By Kamanamaikalani Beamer, PhD

Wēlina mai ke aloha i ka ʻāina. In March, my appointment as the incoming Dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge (HSHK) was finalized. It’s difficult for me to express the magnitude of this significant moment and the kuleana of becoming the next dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge. Let me start by saying I am deeply in love with our school.

Hawaiʻinuiākea has bettered the lives of so many ʻohana, community, haumāna, and ʻāina in ways that I believe will be generationally transformative. Hawaiʻinuiākea is truly a momi (jewel) – it is a vessel that can be like a hulu kupuna (beloved elder) for our people for all time. All our faculty, staff, and community partners have played a critical role in this hana koʻikoʻi (urgent work).

Hawaiʻinuiākea is unique and vital to the overall success of our lāhui – the ea (sovereignty) of our ʻāina, the ola (health) of our ʻōlelo, and the education of the nation. We are like the ʻōhiʻa seedling birthed in the ʻāʻā after struggle. Every lālā (branch) of our school is critical to our overall success and I intend to serve each of us as we ulu (increase) toward new and formative outgrowths. So that one day there will be a forest of Hawaiʻinuiākea.

I am piha with mahalo (filled with gratitude) to the selection committee and all of you who contributed to the process that led to this moment. I am incredibly honored to follow former deans Maenette Benham and Jonathan Osorio to become the third dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea, and the first dean to hold a degree from one of our programs.

I believe that even in these incredibly challenging times when many of our efforts and the hana koʻikoʻi of generations are under assault, if we kūlike (stand together), if we can recall the magneti o ke aloha ʻāina (magnetic pull in the heart of the patriot), we will emerge from the hihia (difficulty) stronger, with greater clarity and resolve, me ka wiwoʻole (with fearlessness).

I believe a critical part of ea in these times can be achieved by creating the most highly functional organization possible within the confines of the structures in which we are embedded. So that one day the generations will look back at these vile times, when our aliʻi trusts were under assault and our aquifers were poisoned with jet fuel, and not wallow in sorrow but stand proudly because those who were living through these times, i kēia au nei, stood together with the strength and sentiments of those who came before us.

I know that great things are to come for Hawaiian education, ʻāina, and community if we can kūkahi (stand together) for what is pono.

Students and their parents are now making decisions on college attendance. The decision on where to attend college is one of the most special and significant choices for ʻohana. I want you to know that Hawaiʻinuiākea is a place for you. We have a record of nurturing and challenging haumāna to understand tools for accessing ʻike Hawaiʻi that have grounded and enriched the development of thousands of our students, many of which can be seen as leaders serving communities across our islands.

Our faculty are incredibly multi-disciplinary and bring their wealth of knowledge and experience into the classroom with courses that range from Hawaiian genealogies to mahiʻai kalo (taro farming). Some are on the ʻāina in field schools that advance Hawaiian geography, marine resource management, archeology, and food sovereignty. Others teach through immersive experiences in ʻōlelo, mele, and in the performing arts.

We have an entire center focused on supporting ʻŌiwi student success and enrichment and even an immersive international exchange experience with “Hawaiian Youths Abroad,” that has enriched the education of our students, enabling them to experience places such as Japan, London, Paris, Tahiti, and more.

But what really makes us unique is the relentless commitment toward a better and more just future for our ʻāina and community.

I believe we are the best place to nurture haumāna to make a positive difference for our islands that is rooted in ancestral knowledge while moving toward pono and ea. We have a moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) that links us to some of our island’s most important researchers, scholars, and change-agents, and a dedication toward Hawaiʻi’s future, a hiki i ke aloha ʻāina hope loa.

For those that would like to know more about Dr. Kamana Beamer and his work to date visit kamanabeamer.com. Learn more about Hawaiʻinuiākea at manoa.hawaii.edu/hshk

The post A Letter to the Lāhui appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Na Mathew “Manakō” Tanaka

Mai ka ʻōhiʻa lehua o Hawaiʻi a ka Pohutukawa o Aotearoa, aloha pumehana e nā makamaka makeʻe ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Welo haʻaheo nā mea ʻōlelo makuahine e lawelawe nei i ka hana ma lalo o ka malu o ka Hui Waʻalele ʻo Hawaiian, a he keu hoʻi nā kuene mokulele no ke kumu, na lākou nō hoʻi i mālama mua i ia mea kūikawā ʻo ia hoʻi ka mokulele ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i ka makahiki 2018. Hāʻupu wale aʻela ka manaʻo i ka lele pū ʻana o lākou kuene mokulele ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i ia wā, a no ka laha ʻana a puni ka pae ʻāina i lilo ai nā mokulele ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i mea kūmau mai kēlā wā a hiki i kēia manawa. A hiki i kēia, ua kipa akula nā manu kūkahekahe, ʻo ia hoʻi kekahi hea ʻana no ia pūʻulu kānaka kākoʻo ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, i nā kūlanakauhale like ʻole mai Fukuoka a hiki loa aku i Bosetona.

Penei ke ʻano o nā mokulele ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Ma ke ʻano hoʻopūʻiwa hoʻi ia e mālama ʻia nei i mea e hoʻohauʻoli ai i nā ʻōhua, a ua lako ia mau mokulele me nā kāleka e aʻo aku ana i ua poʻe ʻōhua nei i ka ʻōlelo, a ua mālama ʻia nā kūkala a pau ma luna o ka mokulele ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me ka ʻōlelo pelekania i mea e hoʻokuluma ai i ka ʻōlelo makuahine. He nani mai hoʻi kau!

I kēia makahiki i kipa mua akula iā Tāmaki Makaurau i Aotearoa ka mokulele ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, a kipa pū hoʻi i ʻelua wahi kupaianaha, a ʻo kekahi he hoa kamaʻāina. ʻOiai ke hoʻomaha akula nā waʻa kūpuna o kākou, ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo Hōkūleʻa lāua ʻo Hikianalia ma ia awa kū moku o Tāmaki Makaurau, ua pōmaikaʻi nā manu kūkahekahe i ka hoʻokipa ʻia ma nā papahele kaʻapuni honua o ia mau waʻa kaulua. Wahi a Kekai Lum, kekahi o nā manu kūkahekahe, “ʻO ke aloha ʻoiaʻiʻo o ko kākou poʻe,” a pēlā ko kākou pōmaikaʻi.

ʻO ka lua hoʻi o nā wahi kipa ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo Whakaata Māori, he kahua hoʻolele wikiō hoʻi no ka lāhui Māori na lākou ke kuleana o ka hoʻolaha moʻolelo ma ko lā-kou ʻōlelo ʻōiwi ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo te reo Māori. Ua pōwhiri ʻia mākou me ka hanohano me ka mōteatea o ko lākou ʻāina a me nā haʻi ʻōlelo e pili ana i ka pilina o ko kākou mau ʻāina a me nā papahana a lākou e lawelawe nei. Ua haʻahaʻa mākou o ka Hui Waʻalele ʻo Hawaiian i ko lākou hoʻolaha ʻana i kekahi moʻolelo e pili ana i kā mākou mokulele ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi kekahi, a ke hū aʻe nei ka mahalo ma ka naʻau o kou mea kākau.

Ua kuleana kākou nā kamaʻāina i ko kākou ʻōlelo, a he papahana kēia e ʻimi ana i ke kūlana ʻaeʻoia a mau loa aku no ko kākou ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Ke mahalo aʻe nei i nā manu kūkahekahe, ʻo ia hoʻi nā kuene mokulele i ka ʻauamo ʻana i kēia kuleana a me nā hoa o ka Hōkūleʻa me Hikianalia pau pū me nā ʻohana o ke kahua ʻo Whakaata Māori i hoʻokipa helu ʻekahi maila. E ola ko kākou ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma nā kūkulu ʻehā o ka poepoe honua!

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By Mathew “Manakō” Tanaka

From the ʻōhiʻa lehua blossoms of Hawaiʻi to the pohutukawa flowers of Aotearoa, warm greetings to those who have affection for ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

There are many proud Hawaiian language speakers at Hawaiian Airlines, but perhaps none as proud as our flight attendants who began our ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi flights in 2018. That first neighbor island crew decided to use ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi one day, and the community responded with great positivity. Since then, our Hawaiian language crews, affectionately known as “manu kūkahekahe,” have run ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi flights to many destinations from Fukuoka to Boston.

These special surprise flights are usually not advertised, and we have evolved to distribute engagement cards to teach passengers ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi they can use with flight crew. In addition, all announcements are in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and English to help normalize the language. It’s a special experience for ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi families and supporters alike.

This year, for the first time, our Hawaiian language flight took us to Auckland, New Zealand. During our time there, the crew was able to visit Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia which, was “an expression of the true aloha of our people,” in the words of Kekai Lum, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi flight attendant. We were fortunate for the experience to be able to board their storied decks in a foreign land.

We were also able to visit Whakaata Māori, a televison station that offers programming in the Māori language. We were honored to be welcomed with pōwhiri including chant and an exchange of speeches that celebrated our shared lineage. The station also interviewed some Hawaiian Airlines language speakers about the flight and shared our progress for ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

All people of Hawaiʻi have responsibility to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and this flight was one that sought sustained life of our language to help address this kuleana. We thank our Hawaiian language flight attendants at Hawaiian Airlines, our friends from Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia, as well as our hosts at Whakaata Māori for being so welcoming. May our ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi thrive in the four pillars of the globe!

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Few can deny the impact Hawaiian-medium education has had in reviving ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. With the re-establishment of Hawaiian-medium schools beginning with Pūnana Leo and kula kaiapuni sites, these educational programs elevated the Hawaiian language movement and helped restore Hawaiian as a language of daily life.

In the early 1980s, most people who reported using ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi at home were primarily kūpuna (i.e., over the age of 50) and/or from the Niʻihau community – although it should be noted that the data reflects overall home language use, not necessarily the respondents’ level of fluency.

Alarmingly, however, fewer than 35 children outside of the Niʻihau community spoke Hawaiian fluently – highlighting the generational gap that existed and the urgency that led to the development of Hawaiian- medium education.

Today, an estimated 4,423 students across the state are educated through Hawaiian at Pūnana Leo and Papahana Kaiapuni Hawaiʻi sites.

These schools were created not simply to teach the language, but to restore ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi as a living language. Hawaiian was once the language of all sectors of society – including education, commerce, and government – and was spoken by people of many ethnicities who called Hawaiʻi home.

That vision of an ʻāina laʻelaʻe, where ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi thrives across all areas of daily life, remains the future many continue to strive toward.

Census data further reflects this progress: the number of people using Hawaiian at home increased from 9,060 in 1980 to 27,611 in 2023 – an increase of more than 200%, representing a tripling of the speaker population. This growth reflects the success of language revitalization efforts through education.

While these achievements demonstrate the power of education in revitalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, they also point to an ongoing challenge: ensuring that our growing number of Hawaiian-speaking students are supported by a new generation of fluent speakers prepared to become Hawaiian-medium educators.

As one example, kula kaiapuni sites have grown from two programs in their inaugural year in 1987 to 33 sites today. Over the past decade, student enrollment has increased by 67%. However, growth in student enrollment also requires growth in the number of highly fluent teachers.

During this same period, the ideal number of Hawaiian-medium teachers has increased from approximately 59 to 100, representing nearly a 70% increase in workforce demand. The need for Hawaiian-medium teachers is rising as quickly as the programs themselves.

Yet the pool of potential teachers remains limited to the number of highly fluent speakers of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. In many language-medium and immersion programs around the world, schools can recruit fluent speakers from the homeland of the language – for example, fluent speakers of Japanese from Japan or Mandarin speakers from China who can become teachers in those programs. For ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, however, Hawaiʻi is its homeland.

As a state with two official languages and two language-medium education pathways – Hawaiian and English – the challenges facing Hawaiian-medium education are distinct. Unlike English-medium programs, which can draw from a vast and continually replenished global pool of English speakers, Hawaiian-medium education must grow its own speaker base while cultivating the teacher pipeline to ensure that our growing number of haumāna in the Hawaiian-medium pathway are supported by a new generation of fluent speakers prepared to become Hawaiian-medium educators.

Hawaiian-medium educators have been recruited from among Hawaiian language college and university programs, from kaiapuni graduates of Hawaiian-medium and immersion schools, from parents within immersion communities, and from community speakers. Every fluent speaker represents a potential future kumu.

Fluent teachers create environments where Hawaiian becomes the natural language of learning and communication. In these spaces, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi becomes the language of relationships, spoken among students, classmates, teachers, and others within the school community.

Hawaiian-medium sites function as language ecosystems that influence both families and communities, encouraging the use of Hawaiian at home and expanding the presence of the language beyond the classroom: developments reflected in census data.

For this reason, the future of kaiapuni education depends on strong speaker-to-teacher pathways that cultivate fluent speakers and prepare them to become the next generation of kumu for Hawaiian-medium education.

Kananinohea K.C. Mākaʻimoku is an associate professor at Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani UH Hilo College of Hawaiian Language and the program coordinator for the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program.

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Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi celebrations held across the pae ʻāina from late January through early March brought together thousands of ʻohana and community members who actively participated in Hawaiian Language speech competitions, kōnane tournaments, and so much more.

These events uplift ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through practice, competition, and community engagement, creating meaningful spaces for learners and speakers of all ages to grow and thrive.

Mahalo nui to all the ʻohana, kumu, and community members who continue to support and celebrate our language. This year’s celebrations were especially meaningful as we honored the 200th birthday of Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani, a steadfast champion of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian identity. E ola mau ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi!

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Na UH News | Unuhi ʻia e Paige Okamura

He puke keiki ʻo Pōmai and Her Papa i kākau ʻia no ke kōkua ʻana i nā keiki e maopopo mai ai i ia mea he maʻi poina, a ua lilo nō i wikiō ʻonina kiʻi hou.

Pili ia moʻolelo iā Pōmai, he kaikamahine e aʻo ana i ke kōkua ʻana i kona kupuna kāne i loaʻa i ka maʻi poina me ke aloha, a ma ke ʻano Hawaiʻi, i hiki i nā ʻohana ke kūkākūkā e pili ana i ka maʻi poina. Ua paʻi mua ʻia e ke Kulanui o Mānoa i ka makahiki 2019 a laila unuhi ʻia i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, ua hele a laha kēia moʻolelo ma o nā keiki me nā kānaka mālama a puni ka paeʻāina.

Na Kalilinoe Detwiler, he haumāna laeʻula ʻōlelo Pelekānia ma ke Kulanui o Mānoa, i hana pū i kēia ʻonina kiʻi me ka hui Hā Kūpuna National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders, ma lalo o ke keʻena Thompson Kula Mālama Kaiaulu me ke Olakino Lehulehu. Hoʻokino ʻia maila ka puke me nā kiʻi ʻālohilohi, nā hāmeʻe piha ʻeu, a kūkaʻi ʻōlelo ʻia e nā limahina o Hā Kūpuna.

“Ke lana nei ka manaʻo, na kēia puke me ka wikiō e hoʻoulu i ke kūkākūkā ʻana ma waena o nā keiki, nā mākua, me nā kūpuna no ia mea he maʻi poina i loko o nā loina Hawaiʻi, ma ke ʻano kūpono no nā pae makahiki,” wahi ā Detwiler, he lālā o ka Indigenous Nations Poet, Story Knife Fellow a he alakaʻi noiʻi no ka pāhana Symphony of Hawaiʻi Seas.

“Nanea au i noho pū me nā hāmeʻe, ka hoʻomoeā ʻana i ko lākou ʻano, a me wai lākou e pili ai. Pēia pū hoʻi me ka hoʻomoeā ʻana i nā hiʻohiʻona ʻike ʻia ma nā loli liʻiliʻi o ka naʻau me ko lākou maopopo ʻana i ka maʻi poina.”

Hoʻomaka akula ka papahana ma Ianuali o ka makahiki 2025 me ke kaha ʻana nā mahele o ka moʻolelo, ka hoʻolālā ʻana i ka ʻikena, ka ʻoki leo ʻana, ka hana ʻana i nā kiʻi ma hope, nā ʻonina kiʻi, a me ka hoʻoponopono ʻana.

“Iā mākou e hana nei i kēia mau kumu ʻike no nā ʻōpio me nā mea mālama, ua ʻike nō mākou i nā ʻano mea kūpono no nā hānauna like ʻole o ka ʻohana e noho pū ʻana ma ka hale like ma Hawaiʻi,” wahi a Detwiler. “ʻO ka ʻonina kiʻi kekahi ʻo ia mau mea. He mea ia i hiki ke hoʻolaha i kēia ʻano moʻolelo pohihihi a kaumaha.”

“ʻO ka pahuhopu o Hā Kūpuna, ʻo ia ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana i ka hoʻomaopopo ʻana i nā ola o nā kūpuna, ka hoʻohanohano ʻana i ko lākou ola, me ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana aʻe i ka ʻoihana mālama kūpuna,” i ʻōlelo ai ʻo Shelley Muneoka, ka Hoʻolaukaʻi Papahana no Hā Kūpuna. “He kōkua nō nā puke me nā ʻonina kiʻi i ka hoʻolaha ʻana i kēia ʻike i ka lehulehu ma ke ʻano kūpono.”

The post Ka Maopopo ʻana i ka Maʻi Poina ma o ka ʻOnina Kiʻi appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

By UH News

The children’s storybook Pōmai and Her Papa, which helps children understand Alzheimer’s disease, has been adapted into an animated video.

The story follows Pōmai, a young girl learning to support her grandfather as he experiences memory loss, offering a gentle, culturally grounded way for families to start conversations about dementia. First released by UH at Mānoa in 2019 and translated into ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in 2025, the story has reached keiki and caregivers across the islands.

The animation was developed by Kalilinoe Detwiler, a UH Mānoa Ph.D. candidate in English, with the Hā Kūpuna National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders, housed in the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health. It brings the storybook to life with vibrant visuals, expressive characters and narration voiced by Hā Kūpuna team members.

“We hope the book and video will open conversations between children, parents and kūpuna about dementia in a cultural and age-appropriate way,” said Detwiler, who is an Indigenous Nations Poet, Story Knife Fellow and co-principal investigator for the Symphony of Hawaiʻi Seas project.

“I enjoy spending time with the characters, imagining their expressions and who they might sit beside in the setting. I also enjoy imagining visual representations to subtle changes in their emotions and understanding of dementia.”

The project began in January 2025 and included storyboarding, visual design, background art, voice recording, animation and editing.

“As we create resources for ʻōpio and caregivers, we recognize there are mediums that best suit the intergenerational households in Hawaiʻi,” added Detwiler. “Animation is one of those mediums. It opens possibilities for stories that can be challenging or heavy.”

“The purpose of Hā Kūpuna is to enhance understanding of kūpuna, celebrate their lives, and improve eldercare services,” said Shelley Muneoka, Hā Kūpuna program coordinator. “Storybooks and animation help extend this information to new audiences in a meaningful way.”

“Pōmai and Her Papa” can be viewed on Hā Kūpuna’s YouTube page. PDF copies of the story can be downloaded for free at manoa.hawaii.edu/hakupuna/pomai-and-her-papa/. For hard copies, contact Shelley Muneoka at muneokas@hawaii.edu.

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Na Kū Kahakalau, Ph.D., Kū-A-Kanaka Co-owner and Executive Director

As we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, we believe this is the best time to be Hawaiian since 1778.

After nearly 250 years of Western influence that resulted in profound losses for our people – our lands, our health, our sovereignty, our identity, our traditional knowledge, and our ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi – Kanaka are once again gaining strength. Across our lāhui, we see growing momentum in language revitalization, culture-based education, and ʻāina-centered community work grounded in ancestral values.

While this progress is encouraging, we know the work is far from complete. Our hope is for a future in which Hawaiians can pass on in peace, confident that our infinite ʻike kūpuna will endure, our language will continue to be spoken, our lands and oceans will be cared for, and our people will walk once again on the path of honor and responsibility, known as ka māʻawe o ka pono by our ancestors.

To help move our lāhui toward that future, our ʻohana founded Kū-A-Kanaka in 2017 as a Native Hawaiian social enterprise.

Kū-A-Kanaka exists to support Hawaiians in standing as Hawaiians, living like Hawaiians, and being Hawaiian in everyday life. We serve individuals, families, schools, organizations, and communities by offering diverse, culture-based learning opportunities that reconnect people to the ways of our kūpuna. As a social enterprise, all our profits are reinvested to provide free culture-based learning opportunities.

One of our most popular free offerings is our monthly virtual Kanaka Kitchen, held every second Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. Led by Kū-A-Kanaka co-owner and Senior Project Director ʻIʻini Kahakalau, Kanaka Kitchen invites Hawaiian language learners, especially ʻohana to prepare Hawaiʻi-sourced dishes together while using ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in a welcoming, supportive environment. Ingredient lists are shared ahead of time so participants can cook along from their own kitchens.

For those on Hawaiʻi Island, we host monthly community workdays at Kapapa Loʻi o Kealiʻikuaʻāina, our 5-acre kalo patch complex in Waipiʻo Valley. These workdays allow community members to reconnect with ʻāina while strengthening relationships with each other and the land.

Language revitalization is central to all our work. Each Saturday afternoon, we host Walaʻau Kahakalau on KAPA Radio where my daughter, ʻIʻini Kahakalau, and I share Hawaiian stories, ʻōlelo noʻeau, and our history from a Hawaiian perspective. This program streams worldwide, connecting listeners everywhere to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻike Hawaiʻi.

Through August 2026, we are also offering free, culture-based learning experiences to public schools on Hawaiʻi Island and in Windward Oʻahu. These sessions can focus on professional development for educators and/or as meaningful cultural learning experiences for students.

So come and learn with us, volunteer with us, and perhaps even join our dynamic learning ʻohana.

For more information about Kū-A-Kanaka’s programs and events, or to get involved, contact ʻIʻini Kahakalau at iini@kuakanaka.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @kuakanaka or visit www.kuakanaka.com and join our mailing list for updates on how to register for our free offerings and upcoming events

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Na Kū Kahakalau, Ph.D., Kū-A-Kanaka Co-owner and Executive Director

Iā mākou e hoʻomaka nei i ka hapahā ʻelua o ke kenekulia 21, manaʻo mākou ʻo kēia ka manawa maikaʻi loa e noho kanaka mai ka makahiki 1778.

Ma hope o 250 mau makahiki hoʻokūāhaole a me ka nalowale ʻana o ko kākou ʻāina, ko kākou olakino, ko kā-kou kūʻokoʻa, ko kākou ʻano, ko kākou ʻike kuʻuna, a me ko kākou ʻōlelo Kanaka – ke ulu hou nei ka mana o nā Kānaka Hawaiʻi. Ma waena o ko kākou lāhui, ʻike kākou i ka ulu ʻana o ka hoʻōla ʻōlelo, ka hoʻonaʻauao moʻomeheu, a me ka hana kaiaulu mālama ʻāina hoʻokumu ʻia i nā loina kūpuna.

ʻOiai ua kūpono ua holomua ʻana, ʻike kākou ua nui nā hana i koe. ʻO ko kākou manaʻolana no kēia mua aku e hiki ai i nā kānaka maoli ke moe mālie i ka moe o Niolopua me ka maluhia, a me ka hilinaʻi e mau ana ko kākou ʻike kūpuna lehulehu a manomano, e ʻōlelo hou ʻia ka leo nahenahe a nā kūpuna a puni ʻo Hawaiʻi, e mālama hou ʻia ka ʻāina a me ke kai, a e hele hou nā kānaka ʻōiwi o Hawaiʻi ma ka māʻawe o ka pono.

I mea e neʻe ai ko kākou lāhui i kēlā wā e hiki mai ana, ua hoʻokumu ko mākou ʻohana i ka ʻoihana kaiaulu ʻo Kū-A-Kanaka i ka makahiki 2017.

ʻO ka pahuhopu ʻo Kū-A-Kanaka e kākoʻo i nā Hawaiʻi e kū a kanaka a e hoʻomau i nā waiwai kahiko, ma o ke aʻo ʻana i kēlā me kēia kanaka, nā ʻohana, ka poʻe haumāna ma nā kula, nā hui, a me nā kaiaulu i ka ʻike kūpuna a me ka hoʻopili ʻana iā lākou i nā hana a ka poʻe kūpuna. Ma ke ʻano he ʻoihana kaiapili, ua hāʻawi ʻia kā mākou mau waiwai a pau e hoʻolako i ka lāhui i nā kumu aʻo kanaka manuahi.

ʻO kekahi o kā mākou papa manuahi kaulana loa ʻo ia hoʻi ʻo kā mākou papa Kanaka Kitchen i mālama ʻia i kēlā me kēia mahina ma ke ahiahi Poʻahā ʻelua ma ka pūnaewele. Hoʻouna ʻia nā papa inoa meaʻai ma mua o ka papa pūnaewele i hiki ai i nā mea komo ke kuke i ko lākou lumi kuke ponoʻī.

No ka poʻe noho ma ka mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi, hoʻokipa mākou i nā kānaka hoihoi i nā lā hana Hoʻolaulima i kēlā me kēia mahina ma Kapapa Loʻi o Kealiʻikuaʻāina, ko mākou ʻāina ʻelima ʻeka kalo ma ke awāwa ʻo Waipiʻo. Hoʻoikaika kēia mau lā hana i nā lālā o ke kaiaulu i ko lākou pilina ʻāina a me ko lākou pilina ʻohana.

ʻO ka hoʻōla ʻōlelo Kanaka ke kumupaʻa o kā mākou mau hana a pau. No laila, mālama mākou iā Walaʻau Kahakalau ma KAPA FM i kēlā Poʻaono, kēia Poʻaono mai ka hola ʻekolu a hiki i ka hola ʻelima. I laila, kaʻana aku nā haku ʻo Kū-A-Kanaka, ʻoia hoʻi kaʻu kaikamahine, ʻo ʻIʻini Kahakalau a me aʻu, i nā moʻolelo, nā ʻōlelo noʻeau, a me nā kuamoʻo ʻōlelo kanaka. Kūʻānō ʻo Walaʻau Kahakalau, no laila hiki i nā kānaka a puni ka honua ke hoʻoikaika i kā lākou ʻike ʻōlelo kanaka a me ko lākou ʻike kūpuna.

A hiki i ka mahina o ʻAukake 2026, loaʻa hoʻi iā mākou nā papa hoʻonaʻauao manuahi i nā kula aupuni ma ka mokupuni o Hawaiʻi a me ka ʻaoʻao Koʻolau o Oʻahu. Loaʻa nā papa hoʻomōhala ʻoihana kumu aʻo a i ʻole nā papa moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi no nā haumāna.

No laila e hele mai a aʻo pū me mākou, kōkua manawaleʻa me mākou, a lilo paha i lālā o ko mākou ʻohana aʻo.

No ka ʻike e pili ana i nā papahana a me ke komo i nā hanana a Kū-A-Kanaka, e lekauila iā ʻIʻini Kahakalau ma iini@kuakanaka.com. E hahai hoʻi mai iā mākou ma Facebook a me Instagram @kuakanaka a i ʻole e kipa iā www.kuakanaka.com a kākau inoa ma kā mākou papa leka uila no nā mea hou e pili ana i kā mākou papa manuahi a me nā hanana e hiki mai ana.

The post Kū-A-Kanaka: He ʻOihana Kaiapili ʻŌiwi appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

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“Ola ka inoa o nā kūpuna, hoʻomau ʻia i ke kahua hoʻomanaʻo.”

Ma ia kahua hoʻomanaʻo hoʻokahi nō i hāpai ʻia ai ka inoa ʻo Mary Kawena Pukui ʻo ka meʻe kupuna o ka lāhui, ma ka makahiki i hala iho nei. He lālani kēia mai loko mai o ke mele a Pukui i haku ai no ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Pīhopa, kona honua hana no nā makahiki he nui. Mai ka mahina ʻo ʻApelila a hiki i ka lā 19 o Kekemapa ma ka makahiki 2025, ua mālama ʻia ka pukaʻina ʻo “Nānā I Ke Kumu,” he mau hanana e hāpai aʻe ana i ka ʻike kūhohonu a manomano o ka Hawaiʻi a me ka hoʻoilina a kēia wahine kupaianaha maoli nō, ʻo Mary Kawena Pukui, i waiho ai na kākou.

ʻOiai ua hoʻolālā ʻia kēlā me kēia hui ʻana e kekahi pūʻulu liʻiliʻi, he mau limahana mai ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Pīhopa a me kekahi poʻe lālā o ka Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, ua alu pū nā loea o nā ʻano hana kuʻuna like ʻole: ʻo ka hula ʻoe, ʻo ke oli ʻoe, ʻo ka hana noʻeau a hoʻoponopono ʻoe, nā kumu, nā palapala moʻolelo, nā hui Hawaiʻi a me nā hoa kaiaulu me ka manaʻo e hoʻomanaʻo, hoʻomau, a hoʻolaulaha i nā hana noʻeau a ʻoi kelakela a ka lāhui aloha.

ʻO ka hāpai aʻe i ke akamai a me ka noʻeau o ka Hawaiʻi ka pahuhopu nui o kēlā me kēia hanana i mālama ʻia ihola.

ʻAʻole nō i like nō a like ka papahana akā ma o ka hula, ka hīmeni, ka haʻi moʻolelo, ka hōʻikeʻike, a me ka noho pānela paha i hoʻoulu a kahukahu ʻia ai ka ʻike ma waena o ka poʻe o ka wā i hala a me ka poʻe o ke ao kanaka nei. Ua hōʻoia ʻia ka manaʻo o Liholiho Kamehameha II ma kona puana ʻana aʻe i nā lālani kaulana no ke akamai a ka Hawaiʻi: He hoʻomau hoʻoilina ola kā kākou e hoʻokō ai.

He lāhui naʻauao, aloha ʻāina, hakuhia, a hana pūpūkahi kākou. He poʻe lanakila ma ka pae ʻoi kelakela mai ka wā kahiko a hiki i kēia e kū nei akā pono kākou e kūlia mau i ka nuʻu a hoʻoulu i ia ʻano kuanaʻike ma waena o ka hanauna hou.

ʻO ka hoʻoilina aloha a Mary Kawena Pukui ka ʻīkoi o kēia hana. Nāna nō i ʻohi, palapala, a aʻo aku i ka ʻike o ko kākou mau kūpuna – ʻo ka ʻōlelo ʻoe, ʻo nā moʻolelo ʻoe, a ʻo ka hana kuʻuna ʻoe – i ō mau kēia ʻike no nā hanauna e hiki mai ana. Wahi a Pukui: “ʻO ka ʻike, aia ma laila ke ola.”

Ma loko o kāna puke ʻōlelo noʻeau, ua palapala ʻia: “E kanu meaʻai o nānā keiki i kā haʻi,” ʻo ia hoʻi, na kākou e hōʻike aku a hoʻoulu i ka mauli ola Hawaiʻi ma loko o kā kākou mau keiki i ʻole nalowale, i ʻole e puni wale aku nā ʻōpio i ka ʻike o nā lāhui ʻē.

Ua makemake ke kōmike hoʻolālā i ka pukaʻina e hoʻonoʻonoʻo i ke anaina a paipai i ka hoʻoulu i ka “ʻai maikaʻi” no ko kākou lāhui aloha. E like me kā Pukui, he aha kā kākou e hana nei no ka pono o ka lāhui o kēia mua aku?

ʻO ke alu like o nā kānaka he nui ma luna o ka pahuhopu hoʻokahi kekahi hua nani i ʻike ʻia; ka hana a ke kupuna me ka moʻopuna, ka hana pū o nā hui ʻokoʻa kekahi me kekahi. Ua pūpūkahi nā limahana o ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Pīhopa, nā ʻelele o ka Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, a me nā kānaka i haʻiʻōlelo a hōʻike paha me ke aloha. A ʻoiai ua pani ʻia kēia pukaʻina, ʻaʻole e pau ke alu like ʻana ma waena o kākou i mea e hoʻoholomua ai i ka lāhui Hawaiʻi.

He wahi leo mahalo kēia i nā lima a pau i komo ma ka hoʻokō i kēia pukaʻina ʻo “Nānā I Ke Kumu” – nā haʻi ʻōlelo, nā puʻukani, nā ʻōlapa, nā kanaka noiʻi, nā lālā o ke kōmike hoʻolālā, nā kōkua manawaleʻa, ke anaina nānā, a me nā mamo a Pukui. E hoʻolele ʻia ana nā pukana ma ʻŌiwi TV i kēia makahiki 2026 a ke hoʻolālā ʻia nei kekahi mau hoʻonui ʻike hou aku.

E ola mau ka inoa o nā kūpuna!

The post Nānā i ke Kumu: He Hoʻoilina Hawaiʻi appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.