian Village, often taking the stage to the song There Goes Kealoha.

During her career, Kalama would dance for legendary Hawaiian entertainers such as Vicki Iʻi Rodrigues, Genoa Keawe, Bill Aliʻiloa Lincoln, Louise Kaleiki, Leinaala Haile and Leinaala Simerson.

She also had the privilege of traveling with “Uncle” Sol Bright and “Hawaiʻi’s Songbird” Lena Machado to Japan and across the continent.

After returning from Japan, Kalama worked as a visitors’ information hostess for the state Department of Transportation. The job entailed entertaining many of the VIPs who arrived in Hawaiʻi.

“We greeted people at Hickam Air Force Base as well, even the president of the United States,” Kalama said. “Our biggest thrill was greeting Elvis Presley when he did a concert here at our old stadium.”

Kalama was then asked to serve as a ground hostess for Aloha Airlines where she brought Hawaiian music to airports everywhere. She also traveled for the Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau, sharing her culture throughout the United States, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

She also traveled to Europe – a trip that included a performance for the British royal family.

In 1969, she produced her own Hawaiian revue at Ulumau Village in Kāneʻohe, then put on a Polynesian revue for the Waikīkī Resort Hotel. She also produced shows at the Reef Hotel, Hyatt Regency, Halekūlani Hotel and Bishop Museum.

“I’ve had the most beautiful dancers and wonderful musicians – Atta Issacs, Harold Hakuole, Billy Hew Len, Larry Asing, Peter Mendiola, Arthur Hew Len and Pua Almeida. And two great singers in Gary Aiko and Frances Kamahele,” she said.

There are so many talented and recognizable names that Kalama shared a stage with: Ethelyne Teves, Jeff Teves, Joe Keaulana, Ainsley Halemanu, Joan “Aunty Pudgie” Young, “Aunty” Lovey Apana, Robert Cazimero, Andy Cummings and Myra English to name a few.

“I’ve also had the pleasure of entertaining with friends who were great in both hula ʻauana and hula kahiko – George Holokai and Kimo Alama Keaulana, who also worked on my Polynesian revue in Waikīkī,” she said.

Kalama also performed with singer Rosalie Stevenson – who sometimes sang with the great Alfred Apaka. The two traveled extensively throughout Australia, Kwajalein, Johnson Island, Okinawa, Guam and Saipan.

In 1971, Kalama opened Hālau Hula o Pōhai Kealoha (hālau hula of encircling love) on the grounds of Bishop Museum. She taught – and performed – at the museum for over 25 years.

She also brought Hawaiian culture to military children, serving as a kupuna in the Hawaiian studies program at Admiral Nimitz Elementary School.

“It’s been a challenge to teach military children,” Kalama said. “But I really enjoy them learning our culture, singing Hawaiian songs and especially learning how to pronounce our Hawaiian words.”

Kalama served as a judge in many hula competitions – including the Merrie Monarch Festival – and recorded three albums and a single for Pumehana Records, Genoa Keawe Records and her own label, Kalama Records.

She was a member of the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu and the Kalihi-Pālama Hawaiian Civic Club, as well as being a member of Hale o Nā Aliʻi.

In 2005, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts, their highest honor for a lifetime of excellence. That same year, she was also honored by the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu at its annual Holukū Ball.

In 2023, Kalama was enshrined in the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame.

Kealoha Kalama was preceded in death by husband, Wilfred Cabral, and is survived by her three children Jewel K. Scoggins, Sidney Kahoonei and Raymond Kahoonei; three sisters Pearl Momi Kaeo, Rosella Puanani Kalama-Akiona and Jackie Maynard; four grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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By Kama Hopkins

For more than 40 years, Robert K. “Bob” Lindsey Jr. stood as a trusted steward of Native Hawaiian affairs, especially for his beloved Hawaiʻi Island. A former national park ranger, Kamehameha Schools executive, state legislator, and longtime Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) trustee, Lindsey’s life work has reflected deep cultural grounding, political strategy, and a servant’s heart.

No matter his role or location – whether on the forest trails of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, in the halls of the state legislature, in the boardrooms of Kamehameha Schools, or representing OHA in the community – Lindsey’s calling remained constant: to serve. His affinity for uplifting others through public service and cultural stewardship defined not only his professional path, but the legacy he leaves behind.

This hoʻomanaʻo honors his journey – from the early days of rural legislative work to his leadership on behalf of the lāhui. Lindsey’s public service is rooted in a lifelong love for Hawaiʻi’s people and places.

Lindsey was born in Hilo and raised in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island when it was still a small ranching community. In the ninth grade he became a boarding student at Kamehameha School for Boys, graduating in 1966. He went on to attend UH Mānoa, earning a degree in sociology and, later, two certificates in executive development.

He began his career working within the judicial system on Hawaiʻi Island as a probation officer under Judge Nelson Doi. This role provided him with early insight into the human dimensions of justice, rehabilitation, and the social services that support individuals and families. It also deepened his understanding of how government could serve people with dignity and compassion, an ethos that stayed with him throughout his career.

He later served as a ranger at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park – a kuleana that deepened his connection to the ʻāina. Later, he joined Kamehameha Schools, where he served in multiple roles culminating with his promotion as manager of the Land Assets Division for Hawaiʻi Island. In this capacity, Lindsey oversaw the stewardship of educational lands, agricultural leases, and culturally significant sites – balancing economic use with cultural responsibility and advancing the educational mission of the organization.

His approach combined cultural sensitivity, environmental responsibility, and fiscal discipline and this foundation would later shape his leadership at OHA where he approached every decision through the lens of mālama ʻāina, cultural perpetuation, and long-term sustainability.

Lindsey’s entry into government began in the mid-1980s when he was elected to the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives. From 1984 to 1986, he represented a unique “canoe district” that included parts of Hawaiʻi Island as well as Hāna, Maui – uniting rural communities across islands.

This role deepened his understanding of the needs of residents in rural communities and strengthened his lifelong commitment to uplifting underserved areas. Because he was raised in Waimea, Lindsey brought a personal connection to the rural communities he served and forged early relationships with fellow legislators, many of whom would remain allies throughout his career.

Although his tenure in the legislature was brief it laid the groundwork for the relationships and reputation he would later build upon as an OHA trustee. Lindsey understood that effective leadership required not only cultural sensitivity but also political strategy – skills he would carry with him into his next chapter of public service.

Decades later, as an OHA trustee, Lindsey’s early work with lawmakers culminated in a historic milestone: he became the first OHA trustee representing Hawaiʻi Island to be invited to join the Hawaiʻi Island Legislative Caucus as a guest member. This exclusive group of state house and senate members meets regularly to coordinate legislative strategy for Hawaiʻi Island.

Lindsey’s inclusion signified more than just personal respect – it marked an institutional shift in how OHA was viewed by state government. It acknowledged the importance of Native Hawaiian representation at the legislative table and reinforced Lindsey’s role as a unifier between lawmakers and Hawaiian communities. His participation ensured that beneficiary voices were directly heard in state policy conversations.

Lindsey was elected as the OHA trustee for Hawaiʻi Island in 2007. From the start, he brought not only professional credibility but also a deep understanding of community needs. He served with humility and focus, blending cultural values with strategic planning.

From 2014 to 2016, he served as chair of the OHA Board of Trustees (BOT). Under his leadership, the board worked to strengthen OHA’s governance framework, prioritize financial accountability, and expand its community reach.

Lindsey emphasized strategic partnerships – especially with aliʻi trusts, nonprofit organizations, and state agencies – to grow OHA’s capacity and better serve Native Hawaiians across sectors like housing, education, and economic development.

He strongly believed that economic sovereignty was key to helping Native Hawaiians move forward successfully in today’s world. He emphasized that true empowerment required not just cultural knowledge or legal recognition, but access to economic resources and opportunities that could sustain individuals, families, and communities across generations.

After his tenure as BOT chair, Lindsey continued to serve as an active and influential trustee. He chaired the committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment, where he focused on direct community impact – supporting programs to improve education, health, and housing outcomes for Hawaiian families.

Throughout his years of service, one motto defined Lindsey’s leadership: “always with aloha.” It was a phrase he learned from his mother and one that guided his decision-making and relationships throughout his life. He used it not only in words but in action – at the legislature, in trustee meetings, in the community, and with his staff.

He modeled aloha even when board discussions grew tense. While he and his fellow trustees did not always agree on policy, he firmly believed in keeping differences at the table and never letting them erode personal respect. That principle helped maintain unity and professionalism during pivotal moments at OHA.

Lindsey’s commitment to working “always with aloha” wasn’t reserved for the boardroom. It extended to his staff. When he was first appointed to the board, Tiona Wailehua served as his secretary, and I (Kama Hopkins) was honored to serve as his aide. Upon Tiona’s retirement, her daughter, Kauikeaolani Wailehua, joined the team and became his second aide.

Lindsey had a special way of honoring the people who worked alongside him. One of the most meaningful ways he did this was in how he introduced us. Whenever he met someone new, he would say, “I’m Bob. This is Kama and Kaui. We work together at OHA.”

He never said we worked for him. He always said we worked with him.

That distinction, simple but powerful, made us feel seen and valued, and it inspired us to give our best every day to help him help our beneficiaries.

Lindsey also served during times of organizational scrutiny. As with many public institutions, OHA was called to address concerns around transparency and alignment with its mission. Rather than shy away Lindsey leaned in, supporting audits, encouraging open dialogue, and championing reforms that emphasized measurable results and cultural integrity.

He acknowledged that OHA’s strategic plan needed revision and modernization, and he called for long-term planning that was both ambitious and grounded in data. He believed OHA’s asset base had to grow significantly to fulfill its vision and often called for stronger collaboration across government and community networks to make that happen.

Lindsey’s commitment to the community extended far beyond boardrooms.

He served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity West Hawaiʻi, the West Hawaiʻi Mediation Center, and Kanu o ka ʻĀina Learning ʻOhana. These roles reflect his belief in community-based solutions and culturally responsive systems that uplift families from within.

Whether building affordable homes, resolving community disputes, or supporting Hawaiian-focused charter education, Lindsey’s service consistently reflected the belief that change happens closest to the ground.

Lindsey’s approach earned widespread community support across Hawaiʻi Island. In one election, although he placed second in the primary race, he surged in the general election, winning with one of the most decisive votes ever recorded for an OHA trustee candidate from Hawaiʻi Island. This outcome demonstrated both the trust that constituents had in him and the deep relationships he had built over decades of service.

Voters appreciated his calm demeanor, thoughtful communication, and clear commitment to Hawaiian issues. Many credited his unique blend of executive experience, cultural grounding, and legislative know-how as essential to effective governance for OHA and Hawaiʻi Island alike.

As Lindsey eventually stepped away from public office, his contributions remained visible across multiple sectors. From stronger legislative connections to thoughtful land stewardship and culturally rooted program development, his legacy endures in the institutions and lives he touched.

He helped lay the foundation for a more responsive, transparent, and strategic OHA, one that could evolve while holding firm to its cultural foundations. His inclusion in the Hawaiʻi Island Legislative Caucus set a new standard for collaboration between Native Hawaiian governance and state lawmakers.

More importantly, his work reflected a lifelong belief that Hawaiian leadership must be accountable not only to history, but to the future.

Lindsey’s journey is one of quiet power and steady transformation. From our native forests to executive boardrooms, he brought a consistent sense of kuleana, compassion, and courage.

Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Lindsey was, above all, a devoted family man. He cherished his wife, Kathy, and found great pride and joy in their sons and their spouses. His moʻopuna (grandchildren) were a continual source of love and inspiration. His legacy lives on not only through his public service, but through the values, aloha, and kuleana he instilled in his ʻohana.

His life reminds us that real leadership is not loud. It is consistent, humble, deeply rooted in place, and oriented toward the wellbeing of others. The way Lindsey lived his motto, “always with aloha,” is a lesson in grace and humility that continues to guide those who had the honor to work with him.

Hawaiʻi Island, and the larger lāhui, are better because Robert Kamaile Lindsey Jr. chose to serve.

Kama Hopkins was a senior aide to Trustee Bob Lindsey for 15 years. He currently serves as a cultural advisor at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa and on Nā Pua a Lunalilo, the nonprofit board of King Lunalilo Trust and Home. He is also a talented musician who has played professionally since 2001 and, as a member of the musical group Holunape, is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner.

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By Jodi Young

Legendary Hawaiian waterman Clyde Aikau, the younger brother of world-renowned waterman Eddie Aikau, passed away peacefully at his Waimānalo home on May 3 at the age of 75. Clyde is survived by his wife, Eleni Aikau, son Haʻa Aikau, sister Myra Aikau, and many nieces and nephews.

Clyde was the youngest of six children born to Solomon ‘Pops’ and Henrietta Aikau in Kahului, Maui, on Oct. 24, 1949. His siblings, from oldest to youngest were Fred, Myra, Eddie, Gerald and Solomon III. The family moved from Maui to Oʻahu in 1959.

Clyde and Eddie were the closest of brothers, sharing a passion and commitment to family, Hawaiian culture, and the ocean. They both served as North Shore lifeguards; voyaged on Hōkūleʻa (separate voyages); rode giant winter waves at Waimea Bay; and were famous for their impromptu slack key guitar sessions that they shared with family and friends around the islands and the world.

After the loss of his brother Eddie in 1978, Clyde followed through with his lifetime commitment to perpetuate Eddie’s legacy and contributions to big wave riding and Hawaiian culture.

In 1986, Clyde won the inaugural Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay, in tribute to his brother. He continued to surf in the event every year that it was held up until the age of 66 (in 2016), forging an unrivaled big wave legacy all his own.

During his storied life, Clyde ran a Waikīkī Beachboy service for many years. He also served as a liaison between the Department of Education and houseless families and children in Hawaiʻi to ensure they had access to school supplies, transportation and, ultimately, education. Clyde was a lifelong education advocate, having attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where he pursued a degree in sociology.

In recent years, Clyde rallied with his family’s support through a series of heart issues and ultimately, pancreatic cancer. While that road was a difficult one, he never allowed it to get in the way of his eternal optimism and zest for life.

He continued with his family duties, supported his wife’s dog boarding and training business, and ensured the success of his brother’s event.

The Aikau family wishes to express its deepest gratitude to the community of Hawaiʻi, and their extended friends and family abroad, for the heartfelt wishes they have received.

Details regarding upcoming services for Clyde will be announced when confirmed.

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By Ian Kealiʻi Custino

E kapu ē! E kapu! E lohe a e ʻike! With great humility and aloha, we announce the passing of Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa, a high-born descendant of Hawaiʻi’s sacred aliʻi lineage. Prince David passed peacefully on the afternoon of May 1, 2025 at his home in Mānoa, Oʻahu, surrounded by his ʻohana.

Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa was born on March 7, 1952 in Carmel, California. He spent his early years between Hawaiʻi and Carmel developing a deep love and appreciation for both his Hawaiian heritage and the vast open road of the California coast. He was an adventurous spirit who loved motorcycles and was always generous with his time – particularly in his kuleana for Hawaiʻi and its people.

Prince David was the son of the late Prince Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui Kawānanakoa, Sr., and the late Lila de Clark Whitaker Kawānanakoa. He was the nephew of the late Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kawānanakoa who passed in December 2022.

Prince David was named for his great-grandfather, HRH Prince David Laʻamea Kahalepouli Kinoiki Kawānanakoa, elder brother of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi, who were both designated crown princes and heirs to the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1883 by his Majesty King David Laʻamea Kalākaua. He was also named for his fourth great-grandfather, King Kaumualiʻi, the last sovereign ruler of the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau before the unification of the Hawaiian Islands by King Kamehameha I in 1810.

Prince David was a humble and unwavering guardian of Hawaiʻi’s royal heritage, upholding the traditions, dignity, and memory of our beloved aliʻi. He carried his kuleana with strength, humility, and grace. He honored his legacy through his steadfast commitment to his family, faith, and tradition.

Prince David served as ikū hōʻano (vice-regent) for Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi, a sacred order devoted to the preservation and advancement of Native Hawaiian knowledge and values. First established as Hale Nauā by King David Kalākaua, it was reestablished in 1918 by Prince David’s great-grandmother, Princess Abigail Wahiīkaʻahuʻula, consort to HRH Prince David Kawānanakoa.

His brother, Prince Quentin Kawānanakoa serves as ikū lani hōʻano (regent) and recounts, “my brother David held a deep aloha for our heritage and remained a steadfast guardian of our familyʻs legacy. His presence in our lives was quiet but powerful – a reminder of where we come from and the kuleana we carry forward.”

Prince David was an active member of the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club. He took particular interest in building and decorating the civic club’s floats for the annual Kūhiō Parade. “He was very kind, always very giving, and just pleasant to be around,” recalled renowned vocalist Marlene Sai, a past pelekikena (president) and lifetime member of Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club.

The Kawānanakoa family held private memorial services for Prince David on the evening of May 16. A public service was held at St. Augustine by-the-sea Church in Waikīkī on May 17.

Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi extends its deep respect, profound sadness, and heartfelt aloha to the Royal House of Kawānanakoa and the loved ones of our beloved Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa.

Donations in memory of Prince David may be made to support Queen’s Head & Neck Institute at the Queen’s Medical Center c/o Queen’s Philanthrophy, P.O. Box 3445, Honolulu, HI 96801 or by calling (808) 691-4688. Checks can be made payable to “Queen’s Medical Center.”

Ian Kealiʻi Custino is the ikū kūʻauhau (historian) for Hālau Wahiīkaʻahuʻula, Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi.

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