A master of hula and Hawaiian music whose influence spans generations, Robert Uluwehion膩puaikaw膿kiuokalani Cazimero will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Hawaiʻi.

The Board of Regents approved the honor at its April 16 meeting at , following a request from Chancellor Carlos Pe帽aloza. The degree will be formally conferred during Leeward CC鈥檚 fall convocation.

“I never really thought about this before, and to have it happen in such a truly beautiful, humbling—and even overwhelming—way, I鈥檓 grateful,” said Cazimero. “I鈥檓 really happy to be here.”

东精影业 ties and cultural impact

Cazimero is widely recognized for his leadership of H膩lau N膩 Kamalei o L墨l墨lehua and his influence on generations of haum膩na (students), as well as his celebrated career in Hawaiian music. His work has helped strengthen the continuity and global reach of Hawaiian cultural traditions.

Throughout his career, he has been a steadfast partner to 东精影业, supporting its mission to nurture knowledge, improve cultural identity and inspire future generations. Across 东精影业鈥檚 10 campuses, he has shared his time and expertise through guest lectures, workshops, performances and mentorship rooted in a deep sense of kuleana (responsibility).

“His engagement with our campus community has provided students, faculty and staff with meaningful opportunities to learn directly from a master practitioner whose work bridges ancestral knowledge and contemporary expression,” said Keala Chock, a former student and Leeward CC vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Related story: Legendary musician Robert Cazimero opens exhibit with Windward CC students, January 2026

Cazimero鈥檚 engagement at Leeward CC reflects an enduring partnership in cultural learning and mentorship, helping to deepen students鈥� experiences with ʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian knowledge). He is also the featured artist in Ke Kilo Lani, an exhibition presented by Windward CC that highlights his life, legacy and contributions through immersive cultural storytelling.

During the meeting, Regent Neil Abercrombie shared an emotional memory of seeing Cazimero perform for the first time at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 Andrews Amphitheatre in the 1970s. Regent Diane Paloma also noted that she was among his students, reflecting his lasting impact as an educator and mentor.

The honorary doctorate recognizes individuals of national or international distinction whose contributions have had a significant impact in areas such as business, public service or scholarship.

For Lauro Delos-Santos Jr., graduating from Honolulu Community College in 2026 with an associate of arts degree in Hawaiian Studies is more than just an achievement—it鈥檚 a life-changing triumph he never imagined.

Before enrolling at Honolulu CC, Delos-Santos and his wife were living at the Keahou Emergency Homeless Shelter. In September of 2020, a team from Honolulu CC鈥檚 Hawaiian Center visited the shelter to teach Hawaiian studies. For 12 weeks, Delos-Santos engaged in Hawaiian history, mythology, navigation, biology, politics, hula and even taro growing. By the end of the program, he was invited to consider returning to school—with financial aid support.

‘You can do it’

Despite initial hesitation—Delos-Santos had been recently released from prison, was on probation, and had a history as a convicted felon—Niuhelewai Program Specialist Kapulani Tuifanu and Native Hawaiian Counselor Kahale Saito persisted. They kept telling him, “You can do it.” They guided him through financial aid applications, course selection and introduced him to computers—something Delos-Santos had never used before.

With financial aid and careful planning, Delos-Santos was able to save money, obtain a driver鈥檚 license, buy a car, secure an apartment, and obtain a GED. He got his identifications in order, registered to vote, and maintained sobriety—milestones he once thought impossible.

“Ever since I came to Honolulu CC, nothing but good things have happened,” he said. “Angelic forces definitely were involved here. I鈥檓 so grateful.”

Six months after Delos-Santos started at Honolulu CC, he was given early release from probation, and his felony convictions were exonerated due to good behavior.

Hawaiian Studies helped Delos-Santos find himself through learning about his Hawaiian culture—gaining confidence, engaging with the community, and exploring self-discovery and wellness. He continued to see his substance abuse counselor, whom he credits as one of the influential factors in his recovery.

Helping others

Delos-Santos鈥� commitment extends beyond academics. He serves as a peer mentor at the Hawaiian Center, seeking to aid other students. He also led the Honolulu CC Math Society as 2024 president, preparing fellow students for quizzes and exams.

“Now, I want to be the person who helps others, like how I鈥檝e been helped,” he said.

Delos-Santos credits much of his success to the supportive culture at Honolulu CC.

“Anytime you need some help with anything, you can find it here. It鈥檚 just like home,” he said. “You can always come here, and you鈥檒l be taken care of.”

Delos-Santos will attend the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 in fall 2026 to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree in human development and family studies with a focus on child and family services. His goal is to earn a master鈥檚 degree and become a licensed social worker, giving back to the community that supported him.

He has advice for current and prospective students, “If you have doubts, remember these four words: ‘You can do it!’ The support you need is here.”

—By Iris Greges

This article by Native Hawaiian Initiative Alakaʻi (Coordinator) at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 Kamakanaokealoha Aquino was first published in .

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 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, 东精影业 Maui College; Kauakaweli Haili-Nakamoto, Windward CC.
• 东精影业 Hilo honored Mary Kawena Pukui with a panel that coincided with Women鈥檚 History Month and her posthumous selection as a 2025 honoree for the U.S. Mint鈥檚 Native American $1 coin.
• The Hawaiian collection at the 东精影业 Hilo Edwin H. Moʻokini Library was named the Edith Kanakaʻole Hawaiian Collection.
• 东精影业 West Oʻahu hosted a two-day ʻAha Hoʻoponopono with 300 haku hoʻoponopono, social sector professionals, aloha ʻ腻颈苍补 practitioners, and community members.
• 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 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 东精影业 Maui College鈥檚 Institute of Hawaiian Music was named Compilation Album of the Year at the 2025 N膩 H艒k奴 Hanohano Awards.
• Honolulu Community College hosted a two-day Indigenous education symposium ʻAha K奴kalahale 2025, uplifting Hawaiian knowledge funded by the K奴kalahale Title III Grant and in partnership with Kanaeokana and Pacific Rim Concepts.
• 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 Native Hawaiian Student Services鈥� 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 东精影业 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, 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补); Ashlee Kalauli (math instructor, Hawaiʻi CC); Tracie Kuʻuipo Losch (Hawaiian studies professor, Leeward CC); Mehana Kaʻiama Makaʻinaʻi (Hawaiian studies instructor, 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补); Peter Kalawaiʻa Moore (Hawaiian studies professor, Windward CC); and Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio (political science associate professor, 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补).
• Kenny Kaʻaiakamanu-Quibilan received the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 P膩kela 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 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 Student Employee of the Year Award.
• Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 William S. Richardson School of Law celebrated 20 years.

For years, U.S. military bombs thundered across Kahoʻolawe, ripping into its red earth and poisoning its seas. For Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), the damage cut deeper. Ancestors honored the island as a physical form of Kanaloa, the god of the ocean, navigation, marine life and deep ancestral knowledge. In 2026, fifty years after a daring landing helped stop the bombing, the (PKO) is marking an anniversary that reshaped Hawaiʻi with the University of Hawaiʻi serving as a key place where many movement leaders emerged.

Davianna McGregor, 东精影业 Mānoa professor emerita, remembers when the struggle for Kahoʻolawe first arrived on campus was urgent and deeply personal.

“One day, after the first landing on Kahoʻolawe, Hawaiʻi musician George Helm and Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli showed up at my class in the George Hall auditorium and asked to speak to my students about Kahoʻolawe,” said McGregor who co-founded the university’s department. “Their powerful message resonated with my students and they were inspired to get involved in the movement to stop the bombing and military use of Kahoʻolawe.”

That moment helped ignite student activism across the 东精影业 Mānoa campus. Haumāna (students) circulated petitions in classes, set up educational tables at Campus Center, and organized rallies and concerts including one featuring the then-emerging Makaha Sons of Niʻihau and Helm.

Kahoʻolawe Nine

On January 4, 1976, Helm, Aluli and seven others had evaded a U.S. Coast Guard blockade to land at Kūheʻeia on Kahoʻolawe. Known as the Kahoʻolawe Nine, their act of bold defiance sparked the formation of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and the modern movement. Their courage led to tangible change. The bombing of Kahoʻolawe ended in 1990. In 1994, the island was returned to the State of Hawaiʻi, held in trust under state law for a future sovereign Hawaiian entity, setting a precedent for halting military destruction of Indigenous lands.

“We formed an ʻohana to protect the island and to heal her wounds,” McGregor said, “and elevate the island once again into the sacred Hawaiian cultural center that it had been under our ancestors.”

The movement came at a devastating cost. Helm and Maui native Kimo Mitchell were lost at sea while carrying out efforts to support the occupation of Kahoʻolawe. Their disappearance deeply affected many in Hawaiʻi and strengthened PKO‘s commitment to aloha ʻāina for generations.

Stewardship in action

That commitment also took root physically at at 东精影业 Mānoa, established largely by PKO members and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) practitioners. Guided by including Uncle Harry Mitchell of Keʻanae (Kimo Mitchell’s father), students learned that caring for land and caring for people are inseparable. Today, the continues to reinforce student learning in the realm of Hawaiian traditional practices of kalo (taro) farming.

That legacy also continues through ceremony and education on Kahoʻolawe. Kaliko Baker, associate professor at the 东精影业 Mānoa Center for Hawaiian Language, leads the annual ceremonies for the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, honoring Hawaiian deity Lono and maintaining the kapu of ceremony upheld to this day. Since 2014, Baker has also helped spearhead Kawaihuelani’s I Ola Kanaloa program, taking Hawaiian language students from 东精影业 Mānoa, Hilo and Maui to Kahoʻolawe each year.

“It’s important that 东精影业 students continue the pilgrimage to Kahoʻolawe and experience the kapu that has driven the movement to stop the bombing and reestablish Kānaka Maoli education and practice on island,” said Baker who first traveled to Kahoʻolawe as a student in McGregor’s ethnic studies course. “Student access to Kahoʻolawe invigorate the of each and every student who makes the journey, which in turn builds the mauli of the .”

Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa

As PKO marks its 50th anniversary, leaders are calling for Laʻa, Maʻa and Paʻa (to sanctify, sustain and solidify). The framework is both belief and action, guiding how Kahoʻolawe is protected and how future generations carry the work forward.

Half a century after the landing, the island no longer trembles with bombs. Where explosions once echoed, there are now footsteps, ceremony and learning.

—By Moanikeʻala Nabarro

A legacy of leadership in student affairs continues at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补, as interim associate vice provost Erin Kahunawaikaʻala Wright joins a distinguished line of 东精影业 leaders recognized nationally as by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Past 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 recipients include Amy Agbayani, Doris Ching, Jan Javinar, Lori Ideta and Christine Quemuel, trailblazers whose work helped pave the way for generations of educators and student advocates.

Wright, who serves as interim associate VP for and Dean of Students, was honored this year for her sustained contributions to service, teaching, leadership and mentoring. She says the recognition is not just her own, but a reflection of the collective work of the 东精影业 community toward student success, especially those leaders also recognized as Pillars of the Profession.

“It鈥檚 a kind recognition of the work I鈥檝e invested in student affairs and higher education鈥鈥檓 proud, and honestly, very surprised to get it. It鈥檚 humbling to be recognized,” Wright expressed.

A journey of discovery

A fourth-generation kamaʻ腻颈苍补 (native) of Kalihi, and a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Wright admits she was not a strong student growing up. She says her academic journey changed course when she discovered (Hawaiian language) and courses at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补.

“Once I got into n膩 mea Hawaiʻi (all things Hawaiian), I felt like, ‘Oh, I could really do well,’ because it was something that I was interested in and I felt motivated by,” she said.

That experience reshaped how she viewed the power of education, and later inspired her to make higher education more accessible for Native Hawaiians and other underrepresented students (haum膩na).

Dedicated to student success

Wright began her career at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 in 2008 as the founding director of and later served as an associate professor of in the . There, she taught courses and published on research design, research methodologies and Indigeneity in higher education. For her, the work she does at the university is deeply personal.

“The reward is knowing higher education can change lives,” she explained. “Not just for the individual, but for that student鈥檚 entire family and community.”

Two alumnae have earned the state鈥檚 highest accolades for teaching. J. Elise Hannigan was named the state鈥檚 teacher of the year, and Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo was named the state鈥檚 charter school teacher of the year. Both were recognized at a ceremony at Washington Place on September 19.

Teacher of the Year: J. Elise Hannigan

Keaaʻau High School educator J. Elise Hannigan (东精影业 Hilo, teaching certificate 鈥�13 and MEd 鈥�21) was named the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Department of Education鈥檚 (DOE) Teacher of the Year, earning top recognition amongst more than 13,000 educators statewide.

“Little-kid me would never have believed this was possible,” Hannigan said. “More than anything, it shows that with hard work—and the support of people around you—amazing things are possible.”

Hannigan has spent 13 years at Keaaʻau High, first as an English teacher and now as the freshman academy coordinator. DOE officials and colleagues said her leadership has transformed the campus experience—reviving the school鈥檚 Summer Bridge program, mentoring seniors who guide incoming students and helping Keaaʻau earn national certification as a Model Academy.

“With teaching, of course, there are good days and bad days—but there is never a time when I feel like I鈥檓 in the wrong place or doing the wrong thing,” said Hannigan, who made the switch from a career in ophthalmology.

Charter School Teacher of the Year: Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo

Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo (东精影业 Hilo, BA Hawaiian studies 鈥�97 and teaching certificate from the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program 鈥�99) was honored as the 2026 Hawaiʻi Charter School Teacher of the Year. Domingo has worked at Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau LPCS for the past 25 years. She said the school鈥檚 nuʻukia or vision—“E mālama ʻia ana ka mauli ola o kākou mai k膿l膩 hanauna a i kēia hanauna (Our spirit of being is nurtured from generation to generation)”—guides her teaching practice.

Each day begins with kilo (careful observation of the natural world) as students count lehua blossoms or feed the school鈥檚 goats—a practice she says helps her kindergarteners recognize their own development.

“I would like my students to love learning—in school, with their families, everywhere,” said Domingo.

东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 lasting impact

Both Hannigan and Domingo credit 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 unique combination of offering a world-class education with personal connections that provide ongoing support for their success.

“All the beautiful relationships I made at 东精影业 Hilo have continued throughout my career wherever I have gone,” described Domingo.

Hannigan agreed, saying the strong foundation she built at 东精影业 Hilo has empowered her to serve her school and community.

“One of the things that I love about 东精影业 is that the connections last forever. We still talk, we still check in with each other, we have each other’s resources available to our students,” said Hannigan. “I’m really appreciative of that.”

Hannigan will represent Hawaiʻi in the National Teacher of the Year program in Washington, D.C., next spring.

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Powerful ea (sovereignty, life, breath) activations (interactive exhibits) honoring Hawaiian history, resilience and culture are transforming the libraries at Honolulu, Kapiʻolani and Windward Community Colleges this fall.

“The word ‘activations’ is deliberate, chosen as a call to activate鈥攖o activate ea, ʻike (knowledge), ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, community, consciousness, each other,” said Erica T. Dias, Kapiʻolani CC Hawaiʻi-Pacific resources librarian. “Rather than viewing as static displays, the ea activations are designed to stir reflection, dialogue and engagement.”

Cindy Texeira, Hawaiʻi specialist librarian at Windward CC, added, “By sharing these activations in our libraries, we hope to bring ʻŌiwi voices to the forefront while deepening the sense of place that guides our work.”

The series features three major works that rotate through the campuses:

Luka Keʻelikōlani

Honors Princess Ruth Keanolani Kan膩hoahoa Keʻelikōlani, who embodied unwavering commitment to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), tradition, and her people.

• Honolulu CC: September 15–October 10
• Windward CC: October 13–November 6

尝腻 Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Hawaiian Restoration Day)

A journey centered on Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, and his vision of an independent l膩hui (nation).

• Kapiʻolani CC: September 15–October 10
• Honolulu CC: October 13–November 6

Ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele

Explores Lahaina鈥檚 sacred history and cultural resilience.

• Windward CC: September 15–October 10
• Kapiʻolani CC: October 13–November 6

A ‘call to action’

“This is more than just a display with the powerful moʻolelo (stories) and imagery, it hit me as a call to action,” said Honolulu CC student Hanalei Chai. “Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani stood firm for our identity, and her courage awakened me to do the same.”

Manuwai Peters, facilitator of Kanaeokana, a network of more than 170 schools and organizations dedicated to excellence in Hawaiian education, said, “We echo our excitement with this new usage of the activations at our community college libraries.”

Windward CC Cohort & Online Programs Counselor M膩hiehie Garrett added, “In a time where being Hawaiian is being challenged (again), it is empowering to walk around campus and be engulfed in experiences where being Hawaiian is not only appreciated but celebrated. We cannot control how our students feel about themselves as Hawaiians off-campus, but we can ensure that the interactions they have on campus make them proud of who they are and of their l膩hui (people, nation).”

The initiative began at a (culture-based professional development) training, where Windward CC librarians reflected on ways to indigenize library spaces. Guidance from Kanaeokana facilitator Makana Garma helped shape the direction of the ea activations, which are scheduled to proceed to additional 东精影业 campuses in spring 2026.

Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwoʻole Osorio has worn many p膩pale (hats)—historian, award-winning musician, advocate, kumu (teacher) and dean. After nearly a decade guiding the at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补, he is stepping away from administration and back into the classroom, where his career began more than 30 years ago.

“I consider the last eight years maybe the most blessed time of my life. The things I learned, about how a university operates, how to work with people around me that didn鈥檛 see eye to eye with what we were trying to do, how to be persuasive, all of those things were really amazing to me,” said Osorio.

The k膩naka ʻ艒颈飞颈 (Native Hawaiian) scholar became dean in 2017 at age 68, following years of service as a professor and director of the . During his tenure, 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈苍耻颈腻办别补 strengthened its reputation as the nation鈥檚 only college of Indigenous knowledge at a Research I university.

In 2024, the school earned a 10-year renewal of accreditation from the , a testament to its role in preserving and revitalizing Hawaiian language, culture and values.

Related 东精影业 News stories:

• Indigenous educators engage in ʻ腻颈苍补, ʻike at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补, October 1, 2024
• 东精影业 haum膩na explore Kal膩kaua and Hawaiian Kingdom鈥檚 legacy in Japan, May 27, 2025

Full circle return

While proud of these milestones, Osorio expressed his heart has always been in teaching.

“It鈥檚 time to go back to teaching and let a younger, more vigorous and eager person take this job on. And I know it will be a blessing to that person whoever it is.”

Osorio, born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, began teaching in 1991 as an instructor at . He joined 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 in 1994 and advanced from assistant to full professor of Hawaiian studies. His scholarship has shaped the field of 19th-century Hawaiian political and social history, while his music, recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts in 2019, remains beloved across the islands.

A search committee has been formed to find Osorio鈥檚 successor, and the position is expected to be filled by August 2026. The committee will be chaired by Kap膩 Oliveira, 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 interim vice provost for , and a former professor at 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈苍耻颈腻办别补

The Kumulipo, a 2,102-line genealogy oli (chant) rarely heard in its entirety, will echo across the grounds of ʻIolani Palace for the first time in decades. Among the many voices bringing the oli to life is Kalei Nuʻuhiwa, a lecturer at Hawaiʻi Community College–Pālamanui. The highly anticipated on September 14, is free and open to the public and part of festivities this Kepakemapa (September), co-sponsored by the at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补.

Nuʻuhiwa, a respected scholar of Kaulana Mahina (Hawaiian lunar calendar), explained that the Kumulipo is a pule ho驶ola驶a aliʻi (prayer to sanctify aliʻi). It links Native Hawaiians of today to more than 100 generations of their ancestors, reaching back to the time of source darkness, the birth of the universe. The Maui native and her haumāna (students) are among 66 chanters joining n膩 kumu hula (masters of hula) Kamuela Chun, Kalani Akana, Mehanaokalā Hind and Kaponoai Molitau. The last time the Kumulipo was recited in full was in 1999.

Echoes of resilience

The chant, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at dusk, will honor Queen Liliʻuokalani, who translated the Kumulipo while imprisoned inside the Palace.

鈥淚 think at that time she was probably depressed and trying to find answers for what happened to her and looking into the Kumulipo for hints of overcoming some of those challenges,鈥� said Nuʻuhiwa. 鈥淪he probably also wanted to help Hawaiians remember who they were, who they are and who they can become.鈥�

More than 500 people are expected to gather for the historic performance, presented in collaboration with The Friends of ʻIolani Palace.

“We (The Friends of ʻIolani Palace) are so proud to kōkua the venue for this amazing event,” said Paula Akana, executive director of The Friends of ʻIolani Palace. “Queen Liliʻuokalani translated the Kumulipo into English while she was imprisoned here. It is a remarkable work that not only speaks to our Queen’s knowledge; but also to the brilliance of Indigenous knowledge.“

Stirring the naʻau (inner knowing)

Among the sections of the Kumulipo Nuʻuhiwa and her haum膩na will present is the portion recounting the creation of stars and planets. She hopes the full journey of the oli experience will stir something deep in those who listen.

“Maybe inspiration to do something they’ve been thinking about doing. Just kind of dropping the barrier and going for it and moving forward with your own personal growth and then collective growth is what I hope happens.”

Nuʻuhiwa noted that the Kumulipo event falls under the Hawaiian moon phase ʻOlepau, one of the Kanaloa moons. In Hawaiian tradition, these moons are believed to strengthen connections to ancestors and reopen the foundations that ground and guide us.

Event highlights (All events are free and open to the public.)

• September 17 and 19—Kahiki: Native Hawaiians Abroad
  September 17: Virtual program from San Diego, CA
  September 19: Live and virtual program from Iosepa, Utah
• September 26—Holoholo Honolulu: Historic Health Sites Tour
  Ride through Honolulu on a double-decker bus and discover stories of health, community and aloha.
• September 27—Hoʻōla: History of Hawaiian Health, Virtual Presentation
  Explore Hawaiʻi鈥檚 historic health responses and resilience.

For the full schedule, visit .

This article by Native Hawaiian Engagement Director at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Pelehonuamea Harman was first published in .

This summer, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo served as a cultural and intellectual bridge between the New Directions in the Humanities international conference and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

These two global events—centered on Indigenous knowledge, language revitalization, and the role of youth in shaping culture—highlighted 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 leadership at the intersection of scholarship, ʻike kupuna, and community.

Held at 东精影业 Hilo and chaired by Dr. Patsy Y. Iwasaki, the New Directions in the Humanities conference marked the first time this prestigious gathering was hosted in Hawaiʻi. Previous locations included Paris and Rome, with Lisbon, Portugal, set to host next.

The conference opened with a k墨paepae welcome ceremony, grounding guests in the spirit of the land and people of Hawaiʻi.

Under the theme “Oceanic Journeys,” scholars, students, and cultural practitioners explored the humanities through a Pacific lens. Presentations spanned topics from language reclamation and Indigenous storytelling to cultural continuity and place-based education. A field trip to the luapele—the volcanic landscape sacred to Pele—provided an experiential learning opportunity rooted in Hawaiian ways of knowing and deepened participants鈥� understanding of the connection between land, language, and identity.

东精影业 Hilo faculty, staff, and students played central roles sharing research, performing mele and oli, and engaging in cross-cultural dialogue. The conference affirmed 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 strength as an Indigenous-serving institution committed to community-centered and place-based education.

Weeks later, 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 voice resonated from the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where university representatives participated in the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Under the theme “Youth and the Future of Culture,” the Hawaiʻi delegation led the Language Reclamation Program. Representatives from 东精影业 Hilo leadership, , , Ke Kula ʻo 狈腻飞补丑墨辞办补濒补苍颈ʻ艒辫耻ʻ耻, and the National Native American Language Resource Center shared mele, oli, hula, and strategies for revitalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

A key facilitator for the folklife festival was 东精影业 Hilo alumnus H膩lena Kapuni-Reynolds who serves as a curator at the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of the American Indian. His leadership helped ensure that Indigenous voices from Hawaiʻi were highlighted with respect and authenticity on this national stage.

Visitors to the Hawaiʻi tent participated in intergenerational dialogue and hands-on activities, learning how language restoration is deeply tied to land, education, and cultural identity. In a powerful gesture of continuity, several “Oceanic Journeys” attendees visited the Hawaiʻi tent to thank the 东精影业 Hilo delegation for extending the spirit and ʻike of the conference to the nation鈥檚 capital.

Whether we are hosting a conference as kamaʻ腻颈苍补 at our own university or attending as malihini at a national gathering, our relationship to Hawaiʻi remains central to who we are and how we engage. In every setting, we carry this ʻike (knowledge), aloha, and the values rooted in this ʻāina with us.

These gatherings affirmed a shared vision: that the humanities are most powerful when grounded in place, lived experience, and Indigenous knowledge systems. 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 presence at both events underscored its commitment to cultivating future cultural leaders—those who carry tradition forward while envisioning and shaping a resilient future.