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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As a Native Hawaiian leader, Kawehi Inaba has always reached for the sky.

Inaba is currently the executive director of Laʻiʻōpua 2020, a West Hawaiʻi nonprofit serving Native Hawaiians situated on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) in the piko of the Kealakehe ahupuaʻa.

But before leading the community nonprofit, Inaba, an airplane pilot, was recognized as the first Native Hawaiian wahine to found and operate a certified Part 135 Air Carrier in the United States. A flight instructor, she founded Mokulele Flight Service to provide flight training, and over time the company grew to offer Circle Island Tours and eventually on-demand interisland service across the pae ʻāina.

Inaba said a pivotal moment in her life came when she began expanding her company.

“A male competitor from another airline gave me a condescending pat on the head and wished me luck. That just made me more determined. I loved it when he did that. I was like, ʻthank you, go ahead and underestimate this Hawaiian.’ I was always told you can do whatever you set your mind to, so there were no limitations in my mind ever,” Inaba said.

It wasnʻt easy.

Inaba had to navigate the complexities of aircraft maintenance, manage frequent staffing shortages, coordinate tight scheduling, ensure safety compliance and handle the financial pressures that come with running an airline.

“My true fear was failing our Hawaiian people,” she said. “As the first Hawaiian wahine to reach this level in aviation, I felt a deep responsibility to succeed, not just for myself, but to affirm that we, as Hawaiians, have the strength and resilience to thrive in any field.”

A $75,000 loan from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) helped Inaba purchase a second aircraft. In 2003, Mokulele was honored with the OHA Native Hawaiian Business of the Year award. In 2005, she was approached with an offer and sold the airline.

“I give credit to my parents Horace and Lydia Pope. They both encouraged me to be the best I could be and reminded me to believe in myself, instilling in me the confidence that I could achieve whatever I dreamed,” Inaba said. “My goal now is to pass these same values on to our kaiāulu and lāhui, empowering Native Hawaiians to believe in themselves and strive for greatness.”

After serving on its board of directors, Inaba became the executive director of Laʻiʻōpua 2020 in 2021. The nonprofit provides enrichment classes for students, cultural and culinary experiences, a māla, and even has its own waʻa! A brand new preschool is also in development, along with innovative workforce development programs.

The organization has benefited from several OHA grants in recent years, including a Kākoʻo Grant which is intended to support the business side of nonprofits that serve the Native Hawaiian community.

“The Kākoʻo grant has been essential for us, covering costs for audits that ensure our transparency and accountability,” Inaba said. “This support has enabled us to meet rigorous industry and regulatory standards, bolstering our credibility and strengthening our ability to serve our community with integrity. We uphold the highest standards of accountability and transparency, as our lāhui deserves nothing less than excellence.”

Inaba said she is passionate about creating opportunities that empower Native Hawaiians to thrive and sustain their cultural identity.

“I’m committed to building programs and resources that support education, cultural preservation, and economic resilience, so that future generations can carry forward the strength, knowledge and values of our ancestors” she said.

“Seeing others step into their potential and contribute to our lāhui growth fills me with hope and reminds me of the incredible impact we can make together. My greatest reward is knowing that our work will help uplift and sustain our community for generations to come.”

Since 2006, Inaba has also served as president of Kupaʻa Business Planners, where she uses her business expertise to offer strategic business and planning consultation. As a business executive, she is a role model for all Hawaiians.

“My advice to young Native Hawaiians hoping to serve their kaiāulu is to lead with humility, stay grounded in our values, and be open to continuous learning. Serving our community is both a privilege and a responsibility, and it’s essential to remember that leadership is about uplifting others and working together toward a shared vision. Surround yourself with people who bring different strengths and insights, and don’t be afraid to ask for guidance along the way,” Inaba said.

“As for being a role model, I see myself more as someone doing their best to serve with integrity and respect. If my journey can inspire others to step forward and make a difference, then I’m grateful for that. Ultimately, our strength as a lāhui comes from the many hands and hearts working together, each doing their part to build a brighter future for our people.”

Inaba said she has found a home serving as Laʻiʻōpua 2020ʻs executive director.

“Guided by our mission, Laʻiʻōpua 2020 is uniquely positioned to serve DHHL beneficiaries, the Native Hawaiian community, and the broader community by providing essential infrastructure and programs that empower all to thrive. What I value most about leading this organization is the opportunity to uplift our Native Hawaiian community, thanks to funders like OHA who are dedicated to advancing Native Hawaiian success and resilience.

“There is incredible potential and important work ahead. If the board sees fit, I’m committed to continuing here for the next 10 to 15 years. My goal is to prepare Laʻiʻōpua 2020 for long-term success and in time to find a successor who will carry our work forward ensuring it flourishes for generations. I say this all the time – this is the best opportunity that I’ve ever had, and I’m enjoying doing it.”

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Veteran communicator Bill Brennan has been named director of communications, while noted attorney Leināʻala Ley was named chief advocate. They began their new roles on November 1 and November 18, respectively.

As the leader of OHA’s Communications team, Brennan will be responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies and organizational messaging, managing media relations, and supervising content on OHA’s social media and website channels as well as the agency’s Ka Wai Ola monthly newspaper.

Brennan most recently served as news director at KITV. He has worked as a director of communications for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, as a press secretary to the Mayor for the City and County of Honolulu, as a public information officer for the State of Hawaiʻi, and as an executive producer, reporter and anchor for KHON FOX2. Brennan also volunteers as a book narrator at the Hawaiʻi State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled.

Brennan, who carries a bachelor’s in journalism from Ohio State University, said he is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead. “It is an honor for me to become a member of Team OHA and to work every day to improve the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. I don’t know if there is a more noble calling in Hawaiʻi nei,” Brennan said.

“Since moving to the islands more than 30 years ago, I’ve had the distinct privilege of learning about the people and the culture of this special place at the feet of some amazing kumu. I hope to honor them with my work here.”

Ley will lead OHA’s Advocacy Division and supervise mission-aligned public policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as OHA’s current co-trustee role with the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. She will also be responsible for leading the agency’s federal, state and county policy efforts.

Ley comes to OHA from Earthjustice, where she has served as a senior associate attorney for the last six years working on Native Hawaiian water rights, endangered species protection, clean energy, and other ʻāina-related issues. Ley started her public service litigation career at the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and also worked in private practice for Lung Rose Voss & Waginald on construction and complex commercial disputes.

“It’s an honor to join the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in advancing the wellbeing of our lāhui and ensuring that the State of Hawaiʻi fulfills its constitutional obligations to Native Hawaiians. I look forward to working with trustees, OHA administration, and beneficiaries to ensure that Native Hawaiian rights are respected and cultural perspectives integrated into decision-making at all levels of government,” Ley said.

“Iʻm enthusiastic about partnering with community groups, businesses, our legislators, and other concerned stakeholders to find solutions to common problems that affect all of us here in Hawaiʻi.”

A graduate of Punahou School, Ley carries a B.A. in international relations from Brown University and a J.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bill and Leināʻala to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs! They each come with tremendous experience and ʻike in their respective fields that will be essential to OHA’s work – from ensuring that the issues that matter to Native Hawaiians are heard and understood across Hawaiʻi, to advocating for those same issues at the county, state and federal levels,” said OHA Ka Pouhana/CEO Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira.

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The office of Hawaiian Affairs is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its executive leadership team.

Elena Farden began her new role as Senior Director of Strategy and Implementation on Oct. 1. She is responsible for leading the organization in setting and implementing the agency’s strategic directions under its strategic plan. Those directions guide and focus OHA’s work in the areas of education, health, housing and economics.

Farden will lead the newly created Strategy and Implementation team, which includes the Director of Education and Culture-Based Learning; the Director of ʻŌiwi Well-Being and ʻĀina Momona; the Director of Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability; and the Director of Economic and Business Resilience.

“I am deeply honored and excited to step into this new role with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. My journey in Native Hawaiian education policy and advocacy has always centered around strengthening our communities, empowering our people, and fostering our connection to our ʻāina and culture,” Farden said.

“Working together with this newly created team allows us to lean in collaboratively on the critical pillars of education, ʻŌiwi wellbeing, housing, sustainability, and economic resilience. By integrating these vital areas, we will create pathways for a thriving future for our lāhui.”

For the last five years, Farden has served as the executive director of the Native Hawaiian Education Council. She is a former education and community manager with Elemental Excelerator, and a former strategic analyst with Kamehameha Schools. Farden carries a master’s in business administration and is pursuing her doctorate in education, both from Chaminade University, and earned her BA in telecommunications from Pepperdine University.

As the Director of Economic and Business Resilience, Poni Askew will be responsible for advancing policies, programs and practices that strengthen and enhance the economic development and financial empowerment of the lāhui, ensuring that Native Hawaiians progress toward a state of economic stability. She began her new role on Sept. 16.

Askew had served since 2022 as the executive director and chief executive officer of the Cultivate Hawaiʻi Workforce Development Collaborative, a work-based learning collaborative creating access and opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s students to excel in today’s workforce. She is the chief executive officer and founder of Hawaiian Vinegar & Spice Company and is a former chief executive officer and founder of Street Grindz.

Askew is an alumna of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she focused on ōlelo Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian studies. She has also completed extensive professional development in business and product development and community development.

“I’m honored to join OHA where I can help create opportunities that support the growth and resilience of our Hawaiian communities. I look forward to working together to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s economy in ways that reflect our values and vision for the future,” Askew said.

“We are excited to welcome such experienced leaders like Elena and Poni to our executive team,” said OHA Ka Pouhana/CEO Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira. “Bringing on these dedicated professionals strengthens our capacity to serve our lāhui and we look forward to the positive impact they will have on our organization, particularly in aligning our work toward the goals and objectives of our strategic plan.”

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In Hawaiʻi, small businesses are the lifeblood of the community.

Mālama Design Studio (MDS), a program offered by the Purple Maiʻa Foundation, is at the forefront of supporting these businesses. By providing mentorship in visual branding, web development, and marketing strategies, MDS empowers Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs to share their stories authentically while remaining true to their cultural values.

With the support of an economic grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, MDS is now helping a second cohort of 10 Kānaka Maoli owned companies thrive in a way that not only benefits their individual success, but also strengthens Hawaiʻi’s economy and cultural legacy. The goal is to develop a pae ʻaina wide coalition of Kānaka businesses focused on achieving economic self-sufficiency.

The cohort is now eight months into its nine-month training program which will wrap up in December.

“We’re in the final phase of completing digital projects in support of growing each business in the cohort. These range from website redevelopment, to logos, updated packaging and internal digital workflow enhancements,” said Keoni DeFranco, managing director of Mālama Studios.

“This cohort has been incredibly inspiring! We’re supporting Native Hawaiian founders on five Hawaiian islands, in a range of diverse industries that include traditional Hawaiian practices such as lei-making, kalo farming, lomilomi, mākeke (markets) and ʻai pono. We’ve been impressed with the growth our founders have exhibited and the pilina built between the cohort. We’re all aligned in a shared mission to build more economic sovereignty for Hawaiʻi to ensure our people are not just surviving but thriving in our homeland.”

“MDS not only inspired me to dream bigger but also equipped me with essential tools to re-imagine what a kuleana-driven business can truly be.”
– Ikaika Wright

Ikaika Wright is the owner of Kino Konnections, a company that offers lessons in practical lomi for personal use. Wright recently held his first Lomi ʻOhana community workshop class.

“In many ways, this class was made possible through my participation in the MDS Cohort, which came at a pivotal moment in my business journey,” Wright said. “Navigating entrepreneurship has often been a daunting task. At times I’ve struggled with finding a balance between Western frameworks of business and understandings of mauli ola, aloha ʻāina, and lāhui. A constant inner dialogue I have is, ʻwhat does it look like to support our people and ʻāina while also taking care of myself, my own ʻohana, and earning a livelihood through a living cultural practice?’

“MDS not only inspired me to dream bigger but also equipped me with essential tools to re-imagine what a kuleana-driven business can truly be.”

As MDS continues to grow, its commitment to fostering a sustainable, community-driven economy remains strong. These businesses, each with their own unique contribution to Hawaiʻi’s community and economy, reflect the diversity and strength of Native Hawaiian entrepreneurship. By supporting these local entrepreneurs, MDS is helping build a future that honors Hawaiʻi’s past while shaping a thriving, culturally aligned economic landscape.

“We believe it is critical to continue building support networks for Native Hawaiian founders who navigate complex challenges shaped by the unique, material conditions of Hawaiʻi. Native Hawaiians consistently face barriers in accessing startup capital and business loans, despite often having comparable qualifications. These systemic inequities not only limit opportunities for economic growth but also hinder the potential for long-term community resilience,” DeFranco said.

“By investing in the skills, knowledge, and capacity of our people, we aim to empower Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs to overcome these obstacles and drive sustainable, values-aligned business ventures that honor our ʻŌiwi culture while fostering economic self-sufficiency. We hope you will keep these local Native Hawaiian companies in mind when you are making your holiday purchases.”

To learn more about Mālama Design Studio and the businesses they support, visit purplemaia.org or follow them on social media. Together, they are helping Hawaiʻi’s small businesses flourish while uplifting the lāhui.

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At their September meeting, OHA trustees approved more than $2.8 million in grant awards to 16 community nonprofits offering services for the Native Hawaiian community. OHA’s Grants Program supports Hawaiʻi-based nonprofits that have projects, programs and initiatives that serve the lāhui in alignment with OHA’s Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan.

“We are honored to invest in the incredible work of these community nonprofits whose missions are vital to the health, wellbeing and future of our Native Hawaiian community. These organizations represent the heartbeat of our community, and by working together we can create positive change for our people,” said OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey.

To increase community participation, OHA has streamlined its grants process lowering application barriers. The number of eligibility requirements were reduced, and the application process and mandatory reporting requirements were simplified.

Three nonprofits received a total of $517,609 in Ola Ke Kanaka-Physical, Spiritual, Mental & Emotional Health Grants including:

• Hui Mauli Ola was awarded $117,609 for it Hāinu Lāʻau Wellness project to educate Hawaiians on Oʻahu in traditional Hawaiian healing principles.
• Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi was awarded $250,000 for its Mana Mama, Healthy Babies, Strong Families project to deliver holistic care to hāpai and postpartum Native Hawaiian women across Maui, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.
• ʻĀina Alliance was awarded $150,000 for its Indigenous Healing Hub project to educate Native Hawaiians on Kauaʻi on traditional healing practices such as lāʻau lapaʻau, lomilomi, ʻaipono and hoʻoponopono.

Two nonprofits received a total of $400,000 in Ola Ka Moʻomeheu-Culture Preservation & Perpetuation Grants including:

• Polynesian Voyaging Society was awarded $200,000 for its Moananuiākea: A Voyage for Earth project to train Native Hawaiian voyagers and navigators and educate Hawaiian youth across Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Kauaʻi, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi
• Ka Honua Momona International was awarded $200,000 for its Mahuaola No Na Kualima (Nurturing the Next Generation) project to improve the health and education of Molokaʻi children by providing culturally rich, place-based programming to increase healthy life choices.

Five nonprofits received a total of $782,394 in Hoʻomohala Waiwai Kaiaulu-Community Economic Development Grants including:

• Waiʻanae Economic Development Council was awarded $217,638 for its Native Hawaiian Entrepreneurship Initiative on the Wai’anae Coast project to provide business education in the areas of entrepreneurship, social enterprise and nonprofit development.
• Changemakers Community Economic Development Corporation was awarded $134,756 for its Philanthropono Native Hawaiian Fundraising Certificate and Professional Certification System to provide access to fundraising training and professional certification.
• Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association was awarded $250,000 for its Entrepreneur Development and Capacity Building project to strengthen community economic development by equipping entrepreneurs, nonprofits or community organizations with tangible pathways to enter the tourism sector and access new revenue streams.
• Mālama Kauaʻi was awarded $55,000 for its Hui Hānai ʻAi project which will support Native Hawaiian farmers to achieve growth and stability through technical support, marketing and distribution assistance, and grant-based capital investments in their operations.
• Lei Hoʻolaha CDFI was awarded $125,000 for its Kaiaūlu Investment fund project to invest affordable loan capital into Native Hawaiian-owned small businesses which have never received a loan from a bank.

Two nonprofits received a total of $251,581 in ʻĀina Hoʻopulapula- Hawaiian Homestead Communities Grants including:

• Mana Maoli was awarded $141,944 for its Mana Mele Project intended to support Hawaiian youth enrolled or living near 10 Hawaiian-focused charter schools by connecting them to mentors and material resources to foster cultural and academic growth through musical storytelling.
• TiLeaf Group was awarded $109,637 for its Homestead Neighborhood Watch Project to train Native Hawaiians and institute Neighborhood Watch initiatives in four Hawaiian homestead communities on the island of Oʻahu.

Four nonprofits received a total of $873,065 in Ola Ka Lāhui-Vulnerable Populations Grants including:

• Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina was awarded $330,000 for its Waimānalo Vulnerable Populations project to give homeless Native Hawaiians a safe, drug-free place to live with access to food, medical care, social services and job skills training.
• Waimānalo Health Center was awarded $323,065 for its Hale Kōkua Waiwai Program to provide Native Hawaiian families and individuals who are currently homeless and those at-risk of homelessness with rent or mortgage and/or deposit payments for rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention
• Kū Ānuenue has been awarded $100,000 for its Kū Ānuenue: No ka pono of ka Māhūi project which focuses on supporting Native Hawaiian māhū and queer people and their families who live on Hawaiʻi Island by increasing access to supportive relationships and safe environments and providing opportunities for social engagement and to learn cultural competencies.
• Housing Solutions Incorporated has been awarded $120,000 for its Mohala Mai project which will provide rent subsidies for Native Hawaiian Justice involved women at Mohala Mai, an affordable supportive housing project of Housing Solutions Inc. in partnership with the Womenʻs Prison Project, which has a goal of preventing recidivism among Hawaiian women.

For more on OHA’s Grants Program please visit www.oha.org/grants.

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He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka.
“The land is a chief, man is its servant.”

Of all the lessons that Noʻeau Peralto, Ph.D., has learned on his journey to educational excellence, aloha ʻāina may be his most important one.

Peralto is the executive director and co-founder of the community nonprofit Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili, better known as huiMAU, which is dedicated to cultivating kīpuka (safe regenerative spaces) that foster and regenerate the growth of place-based ancestral knowledge and healthy food- and eco-systems in his home community of Hāmākua Hikina (East Hāmākua).

The Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi graduate double majored in anthropology and Native American studies at Stanford, then went on to earn a master’s in Hawaiian studies and a doctorate in Indigenous politics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

But Peralto said it was his grandfather Daniel Miranda, a paniolo who was born and raised in the ahupuaʻa of Koholālele, who was one of the most influential people on his life’s path.

“I had the privilege as a moʻopuna of spending a lot of time with him in his last years of life, and I had the fortune of being able to learn a lot of the moʻolelo that he had to share from his lived experiences in this place,” Peralto said. “He was a farmer, a mechanic, a saddle maker, a leather worker and a hunter. He just loved this place, and he loved to speak with me about the moʻolelo of this area.”

For Peralto, all knowledge was not taught in the same school.

“A lot of the experiences that I’ve had outside of a school setting were really guided by a sense of kuleana to this place, to the community that raised me and to the place that feeds me. I’ve always tried to be a better Kanaka to be able to serve this place, to serve our lāhui, and to be an honorable kupuna for the future generations,” Peralto said.

“But if we don’t spend time there in that place, then we really don’t know that place. So spending time on our ʻāina, doing the work, allowing the ʻāina to teach us, allowing our kūpuna to reveal things to us, and being ready to receive those lessons in all the different forms that might take, that has been a super important part of what has been my educational journey.”

It was in 2011 that he and partner Haley Kailiehu founded huiMAU with their ʻohana.

“There were a number of different issues going on at the time around mismanagement and mistreatment of this ʻāina and our wahi kūpuna (ancestral sites), and we wanted to organize and come together to mālama this ʻāina and channel our energy into creating a future that we wanted to see for this community,” Peralto said.

“It was a time of finding a balance between the kūʻē and the kūkulu of struggling against that which we didn’t want to see continue to happen here in this place, and at the same time filling this space with the aloha ʻāina that this place needed and working toward a future of abundance for this ahupuaʻa.”

From a first-ever project of clearing invasive guinea grass to create a 30-by-30 foot garden of native and canoe plants, today huiMAUʻs kuleana has grown to steward more than 1,100 acres with a staff of 14 full-time employees.

The group’s mission is to re-establish the systems that sustain their community through place-based educational initiatives and ʻāina-centered practices that cultivate abundance, regenerate responsibilities, and promote collective health and wellbeing.

“A number of systems need to be functioning in unison and functioning properly in order for the community to thrive – healthy ecosystems, healthy food systems, governance systems, education systems, family systems, even spiritual systems. Our programs try to address a number of these.”

A $100,000 ʻĀina Community Grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) helps support the work of huiMAU.

Their project is titled “Hoʻonohopapa Koholālele,” which intends to restore a traditional ʻŌiwi food system in Koholālele that will directly benefit the Hāmākua Hikina community for generations to come. Within a 20-acre site which will be restored, 500 ʻulu trees will be planted that will have the potential to annually provide 200,000 pounds of traditional food starting in 2034.

Former OHA Grants Manager Keʻala Neumann said Peralto not only leads by example but also nurtures a future guided by the values of collective stewardship and cultural integrity.

“Noʻeau embodies leadership rooted in kaiāulu, moʻomeheu, and an unwavering pilina with the ʻāina. He has dedicated his life’s work to fostering the resilience and resurgence of aloha ʻāina in his home of Hāmākua Hikina. His leadership is grounded in the ʻike of his kūpuna, blending scholarly expertise with grassroots action to inspire and empower the lāhui.”

Peralto has increasingly been receiving attention for his work.

In 2021, he was honored for his efforts in advocating for native people by being named one of “50 for 50,” which honored the 50th anniversary of the Stanford American Indian Organization, and in 2024 he was named one of “20 for the Next 20” by Hawaiʻi Business Magazine.

“As a lifetime learner, you have to remain humble and know what you don’t know, what you need to learn, and who you need to learn it from,” Peralto said. “Humility was always the value that was instilled in me by my parents. No matter what you accomplish or what kind of recognition you receive, we are all in this together and we all come from the same place.”

Peralto is quick to credit his partner and co-founder Kailiehu who serves huiMAU as the director of creative development.

“There is no way that I would be able to do this work in the ways that I have been all these years without her having been a partner every step of the way,” Peralto said. “I get put in articles, I get the credit, but there isn’t anything that I’ve ever done in this work that was done without her being a partner right there next to me.

“We’ve gone through every single hard time together, and we’ve birthed great new ideas together and she’s helped bring these new visions into reality. Haley has been the most important partner I’ve had in this work for the last 13 years.”

As he looks to the future, Peralto said mentoring huiMAU’s growing staff will be key.

“We have a lot of young Kānaka who work with us. My passion is in moʻolelo, and particularly the moʻolelo of this place. I have to put time into sharing that moʻolelo with our staff, so that they’re able to then teach it and learn how to do research themselves. The hope is that we can collectively build on this foundation of knowledge and on the research that I was able to find during my educational path,” Peralto said.

“Now there’s 14 of us who are experiencing this place and developing our own ʻike that is rooted in the moʻolelo of the past but also in our daily lived experiences in this place. Hopefully we’re applying that to the work that we do in educational programming so that it informs our work on the ʻāina.

“The ʻāina is telling us what it needs us to do, how it needs us to act as Kānaka of this place, in order for the ʻāina to return to a state of thriving abundance again. That ability to kilo (observe) is key, to really pay attention to our ʻāina and then interpret those observations and formulate the best actions to ensure that we’re addressing the needs of this place. What is best for the ʻāina is always best for us, so allowing the ʻāina to teach us, and then putting those teachings into action is our number one objective.”

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Four individuals and the world’s top selling female Hawaiian musical group have been named to the 2024 class for induction into the prestigious Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame (HMHF).

The inductees will be honored at the Oct. 27, 2024, “Lei of Stars” ceremony at the ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach which will feature a Sunday brunch.

“The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame annually honors persons who have contributed to promoting, preserving and perpetuating Hawaiian music and hula,” said HMHF President Toni Lee.

Kumu Hula George Ainsley Kananiokeakua Holokai, who passed away in 2006, enjoyed an illustrious career as a dancer, drummer, musician and was a regular judge at hula competitions. He was a skilled chanter for the Aloha Week Court and a beloved hula and ʻukulele instructor for the City and County of Honolulu. He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts.

Edwina Noelani Kanoho Mahoe is a musician, singer, recording artist, author, historian, kumu hula, music teacher and show producer. In the early 1960s she formed the Leo Nahenahe Singers along with Ethelynne and Mona Teves and Lynette Kaopuiki. She holds a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts.

Ledward Kaʻapana is a Grammy-nominated musician well known as a slack key guitar master. He also plays steel guitar, ʻukulele, autoharp and bass guitar. In his teens, Kaʻapana formed the legendary musical group Hui ʻOhana along with his brother Nedward Kaʻapana and falsetto great Dennis Pavao. Hui ʻOhana released 14 commercially successful albums. Kaʻapana also led the group I Kona and performed with the Pahinui Brothers, Genoa Keawe and Barney Issacs.

Kimo Alama Keaulana has more than 50 years of experience teaching all forms of hula. He has presented workshops, presentations and lectures for the Bishop Museum, the Kamakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, the Kawaihuelani Hawaiian Language Center, Liliʻuokalani Trust and many other civic organizations and societies. As a musical historian, his “Kimo Alama Keaulana Collection,” housed in the Bishop Museum Archives, is one of the museum’s most widely used collection and contains nearly 1,000 Hawaiian language songs with their translations, annotations and cross references.

As the world’s top-selling female Hawaiian music group, Nā Leo Pilimehana – Lehua Kalima Alvarez, Nalani Jenkins and Angela Escontrias – celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. The group has released more than 20 No. 1 hits, produced more than 20 CDs with a worldwide distribution, and they continue to write, record and perform. Nā Leo has more than 20 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards winning honors over four decades – the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s.

The annual Lei of Stars awards ceremony is a fundraiser for the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. Individual tickets are $200 and corporate tables of 10 are $5,000 to $10,000. For more information contact Toni Lee at parade.lady001@gmail.com.

The post Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame Announces 2024 Inductees appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

“Ma kahi o ka hana he ola malaila; Where work is, there is life.”

For Līpoa Kahaleuahi, the long road to Hāna was always the way home.

For the past five years, Kahaleuahi has served as the executive director of Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke, a community nonprofit that provides work-based learning opportunities to youth in East Maui through a service-oriented educational continuum that strengthens technical skills, cultural identity and environmental stewardship.

“Ma ka hana ka ʻike means ʻby working or doing one learns.’ Our focus is to provide vocational training opportunities and expose our youth to the trades. We’ve found that training can help build self-confidence and wellbeing, and even a sense of safety and strength,” Kahaleuahi said.

“All those things then feed into service where we align projects that serve our community in need, which ends up being primarily Native Hawaiian ʻohana, specifically low income kūpuna. We want to ensure that our community can stay in Hāna and thrive.”

Kahaleuahi attended Hāna High and Elementary from kindergarten through graduation. As a student, she participated in the nonprofit’s Hāna Build program, which included in-school woodshop classes, afterschool and intersession employment, and post-high graduate apprenticeships.

Since then, Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke has added the Mahele Farm program, which trains farm apprentices and distributes fresh, organic produce for free directly to community members; a Mālama Hāloa program that reconnects youth and their ʻohana with traditional Native Hawaiian foods and the cultural practices surrounding them; and Kahu ʻAi Pono, a culinary program that links with farming operations at Mahele Farm and Hāna School, as well as cultural activities with Mālama Hāloa.

“Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke showed me how learning happens beyond the essay test – beyond the four walls of the classroom,” Kahaleuahi said. “They were able to teach me early on that learning is not just hypothetical or theoretical, it’s very literal.”

Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke works closely with Hāna High and Elementary School. Its offices are located at the school, and most of its classes are held there and occur as a part of the school day.

“I’ve known Līpoa since she was in grade school, and I am so proud of her accomplishments and leadership,” said Christopher Sanita, the principal in Hāna. “Her calm demeanor, keen intellect and passion for her Hāna community are remarkable. Our students receive ʻāina-based education to equip them to be locally committed and globally skilled.”

Kahaleuahi oversees some 26 full time employees, and Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke has more than 60 partners and funders supporting its work including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

A $300,000 OHA economic grant currently assists the group’s I Kū Nā Loea project which aims to increase employability among Native Hawaiian youth, while a $220,000 OHA health grant helps perpetuate Hawaiian language and culture while increasing community stewardship to strengthen connections between ʻohana, ʻāina and kaiāulu (community).

Kahaleuahi said Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke has been fortunate to build a partnership with OHA.

“What struck me about the OHA grants program is the advocacy for community health, the idea that health spans culture and ʻāina, and that it’s beyond doctors and hospitals. It’s about caring for our ʻāina and our food, and about having access to our culture and language,” she said.

“Our people and our island home demand this holistic approach across all sectors including economic stability. As an organization that serves Native Hawaiians, this is a vital and bold approach and one that OHA should be taking.”

“Līpoa is a champion for Hāna, for Native Hawaiians, and especially for Native Hawaiian youth,” said OHA Grants Manager Keʻala Neumann. “She serves the community that raised her with dedication, passion and foresight and her aloha for Hāna and the lāhui is exuded in all she does as a wahine Hawaiʻi.”

After high school, Kahaleuahi earned a degree from UC Santa Barbara where she honed her skills as a Teach for America scholar. She became a special education teacher at Honokaʻa High and Intermediate, and secured a master’s degree in teaching from Chaminade University.

With her credentials, she could have taught most anywhere, but in 2016 she returned to Hāna to serve as a community outreach coordinator with Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke.

“My overarching goal was that I wanted to return home,” she said. “As a younger person, I wanted to go out and make a difference in this world. But I’ve come to recognize that if I can make a difference in this little unique slice of the world, it’s almost more meaningful to me. Being able to return home and work in service to my community means everything to me, and it completely makes sense.”

Kahaleuahi is an adamant activist for Hāna, where roughly two thirds of the population is Native Hawaiian.

“I’m most passionate about advocating for opportunities that allow our people to stay and thrive. When I came back home, I grew angry by many of the issues that seemed to mount in front of our people and in front of me,” she said.

“It was about access to ʻāina, access to water, to healthy food – and just the expense of everything. But that’s where we’re able to turn to our work and dedicate that time to being a part of finding solutions.”

Kahaleuahi said her father Joe John Kahaleuahi, who passed away last year, has been the most influential person in her life.

“He was my pinnacle example of a Kanaka Hawaiʻi. He was someone who struggled with this generational anger and trauma from things that Hawaiians have endured, yet he had so much pride in being from Hāna, and then staying in Hāna,” she said.

“Foremost, he taught me to be proud of being Hawaiian, and to be proud of being a Hawaiian from Hāna. Both of those things are what influenced me to want to return, even as I knew I wanted to leave. I was always going to come back to Hanā. That was for him.”

Kahaleuahi said she won’t be leaving Hāna anytime soon.

“This is home. I’m humbled to have been able to call it home and to continue to do so. But it’s not always easy. We see many of our Native Hawaiian families across Hawaiʻi leaving. Those issues are challenging and are impacting us right here as well,” she said.

“How do we keep that commitment to stay here? How do we ensure that with our next generation, they have that opportunity to stay, if that is their choice? Some might call it a sacrifice, but we see that as a commitment to our place, to our community, and to our lāhui. It’s a commitment to calling this place home and stewarding it in the best way possible.”

And though she has world class training as a teacher, Kahaleuahi said she’s enjoying being right at home in Hāna.

“There were aspects that I loved about teaching, and aspects that I struggled with to be honest,” Kahaleuahi said.

“But being able to support the educational system from a cultural approach – an ʻāina based, vocational approach – provides so much freedom to think, explore and execute innovative and creative ideas. That’s one of the most exciting things about the work that we do in this broad, dynamic, needing-to-change field of education, and I’m thrilled to be involved in this way.”

The post Working for Hāna appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

At their June meeting, OHA trustees approved more than $2.7 million in grant awards to 16 community nonprofits that serve Native Hawaiians. The nonprofits are located across the pae ʻāina with beneficiaries being served on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.

These are the first awards that OHA has announced since revamping its grants program with a goal of lowering funding application barriers to allow for increased community participation. The grants process has been streamlined to ease the burden on nonprofit partners, including reducing the number of eligibility requirements, simplifying the application process and focusing mandatory reporting to the most essential data elements.

“On behalf of all of our trustees, Iʻd like to mahalo our Grants staff for their tireless efforts in bringing continuous improvement to our process. We all realize just how hard these staff members work each day on behalf of our lāhui and we want them all to know how much they are appreciated,” said OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey.

“It is not only our honor but our kuleana to work with these outstanding community nonprofits who are making a difference in the lives of our people. It is only by working together in a spirit of lōkahi and aloha that we can create maximum impact as we strive to better the lives of Native Hawaiians and raise a beloved lāhui.”

Nine nonprofits received more than $1.36 million in Kumuwaiwai Naʻauao-Educational Resource grants including:

• Kanu o ka ʻĀina Learning ʻOhana received $137,328 for “Hoʻopili Mai,” a culturally grounded initiative for Hawaiian preschoolers and their families in Waimea (Hawaiʻi Island) to increase kindergarten readiness.
• Nā Mamo Aloha ʻĀina O Honokōhau received $100,000 for “Kapaukua,” a project that aims to increase ʻāina-based ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi experiences for Hawaiian haumāna in grades PreK-12 in West Maui.
• Hui Mākua O Ke Kula Kaiapuni O Kualapuʻu received $40,000 for its Molokaʻi based project titled “Ke Ao ʻŌlino – Era of Enlightenment,” to educate family members of Hawaiian immersion students through a Hawaiian language and culture curriculum.
• EA Ecoversity received $182,310 to serve Hawaiians on Hawaiʻi, Maui, and Oʻahu through its “Basic Hawaiian” project, a Hawaiian language program to increase language and cultural proficiencies.
• Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi received $205,000 for its Oʻahu based project “Ka Ulu Aʻe o ka Naʻauao,” to provide culturally relevant educational support and career readiness training to Hawaiian youth from Nānākuli and Waiʻanae.
• Maui Hui Mālama received $136,666 for its “Breaking Barriers and Creating Connections to Education, Careers, and Culture” project to provide holistic educational services to support Hawaiian youth on Maui overcome educational barriers.
• Hoʻākeolapono Trades Academy and Institute received $258,700 for its Kauaʻi based “High School Trades Innovation Program” to introduce Hawaiian students in grades 9-12 to the building trades industry to increase graduation rates.
• Hoʻokākoʻo Corporation received $100,000 for its Molokaʻi based project “Hoʻokahua,” to develop, expand and sustain Hawaiian language medium early education for Hawaiian children in grades K-2.
• Keiki O Ka ʻĀina received $205,000 for its Oʻahu and Molokaʻi based project “Board and Stone, Strengthening Families and Equipping for the Future,” to educate Native Hawaiians in cultural foundations through Board and Stone classes.

Five nonprofits received more than $939,000 in Ola Ka ʻĀina-Health of Land and Water grants including:

• Hale Mua Cultural Group received $145,000 for its Hawaiʻi Island based project “ʻAi Me Ka Iʻa Waipiʻo,” to increase knowledge in traditional food systems stewardship by engaging Hawaiians in the practices of loʻi kalo and loko wai in Waipiʻo Valley.
• Papahana Kuaola received $200,000 for its Oʻahu based project “Kupu A Lau,” to educate and engage Hawaiians in ʻāina restoration practices and principles at Waipao to increase community connection to ʻāina.
• Maui Nui Makai Network received $200,000 for its project “Maui Hikina Huliāmahi,” an initiative to advance community-led marine management across four districts of East Maui spanning more than 60 miles of coastline.
• Pōhāhā I Ka Lani received $200,000 for its Hawaiʻi Island project “Kāhuli,” to enhance the stewardship of watersheds in and above Waipiʻo Valley, including removing invasive trees, planting native plants, and stabilizing 400 linear feet of slopes and riverbanks.
• Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests received $194,717 for its Hawaiʻi Island based project “Kaiāulu Puʻuwaʻawaʻa,” to support the Kaiāulu Puʻuwaʻawaʻa Community-Based Subsistence Forest Area in stewarding and restoring 84 acres by planting native species, connecting lineal descendants to the land, and increasing Hawaiian involvement in mālama ʻāina.

Two nonprofits received more than $401,000 in Hoʻomohala Waiwai ʻOhana Economic Stability grants including:

• Laʻiʻōpua 2020 received $200,000 for its Hawaiʻi Island project “Aʻo,” which will provide a trades skills training and certification program to Hawaiian adults to increase the number of certified workers and job placements.
• The Men of PAʻA received $201,226 for their Hawaiʻi Island “Mālama Puna Workforce Development Project” to empower Hawaiians from Puna, particularly those emerging from the justice system by providing job training and financial literacy programs.

OHA’s Grants Program supports Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organizations that have projects, programs and initiatives that serve the lāhui in alignment with OHA’s Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan. For more on OHA’s Grants Program please visit www.oha.org/grants.

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