At the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, a once overgrown space has been transformed into something alive and welcoming. The Ululaumāhie Native Forest Restoration Project is more than a garden. It is a place where students learn by doing. They plant, care for, and connect with native plants. They share hula, oli (chant) and connections. What began in 2018 as a clearing project has grown into a vibrant learning space surrounding Haleʻōlelo, home of .

The work is led by Kumu Carmelito “Lito” Arkangel, a 东精影业 Hilo lecturer in and , who brings students into the space not just to learn about plants, but to understand culture and place.

“Ulu is growth. The lau is the flora. And m膩hie is charming, it鈥檚 delightful. And it is. I try to meet that, you know, and it鈥檚 not easy,” said Arkangel about the meaning of the garden鈥檚 name. “There鈥檚 different perspectives of it, but for me, m膩hie is going to be that kolohe (rascal) boy hiding from the grandma, from the aunty, because she鈥檚 going to kiss his face and they鈥檙e gonna be like, cute, or they smile, you know.”

Arkangel鈥檚 vision is simple. Let the garden tell its own story. Throughout time, students and the community have shaped it into a place of learning, rest and connection.

For more go to .

Hawaiian language immersion programs across the state are growing fast, however schools need more qualified teachers to meet that demand. At the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Kananinohea “Kanani” Mākaʻimoku is working to help fill that gap.

As director of the within the 东精影业 Hilo, Mākaʻimoku prepares educators to teach in Hawaiian medium and immersion schools. Throughout the past decade, the state鈥檚 Hawaiian immersion program has grown by 67 percent.

Kahuawaiola is a three-semester graduate certificate delivered in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian). During the pandemic, Mākaʻimoku helped shift the program online, reshaping and expanding access.

“Since 2020, the average number of students enrolling from the outer islands has increased by approximately 56 percent compared to the program鈥檚 pre-2020 history,” said Mākaʻimoku.

She has seen firsthand how hybrid learning has opened doors for students in rural communities, including areas such as Lānaʻi and H膩na. That access drives her to reach even more future educators as the need continues to grow. Since its inception, Kahuawaiola has prepared 164 certified teachers.

“By preparing teachers who are fluent in Hawaiian and grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy, we ensure that Hawaiian language medium and immersion schools can continue to serve families across the state,” Mākaʻimoku said, noting that education has long been one of the most effective ways to reverse language loss in Hawaiʻi.

Full-circle journey

Mākaʻimoku鈥檚 own path reflects that mission. Educated in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi from preschool through high school, she later spent 16 years teaching in immersion classrooms. She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in at 东精影业 Hilo, along with a through the Kahuawaiola program and a master鈥檚 degree in . She is now pursuing her doctorate in within 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 College of Hawaiian Language.

—By Susan Enright

Just in time for Mahina 鈥�Ō濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), PhD candidate Nicholas “Kealiʻi” Lum is turning social media into a classroom for cultural deepening.

Hiʻona Haku Mele, Lum鈥檚 new Instagram video series, invites learners to explore the poetic soul of Hawaiian music, going beyond conversational speech to uncover the unique lexical phrases that make mele (songs) distinct.

“There are specific pieces of language and ways of expression that make mele unique and separate it from common speech,” Lum explained, adding that he was inspired by Kahikina De Silva, an assistant professor at 东精影业 惭补苍辞补鈥檚 , who recommended that Lum document these poetic devices in his dissertation.

Hiʻona Haku Mele launched on February 1 on and Instagram accounts, and new episodes will drop every Monday and Thursday throughout the month. Each minute-long video highlights a specific term, explains its function, and provides examples from recorded albums. “驶A东精影业ea”—listen, heed my words—is featured as the first episode鈥檚 offering.

Related 东精影业 News story: Mele Hawaiʻi Reimagined: 东精影业 Hilo Makuak膩ne scholar bridges past and present, October 2025

Lum notes that while spoken Hawaiian and “mele language” share a foundation, Hawaiian haku mele (composers) use musical jargon to convey ideas more descriptively or poetically.

“Our kupuna had ways of expressing emotion in a far more beautiful way than saying something so literal,” explained Lum.

Makuak膩ne scholar

The initiative is just one part of Lum鈥檚 broader academic and creative journey. As a doctoral student at , Lum was recently named the first recipient of the . This award honors the Makuak膩ne family鈥檚 lifelong advocacy for ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and supports scholars dedicated to Indigenous language revitalization.

For more go to .

As Mahina ʻ艑濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month) draws attention to the growing vitality of ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), a recently released mele Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian song) offers a compelling example of how the language is taking root far beyond the islands, this time through a rare partnership between a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo PhD student and a young recording artist from Japan.

Award-winning Hawaiʻi musician and 东精影业 Hilo graduate student Nicholas Kealiʻi Lum composed Waikīkī, a mele recorded as a duet with Tom Noʻeau, a Japan-born musician and trained ʻ艒lapa hula (hula dancer). Collaborations like this remain uncommon in Hawaiian music, even as hula has flourished in Japan for decades, with an estimated two million dancers nationwide.

Modern mele Hawaiʻi

Lum developed Waikīkī through the , which supports his ongoing creative research following his 2023 debut album Pewa. Praised by listeners for its modern vibe and R&B-influenced sound, Pewa reimagines traditional mele Hawaiʻi in a contemporary context while centering cultural resilience and linguistic vitality, values that continue to shape Lum’s work.

Lum said the song the pair recorded in a Kalihi studio was shaped with intention toward visitors, particularly from Japan, Hawaiʻi’s largest international tourism market. “What would be so cool is when tourists come here that they don’t just go surfing and go to a lūʻau, but they actually have an educational piece, as well,” he said.

• Related 东精影业 News: Mele Hawaiʻi Reimagined: 东精影业 Hilo Makuakāne scholar bridges past and present, October 28, 2025

Learning deeply

For Noʻeau, the collaboration marked a meaningful step in a journey shaped by years of hula training. He grew up dancing in Japan under the guidance of Kahikina Ah Sing and his brother Kalani, who grew up in Kona and opened Ke Ala O Ke Ao Cultural Arts Studio, their hālau in Japan, more than 20 years ago. Through the hālau, Noʻeau has been learning 驶艒lelo Hawaiʻi, with a strong focus on accuracy and understanding.

“This song taught me a lot. I’m still learning Hawaiian language, and pronunciation is really hard, but it made me want to learn more,” Noʻeau said.

For Lum, that commitment to language was central to the collaboration. “If you pronounce everything wrong, there’s no meaning there anymore, especially in mele, where the poetry carries the story,” he said.

Ah Sing said watching his student step into Hawaiian music has gone far beyond what he once imagined. “I never thought that the younger generation in Japan would root themselves so deeply in our language and culture,” he said.

Noʻeau has also recorded with award-winning Hawaiian musicians Robert Uluwehi Cazimero and Kuana Torres Kahele, further grounding his work in Hawaiian musical tradition.

University of Hawaiʻi researchers have published a new study that brings together ʻike Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian knowledge), ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and western marine science to shed new light on one of the ocean鈥檚 most elusive predators, the cookiecutter shark.

Rarely seen but often noticed, the cookiecutter shark is named for the distinctive wounds it leaves behind. Instead of tearing flesh, the small shark removes neat, circular plugs of meat that resemble the cut of a cookie cutter. These unmistakable bite marks are commonly found on prized fish such as ʻahi (bigeye tuna) and aʻu k奴 (swordfish), providing scientists with rare clues about the shark鈥檚 behavior in the deep, open ocean.

“What makes this species so fascinating is that we almost never see the shark itself,” said Justin Suca, an assistant professor in at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补. “We鈥檙e learning about it by studying when and where those bite marks appear.”

The interdisciplinary study was led by Suca, J. Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, an assistant professor of at Honolulu Community College and PhD candidate at the 东精影业 Hilo , and Donald R. Kobayashi and economist Hing Ling Chan from NOAA鈥檚 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).

Kobayashi, a biologist at PIFSC and 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 alumnus, has been a cookiecutter shark enthusiast for decades.

“I’ve been intrigued by these small sharks for over 40 years, when I first learned about them while a graduate student in oceanography at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 and we would encounter them in net tows,” Kobayashi said. “These enigmatic creatures have resisted formal study due to their habitat, behavior, and apparent rarity, so it is quite gratifying to personally contribute some solid scientific knowledge towards understanding them and their ways!”

Night patterns

Published in, the study analyzed a much larger dataset than previous research, examining bite patterns recorded across Hawaiʻi鈥檚 longline fisheries over many years. The results reveal clear and persistent trends: cookiecutter shark bites occur most often at night and are closely tied to lunar cycles, with higher activity during darker, low-illumination periods.

Searching the past

Alongside the scientific analysis, the researchers reviewed Hawaiian-language sources, including historic n奴pepa (Hawaiian-language newspapers), and considered knowledge shared across Polynesian cultures to better understand how the shark may have been recognized in Hawaiʻi. While no direct references were found, the team believes Hawaiian ancestors were likely familiar with the shark鈥檚 distinctive bite marks.

“Our k奴puna (elders) may never have encountered the shark itself,” said Lorenzo-Elarco. “But they almost certainly encountered the evidence it left behind, the distinctive bite marks on fish they brought in from the open ocean.”

ʻ艑濒别濒辞 in science

From that understanding, the team developed a new Hawaiian name for the cookiecutter shark, nahunaiki, meaning “little bites,” and created an ʻ艒濒别濒辞 noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) describing its bite patterns and connection to nighttime conditions. The study also includes an abstract written entirely in ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi, highlighting how Indigenous knowledge and modern science can work together to reveal patterns that might otherwise remain unseen. Developed by utilizing elements of traditional Hawaiian proverbs, the ʻ艒濒别濒辞 noʻeau says, Muku ka malama, nanahu ka nahunaikio o ka p艒, When the new moon arises, the cookie cutter shark bites.This ʻ艒濒别濒辞 noʻeau is aimed at helping current and future generations of ocean stewards connect the lunar cycle to the bites of this shark.

These findings build on earlier 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 research that linked moonless nights to rare cookiecutter shark bites on humans, particularly swimmers in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 ocean channels, suggesting darkness plays a key role across very different types of encounters.

At the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, the spirit of mele Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian music) and language revitalization are finding new life through the work of Nicholas Kealiʻi Lum, a PhD candidate at .

Lum has been named the first doctoral recipient of the . Established by the daughters of Daniel and Lydia Makuak膩ne, the fellowship honors the Makuak膩nes鈥� lifelong advocacy of ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi and Native Hawaiian cultural education.

Lum is weaving tradition and innovation into his in-depth studies of mele (songs) of old and new. His dissertation, “Pewa: I Ola ke Mele Hawaiʻi i kona Mele ʻia” (“Pewa: The Life of Hawaiian Music in Its Song”), braids traditional Hawaiian mele to modern soundscapes, creating bridges between younger audiences and ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) through experimental musical expression.

“In my dissertation, I define mele as being ‘logogenic,’ which means that words in a genre of music are more important than the musical treatment,” Lum explained. “And I believe that represents mele Hawaiʻi; it鈥檚 always the language within the text that is more important.”

With the fellowship, Lum will also have the opportunity to build on his 2023 debut album “Pewa,” using experimental approaches to mele Hawaiʻi that promote both cultural resilience and linguistic vitality.

Uplifting future generations

“Our parents did not have formal educational opportunities beyond the ninth grade in Puna,” said Teresa Makuak膩ne-Drechsel, a kanaka ʻ艒iwi (Native Hawaiian) linguist and 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 alumna. “Therefore, seeing this fellowship support Kealiʻi鈥檚 doctoral journey is a powerful reminder that their legacy continues to uplift future generations of ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi leaders.”

东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 College of Hawaiian Language is uniquely positioned as the only institution worldwide offering a PhD in Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization. In 2023, it was also designated as the first National Native American Language Resource Center, further expanding its role in advancing language revitalization across the U.S.

“The Makuak膩ne family has been longstanding supporters of our college, ever since their mother (Lydia) played a big role in the movement that started the Hawaiian language revitalization,” said Kaʻiu Kimura, director of Ka Haka ʻUla O 碍别ʻ别濒颈办艒濒补苍颈. “It鈥檚 such an honor that the family continues to work with us to forward our purpose.”

Keeping ʻ艒濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi alive

The Makuak膩ne Fellowship ensures that students, such as Lum, have the resources to complete their research, while also carrying forward the cultural knowledge and values that make the College of Hawaiian Language a global leader in Indigenous language revitalization.

“Keeping Hawaiian language alive for future generations has always been important to our family,” said Makuak膩ne-Drechsel. “This endowment is our way of honoring our parents鈥� values while giving others the opportunity to carry on this important work.”

For more information about the Daniel and Lydia Makuak膩ne Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship or to support Hawaiian language initiatives at 东精影业 Hilo, contact the .

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 办补尘补ʻ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.

A new effort at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is using artificial intelligence to help secure the future of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). The Lauleo project is gathering Hawaiian speech data to create AI tools that can convert voice to text.

The project is a collaboration between 东精影业 Hilo College of Hawaiian Language, , and , a Māori language group from New Zealand. Their goal is to speed up the painstaking process of transcribing Hawaiian audio recordings.

Right now, manually transcribing an hour of speech takes about 30 hours of work. AI could change that.

“Through this effort of Lauleo, the technology of speech to text will help to expedite the importance of audio information to promote the life of Hawaiian,” said Kumu Larry Kimura, a Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies professor at 东精影业 Hilo and a foremost authority on the audio archives of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Participation needed

The team emphasizes that community participation is crucial. Their motto, 鈥�“Bringing our voices together for the future of our language,” reflects the need for many voices—I lau nā leo—to make this project a success.

Anyone who speaks ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi can help. The Lauleo app, available on Apple and Google Play, allows users to record themselves reading specific sentences in Hawaiian. This data will help train AI to recognize and convert Hawaiian speech into text.

Hawaiian language Siri

Once developed, the technology could power text messaging in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, an ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi Siri, or even an app to help learners with pronunciation.

Speakers of all levels, from beginners to native speakers, are encouraged to participate. Organizers say all voices are valuable, emphasizing that computers need to recognize a diverse range of speech to effectively serve the broader community of speakers and learners.

Competition prize giveaways

For those looking for a challenge, teams can compete for cash prizes by submitting recordings through March 2.

—By Susan Enright

For more go to .

In honor of Mahina ʻ艑濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Month), University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo鈥檚 Native Hawaiian engagement director, Pelehonuamea Harman, highlights key Hawaiian language milestones in her latest ʻ艑濒别濒辞 Resource of the Month column, exploring Native Hawaiian protocols, traditions and Indigenous learning practices.

Aloha Mahina ʻ艑濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi! (Happy Hawaiian Language Month!)

Pepeluali (February) in Hawaiʻi has become synonymous with the Hawaiian language. You may have attended a festival or a concert this month where you heard people speaking in Hawaiian. The State of Hawaiʻi is one of three states that have o铿僣ially recognized languages besides English. (The other two being South Dakota and Alaska.)

Here is a timeline of significant milestones in Hawaiian language in Hawaiʻi, with key events related to the 东精影业 System.

1820: Introduction of Written Hawaiian

• Protestant missionaries introduced the Latin alphabet to Hawaiʻi, creating the foundation for written Hawaiian. This marks the beginning of Hawaiian language preservation in a written form. Citation: .

1834: First Hawaiian-Language Newspaper Published

• The 铿乺st Hawaiian-language newspaper, , was published. It helped promote literacy in Hawaiian.

1896: Language Ban in Schools

• The Republic of Hawaiʻi passed Act 57, an as a medium of instruction in public schools. This marked the beginning of a signi铿乧ant decline in the use of Hawaiian.Hawaiʻi

1919: The Hawaiian Dictionary Published

• In 1919, Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert published in the 铿乺st comprehensive dictionary of the Hawaiian language. It was republished several times with a revised and enlarged edition published in 1991.
• Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert published Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English English-Hawaiian (), the first comprehensive dictionary of the Hawaiian language. It was crucial in preserving the language in its written form.

1921: Hawaiian Language Courses at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补

• 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 began offering Hawaiian language courses, signaling the start of formal efforts to teach Hawaiian at the university level.

1985: Establishment of Hawaiian Studies Department at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补

• The was established at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补, offering a Bachelor of Arts in Hawaiian.

1997: Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani at 东精影业 Hilo

• , the College of Hawaiian Language, was established at 东精影业 Hilo, making it the 铿乺st college in the world to offer higher education in an Indigenous language.

2006: Hawaiian Language Dissertation

• The was completed at the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补, highlighting the language鈥檚 academic capability.

2007: Doctoral Program in Hawaiian Language at 东精影业 Hilo

• 东精影业 Hilo began offering a , advancing the language鈥檚 use in academia and scholarly research.

Harman joined 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 Office of the Chancellor in June 2024 as part of the growing Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao team established throughout the 10-campus 东精影业 System to develop, implement and assess strategic actions to enhance the higher education needs of Native Hawaiians.

For more ʻ艑濒别濒辞 Hawaiʻi milestones, go to .

at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to publish a Hawaiian adaptation of the internationally acclaimed children鈥檚 book What Makes Us Human? The book, titled I Kanaka Mai I Ke Aha?, was released on February 21 in recognition of , aligning with the ongoing co-led by UNESCO.

“The publication of I Kanaka Mai I Ke Aha? in Hawaiian is another important step in reaffirming our language on the global stage,” said Kaʻiu Kimura, director of 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 College of Hawaiian Language. “It not only contributes to our children鈥檚 literacy and language development but also reinforces the significance of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) as a living language, capable of engaging with the world.”

Originally written in Portuguese by Brazilian-American author and linguist Victor D. O. Santos, the book is structured as a riddle, guiding children through the significance of language as a defining element of humanity. Hawaiian is the first Native American language and the first Pacific Island language in which the book has been published.

A playful language

The Hawaiian adaptation was crafted by Kaʻiuokalani Damas, an assistant professor of Hawaiian and Hawaiian studies at 东精影业 Hilo, in collaboration with his wife Kauʻilani, a teacher at Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Hawaiian medium school. The couple is raising their daughters as first-language Hawaiian speakers.

“Hawaiian is a playful language, rich with wit and double meanings,” Damas explained. “This book highlights the critical role of language in human identity while introducing young Hawaiian speakers to the joy of riddles and wordplay.”

Language preservation

The Hawaiian edition joins , such as Mapuzungun of the Mapuche in Chile and Hñähñü of the Otomí in Mexico. UNESCO鈥檚 Indigenous Languages Decade highlights the urgency of language preservation.

东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 Hawaiian Language College leads national revitalization efforts through the National Native American Language Resource Center. Hawaiʻi鈥檚 4,000+ students in Hawaiian medium schools mark a dramatic resurgence from fewer than 50 child speakers just 40 years ago, making it the largest initiative of its kind for a Native American language.

Early literacy is critical in growing the next generation of Hawaiian speakers. Hawaiian medium preschoolers learn to read two years earlier than their English-medium peers through the Hakalama method, a syllable-based system designed for Hawaiian鈥檚 unique structure. This approach fosters strong literacy skills and long-term fluency.

The final production of I Kanaka Mai I Ke Aha? was completed through at 东精影业 Hilo. Copies are available for pre-order at .