He Aupuni Palapala | Native Hawaiian Higher Education Archives - Ka Wai Ola https://kawaiola.news/category/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/ News for the Lāhui Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:43:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://kawaiola.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cropped-K-Logo-2-32x32.png He Aupuni Palapala | Native Hawaiian Higher Education Archives - Ka Wai Ola https://kawaiola.news/category/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/ 32 32 Kauluhāweo: Wraparound Services for Haumāna https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/kauluhaweo-wraparound-services-for-haumana/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:00:37 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=25302 “One Hawaiian at a time” is a phrase Uncle Walter Kahumoku has used to describe the kuleana he holds in supporting Kānaka Maoli in accomplishing their goals.

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Photo: Welaahilani Wahilani

By S. Welaahilani Wāhilani

“One Hawaiian at a time” is a phrase Uncle Walter Kahumoku has used to describe the kuleana he holds in supporting Kānaka Maoli in accomplishing their goals.

At UH West Oʻahu, we apply that kuleana by endeavoring to bridge the gap between education and the community. With a collective vision to uplift the West Oʻahu region, nine individuals came together to create Kauluhāweo, a grassroots effort to deliver wraparound support services to students and their ʻohana.

We shed light on the importance of modeling Kānaka Maoli values within Western higher education institutions.

“Nā wai hoʻi ka ʻole o ke akamai, he alanui i maʻa i ka hele ʻia e oʻu mau mākua” are words spoken by King Kamehameha II that described the intelligence and excellence of Kānaka Maoli.

To model this type of excellence and intelligence, we employ Hawaiian epistemologies in our work to activate one another and our students to become extraordinary individuals. The use of the ʻohana structure, specifically the kaikuaʻana-kaikaina (older-younger sibling) model, enable us to shift how we practiced mentorship within our unit.

With this epistemological approach, my colleagues and I can model behaviors for our students that make them feel safe, seen, heard, and, most importantly, valued.

Since its founding in 2023, Kauluhāweo has continued to grow alongside the community it serves. What began as a collective of nine individuals has expanded to 11 staff and faculty members, six of whom hold master’s degrees and two with doctoral degrees.

Photo: We Go West Participants
Participants in the 2nd annual “We Go West: Seniors, Let’s Go Kākou.” – Photo: Rouel Velasco

While these academic achievements reflect professional preparation and expertise, they also represent something much deeper: a commitment to education as a pathway to serve, uplift, and give back to our lāhui and communities.

Many of us come from the West Oʻahu communities we now serve, and our educational journeys are not viewed solely as personal accomplishments, but as responsibilities carried on behalf of our ʻohana and poʻe.

By modeling this commitment to higher education, we intentionally demonstrate to our students that academic success and cultural identity are not separate pursuits. Instead, they exist in relationship with one another. Through mentorship, guidance, and daily interactions, we encourage students to see their own educational pathways as opportunities to become future leaders, advocates, educators, and caregivers within their communities.

In many ways, this reflects the kuleana of the kaikuaʻana within the kaikuaʻana-kaikaina relationship: to guide, protect, and provide for the younger sibling.

At Kauluhāweo, mentorship extends beyond academic advising or institutional support. It is rooted in pilina, reciprocity, and collective responsibility. We strive to model for our students what it means to uplift one another, carry ourselves with humility and excellence, and return our knowledge and experiences to the communities that raised us.

In doing so, we hope to cultivate future generations of Kānaka Maoli who not only pursue higher education but also understand the importance of using their education to serve others.


For more information about the Kauluhāweo program, email nhssp@hawaii.edu

S. Welaahilani Wāhilani is the director of Hui Kīpaipai: Early Academic Outreach at UH West Oʻahu. He is a graduate of Ka Papahana Kaiapuni, UH West Oʻahu, and UH Mānoa, currently pursuing an EdD. His work centers on integrating Indigenous culture into academia, challenging systemic barriers, and fostering decolonial praxis that supports both student and staff success.

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New Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Planning https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/new-graduate-certificate-in-indigenous-planning/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:00:01 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=24833 A new graduate certificate in Indigenous Planning will be offered at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

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A new graduate certificate in Indigenous Planning will be offered at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. A partnership between the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the College of Social Sciences and the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies in the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, this graduate-level certificate offers students and professionals an in-depth understanding of Indigenous Peoples, processes, and practices to enrich urban and regional planning.

Through planning and several consultations over the past 2 years, Dr. Priyam Das, a professor in Urban and Regional Planning, and Dr. Konia Freitas, a specialist in Hawaiian Studies, developed a program that will prepare students to engage respectfully with Indigenous worldviews, knowledge systems, and methodologies; to apply Indigenous and Hawaiian-informed approaches to land use, sustainability, housing, and community development; and to center planning practices around core values such as pilina, kuleana, and aloha, with a focus on ethics, equity, and inclusion.

Students and professional planners will be equipped with culturally grounded tools to navigate complex land-use, social, and environmental challenges. This certificate requires the completion of six courses: one required course in the foundations of Indigenous planning; one capstone course on an individual project of analysis, plan preparation, policy, and program evaluation; and selection of four elective courses from planning, Hawaiian Studies, geography, law, natural resource management, political science, or Pacific Island Studies.

This new graduate certificate is the latest collaboration between the Urban and Regional Planning and Hawaiian Studies departments, which began in 2017, when both departments signed a memorandum of agreement allowing urban and regional planning graduate students to enroll in designated Hawaiian Studies courses with prerequisites waived.

Then, in Fall 2022, a bachelor’s-to-master’s degree pathway (BAM) was established. Students can pursue a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies through a master’s degree in urban and regional planning within a shorter timeframe of 5 years by double-counting up to three courses at the undergraduate tuition rate. Students are able to save money and time to enter the workforce.

These programs will help build capacity in the planning workforce in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific that centers Indigenous values, concepts, and methodologies in the field of planning.

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Merrie Monarch Returns to Hilo https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/merrie-monarch-returns-to-hilo/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:00:21 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23950 Each spring, the Merrie Monarch Festival returns to Hilo, where the celebration has become inseparable from the identity of the town itself.

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Each spring, the Merrie Monarch Festival returns to Hilo, where the celebration has become inseparable from the identity of the town itself. Often described as the “Olympics of hula,” Merrie Monarch is synonymous with Hilo, just as Hilo is synonymous with the Merrie Monarch Festival.

For decades, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has stood alongside the community in supporting the festival and uplifting the cultural traditions that Merrie Monarch helps to perpetuate. As the home campus of poʻe hula, UH Hilo continues to play an important role in honoring and engaging with the festival each year.

The roots of this relationship stretch back to the earliest days of Merrie Monarch. The festival began in 1964 following the devastating 1960 tsunami that reshaped Hilo. Community leaders envisioned a celebration that would restore pride in the town, revitalize the local economy, and bring people together. What began as a lively community festival eventually evolved into the internationally respected hula competition known around the world today.

When the festival nearly dissolved in the late 1960s, Aunty Dottie Thompson stepped forward with a powerful vision inspired by the cultural renaissance of King David Kalākaua.

With guidance from respected hula masters such as ʻIolani Luahine and Edith Kanakaʻole, the festival shifted toward a deeper commitment to traditional hula. The first hula competition debuted in 1971 with nine hālau and the first Miss Hula, now known as Miss Aloha Hula.

Last November, members of the Hilo community had the opportunity to hear more about the festival’s history and evolution during UH Hilo’s Kuleana & Community Talk Story series, a weekly campus gathering that invites community stewards to share the kuleana they carry in their professional and personal lives.

Festival President Luana Kawelu and Festival Vice President Kathy Kawelu (Associate Professor of Anthropology at UH Hilo) reflected on their family’s longstanding stewardship of the Merrie Monarch Festival and the deep connection between the festival and the Hilo community that sustains it.

UH Hilo’s connection to Merrie Monarch continues through educational programs, student involvement, and community partnerships. This spring semester, UH Hilo students are exploring the legacy of King Kalākaua through a special topics course examining the monarch whose cultural vision helped inspire the festival itself.

Photo: Pelehonuamea Harman, Kimo Alama Keaulana, and Dr. Kekoa Harman
Pelehonuamea Harman, Kimo Alama Keaulana, and Dr. Kekoa Harman after their presentation about the hula tradition of Kumu Joseph Ilālā‘ole at the Kahikuonālani Series last year. – Photo Courtesy of UH Hilo ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center

During Merrie Monarch week, the university will host presentations and cultural gatherings that invite students and the broader community to deepen their understanding of hula, mele, and Hawaiian cultural revitalization.

Many of these events will take place at the university’s ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, including a panel titled “Cultural Renaissance in Motion: Merrie Monarch’s Enduring Influence on ʻŌlelo, Mele, and Hula.” UH Hilo professors Dr. Kalena Silva, Dr. Larry Kimura, and Dr. Kekoa Harman will reflect on the festival’s role in strengthening key pillars of Hawaiian cultural resurgence.

Across campus, Merrie Monarch week is also marked by cultural performances and student engagement. Visiting hālau share special presentations, international students offer cultural performances celebrating their own traditions, and UH Hilo student-athletes volunteer during the festival by helping to operate concession stands that serve thousands of attendees. These campus events, branded Kahikuonālani in honor of King David Laʻamea Kalākaua, exhibit UH Hilo’s ongoing commitment to connecting learning, community, and aloha.

In Hilo, the Merrie Monarch Festival is not simply an event. It is a reminder that culture lives through the people who carry it forward.

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“E Ao i ka Naauao, a Malama hoi i ka Pono” – Kauikeaouli, 1824 https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/e-ao-i-ka-naauao-a-malama-hoi-i-ka-pono-kauikeaouli-1824/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:00:12 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23616 The growth of the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program from its inception to now is a sign that more of our people in Hawaiʻi are turning to the language, culture, and history of our land and the education that is meant to embody it and facilitate the transmission of this knowledge to our children.

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Photo Kahea Faria

By Kahea Faria

The growth of the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program from its inception to now is a sign that more of our people in Hawaii are turning to the language, culture, and history of our land and the education that is meant to embody it and facilitate the transmission of this knowledge to our children. For most families, this is the primary means of accessing this knowledge, and as such, it represents a public necessity, not a discretionary option.

While this growth has been encouraging, it has also revealed gaps in the structural foundation of the program. Most Hawaiian language immersion programs remain housed within predominantly English-medium schools, with a few stand-alone K–12 programs statewide and even fewer P–12 programs.

These environments are essential, as they create at least one sustained domain in which Hawaiian can function as the sole language of instruction. This model is not intended to produce monolingual speakers, but rather to strengthen pathways toward genuine bilingualism. Consequently, parents within Hawaiian Language Immersion Programs are increasingly advocating for the establishment of P–12 programs in each school district.

Photo: Haumāna representing Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Pūʻōhala (PreK-12) perform at ʻOla Ka ʻĪ at Windward Mall in Kāneʻohe
Haumana representing Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Puohala (PreK-12) perform at Ola Ka I at Windward Mall in Kaneohe. – Photo: Pomai Paaoao

Another area of pressing concern is the availability of qualified teachers. For many prospective educators, this pathway involves additional barriers not typically encountered in English medium education – most notably the need to attain a high level of proficiency in Hawaiian.

Recent efforts to expand access to advanced Hawaiian language instruction – such as online coursework offered through UHMC – along with financial support for teacher candidates from sources such as Kamehameha Schools’ Hookawowo Scholarship, the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the State of Hawaii’s Grow Our Own (GOO) Teachers, have helped to address these challenges.

Despite these efforts, the sustained growth of the program depends on continued investment in teacher preparation. For those who are interested, as well as those who are seeking a meaningful way to support our community through Hawaiian language, history, and culture, please contact either of the Hawaiian Language Immersion teacher preparation programs at the University of Hawaii – Hilo or at the University of Hawaii – Manoa.

Finally, the rapid growth of the Hawaiian language immersion program should be addressed in the same manner as those of any thriving public school setting – by being adequately resourced and supported in its expansion, rather than constrained by regulatory frameworks that inhibit development.

The state should take a proactive role in planning for a future that includes P-12 Hawaiian Language Immersion Program schools in every district statewide. Anything less constitutes a disservice to the community and stands in opposition to the program’s purpose and intent to revitalize Hawaiian language, culture and history in Hawaii.

Ke ao ia nei ka naauao, auhea mai nei la hoi ke kahua o ka pono?


Kahea Faria is an assistant specialist in the College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa whose research focuses on the utilization of historical Hawaiian language literature to develop language proficiency, design curriculum, and inform teacher practice.

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He Aloha ʻŌlelo e ʻĪ Mai Ana https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/he-aloha-olelo-e-i-mai-ana/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:00:51 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23231 I kēlā me kēia mahina ʻo Pepeluali, ka mahina ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, mālama ʻia nā hanana e hoʻokuluma ai i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma o ka hoʻolauleʻa a hoʻonaʻauao ʻana i ke kaiāulu.

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Read this article in English

Photo:Pililuaikekaiohilo Keala, Ed.D.

Na Pililuaikekaiohilo Keala, Ed.D.

I kēlā me kēia mahina ʻo Pepeluali, ka mahina ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, mālama ʻia nā hanana e hoʻokuluma ai i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma o ka hoʻolauleʻa a hoʻonaʻauao ʻana i ke kaiāulu.

He wā paʻahana maoli nō kēia no nā kula kaiapuni, nā papahana hoʻonaʻauao ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, a me kekahi wahine kūpaʻa mau i ka hoʻoulu ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ʻana, ʻo Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier.

Mai nā ʻaha Lā Kūkahekahe, i nā ʻaha mele Hoʻomau, i ka papahana kīwī ʻo Kulāiwi, ā i nā hanana Ola Ka ʻĪ o kēia mau lā, aia nō ʻo ʻAnakē Ekela e ʻauamo ana i ke kuleana nui o ka hoʻōla ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me ka hōʻike ʻana i ke aloha i loko o ia ʻōlelo hiwahiwa nei.

Photo: Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier with her keiki
Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier with her keiki (l-r) Kaleialoha, Keonilei and Kuanoni at Ola Ka ʻĪ Honolulu last year. The ʻohana is actively involved in Ola Ka ʻĪ events across the paeʻāina. – Courtesy Photo

He wahi leo mahalo a hoʻohanohano kēia iā ʻoe, e ʻAnakē Ekela, no ka nui o nā makahiki o kou aʻo, paipai, a hoʻoulu ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

ʻO ka pahuhopu o Ola Ka ʻĪ ka hoʻokuluma ʻana i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma o nā pāʻani, nā mele, nā hanana aʻo ʻōlelo, a me nā hoʻokūkū haʻiʻōlelo no nā haumāna kula haʻahaʻa a i ke kula kiʻekiʻe.

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He Aloha ʻŌlelo e ʻĪ Mai Ana (English) https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/he-aloha-olelo-e-i-mai-ana-english/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:00:43 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=23233 Every February, Hawaiian language month, there are a multitude of events put on to normalize the use of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through celebration and education across communities.

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Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

Photo:Pililuaikekaiohilo Keala, Ed.D.

By Pililuaikekaiohilo Keala, Ed.D.

Every February, Hawaiian language month, there are a multitude of events put on to normalize the use of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through celebration and education across communities.

This is indeed a busy time for many Hawaiian immersion schools, organizations that provide Hawaiian language education, and one woman who has remained steadfast in her purpose to strengthen and grow ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier.

From the Lā Kūkahekahe events, to the Hoʻomau concerts, to the TV program Kulāiwi, to the Ola ka ʻĪ events of today, Aunty Ekela is there, continuing efforts to revitalize the use of the Hawaiian language while showing the aloha that is present in our esteemed language.

Photo: Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier with her keiki
Ekela Kaniaupio-Crozier with her keiki (l-r) Kaleialoha, Keonilei and Kuanoni at Ola Ka ʻĪ Honolulu last year. The ʻohana is actively involved in Ola Ka ʻĪ events across the paeʻāina. – Courtesy Photo

This is but a humble voice of gratitude and honor for you, Aunty Ekela, for all of the years of dedication to the education, encouragement, and the overall increase of Hawaiian language.

Ola Ka ʻĪ aims to normalize the use of Hawaiian language through games, songs, educational activities, and speech competitions for students from elementary through high school.


Pililuaikekaiohilo Keala, Ed.D., is an assistant professor at the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

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Honors, Awards and Accolades https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/honors-awards-and-accolades/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:00:13 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=22908 As we begin this new year, let us take a moment to reflect on 2025. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the University of Hawaiʻi awarded 2,086 degrees and certificates to Native Hawaiians.

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As we begin this new year, let us take a moment to reflect on 2025. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the University of Hawaiʻi awarded 2,086 degrees and certificates to Native Hawaiians. As of Fall 2025, there are 12,618 Native Hawaiians enrolled.

There are so many accomplishments by students, faculty, staff, and administrators, to programs, community outreach, and engagement to highlight. Here are a few:

  • Hear personal testimonies on YouTube from Native Hawaiian community college students fulfilling their kuleana: Cathryn Krueger, Hawaiʻi CC; Kamananui Anderson, Honolulu CC; Melanie Camat, Kapiʻolani CC; Hiʻilani Cremer, Kauaʻi CC; Stevie Puna, Leeward CC; ʻAleʻa Kimokeo, UH Maui College; Kauakaweli Haili-Nakamoto, Windward CC.
  • UH Hilo honored Mary Kawena Pukui with a panel that coincided with Women’s History Month and her posthumous selection as a 2025 honoree for the U.S. Mint’s Native American $1 coin.
  • The Hawaiian collection at the UH Hilo Edwin H. Moʻokini Library was named the Edith Kanakaʻole Hawaiian Collection.
  • UH West Oʻahu hosted a two-day ʻAha Hoʻoponopono with 300 haku hoʻoponopono, social sector professionals, aloha ʻāina practitioners, and community members.
  • UH Mānoa’s Hawaiian Theatre program celebrated its 10th anniversary with its latest Hawaiian language production Puana, and an invitation to perform at the Kia Mau international Indigenous-led performing arts festival in Aotearoa.
  • Windward CC extended its Hawaiian studies program to paʻahao incarcerated at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona, with 25 students enrolled in their first course.
  • Haʻina Ko Wehi: Celebrating West Maui in Mele a project by students from UH Maui College’s Institute of Hawaiian Music was named Compilation Album of the Year at the 2025 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards.
  • Honolulu Community College hosted a two-day Indigenous education symposium ʻAha Kūkalahale 2025, uplifting Hawaiian knowledge funded by the Kūkalahale Title III Grant and in partnership with Kanaeokana and Pacific Rim Concepts.
  • UH Mānoa Native Hawaiian Student Services’ Hawaiian Youths Abroad program Japan took a cohort of 13 students and 6 faculty/staff to explore Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, while retracing connections between the Hawaiian Kingdom and Japan.
  • Kuiokalani L. Gapero succeeded Ernie Kaʻaumoana Wilson Jr. to the UH Board of Regents for a 5-year term.
  • Winners of the Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching included: Mapuana Antonio (public health associate professor, UH Mānoa); Ashlee Kalauli (math instructor, Hawaiʻi CC); Tracie Kuʻuipo Losch (Hawaiian studies professor, Leeward CC); Mehana Kaʻiama Makaʻinaʻi (Hawaiian studies instructor, UH Mānoa); Peter Kalawaiʻa Moore (Hawaiian studies professor, Windward CC); and Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio (political science associate professor, UH Mānoa).
  • Kenny Kaʻaiakamanu-Quibilan received the UH Mānoa Pākela Award for being an outstanding academic advisor.
  • Shayla Spotkaeff, a business management major and undergraduate research assistant at the Center for Oral History received the UH Mānoa Student Employee of the Year Award.
  • Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law at UH Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law celebrated 20 years.

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Reclaiming Resilience: The future of Native Hawaiians in STEMM https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/reclaiming-resilience-the-future-of-native-hawaiians-in-stemm/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:00:27 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=22647 With deep federal budget cuts looming, many Native Hawaiian education programs at the University of Hawaiʻi are at risk of losing critical funding.

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Photo: Kelsey Hosoda

By Kelsea Kanohokuahiwi Hosoda, Ph.D.

With deep federal budget cuts looming, many Native Hawaiian education programs at the University of Hawaiʻi are at risk of losing critical funding. These programs have never been just academic initiatives – they are lifelines.

As someone who walked the halls of UH as a student, and now as a faculty member, I can personally attest to the transformative power of these programs. They were the foundation that held me through some of the most grueling years of my academic journey, earning a bachelor’s in biology, a master’s in molecular biosciences and bioengineering, and a Ph.D. in communication and information sciences.

The coursework was hard: physics, calculus, and organic chemistry challenged me. What got me through wasn’t just determination, it was community. It was the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program which provided tutors, peer mentors, and a support network that helped me succeed. At the time, that program was funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Today, those kinds of programs face an uncertain future.

Now, as an assistant professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and the director of the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence, I’m on the other side of the system, trying to secure funding to support the next generation of Native Hawaiian scholars pursuing careers in medicine and research.

And let me tell you: the funding landscape is tough. We’re navigating a time of financial scarcity, yes, but also one of rising disillusionment. Many students and families are questioning the value of higher education. Rightfully so. A college degree no longer guarantees a stable job or livable income, and the weight of educational debt feels unbearable for many.

This is exactly why we must invest in Native Hawaiian participation in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) at UH. The path forward lies not in abandoning STEMM, but in reclaiming it as a tool for lāhui advancement.

STEMM is still one of the most powerful tools we have, not just for upward mobility, but for sovereignty, resilience, and cultural perpetuation. Especially with the rise of generative AI and rapid technological change, we need more Native Hawaiians who can lead in these spaces – not just participate in them.

Our ancestors already did this. They were keen observers, data collectors, and innovators. Whether it was navigating using the stars, cultivating diverse food systems, or healing through ancestral knowledge they practiced science grounded in purpose and place. That legacy is in us. We must awaken it.

STEMM is not just about labs and equations. It’s about ensuring that our people can analyze, adapt, and act in the face of any challenge. It’s about building capacity for our lāhui through Native Hawaiian leadership in science, technology, and medicine. It’s about perpetuating ʻike kūpuna in the modern world while training future doctors, engineers, policy-makers, and scientists who will serve our communities first.

If we lose these programs, we lose more than funding. We lose access and innovation.

But if we fight for them – and if we cultivate Native Hawaiian brilliance in STEMM at UH – we won’t just weather the storm. We will lead the way forward.

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New Federal Cuts Impact UH Students https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/new-federal-cuts-impact-uh-students/ Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:00:00 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=22037 On Sept. 10, 2025, the United States Department of Education (USDOE) announced that it will end discretionary funding to several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI).

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On Sept. 10, 2025, the United States Department of Education (USDOE) announced that it will end discretionary funding to several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI).

MSIs are U.S. colleges or universities that enroll a significant percentage of minority and low-income students or were created with the explicit purpose of serving such populations. MSIs provide access to higher education for students historically underrepresented in colleges and receive federal funding under the Higher Education Act (HEA) to support these students.

Some of these MSIs are known as Hispanic Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH).

Each University of Hawaiʻi (UH) campus has received federal government funding, known as Title III funds, because they qualify as AANAPIS and/or ANNH institutions. Title III is a federal program for eligible institutions of higher education to become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability.

Over the decades, these funds have been used to increase recruitment, retention, outreach, and graduation rates of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino students through various student support programs, campus collaborations, professional development for students, faculty and staff, as well as equipment and capital improvement plans for buildings and space to support these activities.

A 2014 evaluation report on the effectiveness of Title III funded programs across the UH system describes the impact of the funding:

“…survey respondents who interacted in Title III programming, attended Title III events, or made use of Title III resources reported significantly higher levels of sense of belonging and identity formation than other respondents. A common theme among both students and staff/faculty concerned the nurturing environment Title III programming and resources created on campuses throughout the system” (pp. 1-2).

Every campus in the UH system has received Title III funding and has thus been able to produce such positive results.

For example, over the past 25 years, Honolulu Community College (HCC) has used $20 million in Title III funding to launch over a dozen new programs and initiatives. These projects are now a permanent part of the college, benefiting students for years to come. While each campus has received millions of Title III dollars, not all initiatives have yet become a permanent part of the campus. Therefore, concern is high about how those projects will continue given the announcement that funding will be eliminated.

It is concerning that the USDOE is viewing MSIs and the Title III dollars as discriminatory when in fact, in our Hawaiʻi context, they have been used to uplift and support not only Native Hawaiian, Pacific Island, and Filipino students, but all students who attend the 10 UH campuses.

UH leadership has committed to contingency planning to continue to support this important work. But the loss of millions of dollars will undoubtedly be difficult to replace. As one UH staff member said, “When the kāhea goes out, we will need support. Until then, e makaʻala kākou.”

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Ea in the Stacks: Indigenizing Library Spaces at Hale Laʻakea https://kawaiola.news/columns/he-aupuni-palapala/ea-in-the-stacks-indigenizing-library-spaces-at-hale-la%ca%bbakea/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:00:56 +0000 https://kawaiola.news/?p=21733 Academic libraries have long reflected Western models of knowledge and order through their values, systems, and structures.

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By Cindy Texeira, ’Aulani Wagner and Kainani Wagner

Academic libraries have long reflected Western models of knowledge and order through their values, systems, and structures. They can be sterile and intimidating places, especially for those whose histories and voices have been marginalized.

At Hale Laʻakea library at Windward Community College (WCC) in Ahupuaʻa Kāneʻohe, our goal is to create a space where Native Hawaiian students feel a sense of belonging – a place rooted in aloha ʻāina, ʻike kūpuna, and ea (sovereignty).

Decolonizing the library means acknowledging and undoing the colonial structures embedded in how we organize information, provide services, and occupy space. It is an ongoing process that requires us to question what voices are prioritized, who feels welcome in our spaces, and what cultural values are reflected or erased.

This fall, Hale Laʻakea will host a series of powerful activations (interactive exhibits) from Kanaeokana that invite patrons to connect, reflect, and engage in spaces of ea.

The first, “Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea,” is a digital journey through primary texts, visuals and audio centered on Kamehameha III and his vision of an independent lāhui. It highlights true historical accounts of his leadership and includes perspectives from both Kānaka and non-kanaka allies.

Next, “Ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele,” explores Lahaina’s sacred history and cultural resilience. Learners will journey through moʻolelo and mele rooted in the legacy of Kihawahine, the shade of the ʻulu groves, and the call to restore wai and ea to Lele.

The final activation, “Luka Keʻelikōlani,” invites visitors into the world of Princess Ruth Keanolani Kanāhoahoa Keʻelikōlani, also known as Luka or Ruta, an aliʻi wahine who embodied unwavering commitment to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, tradition, and her people.

Though she was trained in Western ways, she chose to speak only Hawaiian as an act of resistance and required those around her to do the same. This activation mirrors her firm stance. All content is presented in Hawaiian, with English translations available by QR code. The space invites us to ask, “He aha ka hana a Ruta? What would Ruth do?”

From August through November, these activations will rotate between the WCC, Honolulu Community College, and Kapiʻolani Community College libraries, allowing the broader community to engage in meaningful moments of learning and intention-setting. Contact each library for more information about dates/times.

Hale Laʻakea continues to evolve. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi was added to print and digital signage, art pieces throughout the library reflect Native Hawaiian voices, service-learning opportunities are offered through archival translation work and cultural exhibit development, and we hosted a Keiki Reading Day, welcoming ʻohana from our community to listen to moʻolelo from kūpuna and other Native Hawaiian storytellers.

WCC students can borrow cultural resources, including ʻukulele, ʻohe kāpala (kapa- making stamps), and traditional games like kōnane and hū. We are also in the planning stages of a lumi ʻohana, a space for parents and their keiki to read, study, and play together in a culturally grounded environment.


Cindy Texeira is the Hawaiʻi specialist librarian at Windward Community College. Her daughters, Kainani and ʻAulani Wagner, are following in her footsteps as students in the Library & Information Science program at UH Mānoa. ʻAulani works in the Hawaiian Collection at UHM Hamilton Library and Kainani works at Hale Laʻakea (the WCC Library). Both are passionate about Hawaiian librarianship and aspire to work with Hawaiian and Pacific collections after graduation.

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