Check in at the registration desk to pick up your name tag and event information for all three days of the Native Hawaiian Convention.

Find local vendors and shop Hawai‘i-owned businesses.

Programs designed with our youth in mind. Students have the opportunity to meet with one another, connect with different schools, learn together.

With historic federal funding for clean energy flowing into Hawai‘i, we have an opportunity to get things right and make sure that Kānaka ‘Oiwi and nā maka’āinana, who have the most to gain from these money-saving and liberating technologies, can benefit. Join CNHA with community, industry, and government leaders to learn about how we can turn the corner towards a new day with Kalāhiki: Sustainable Energy For All.

Explore the complex issue of Intellectual Property and how it intersects with Native Hawaiian knowledge and practices. Engage with the Native Hawaiian Intellectual Property Working Group to contemplate possible paths forward.

Experience Hawai‘i Island on an immersive bus tour – grounded in a regenerative tourism model through a kānaka maoli lens. Visit the sacred and culturally rich sites of Kalāhuipua‘a Historical Park, Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, and Māhukona, where we embrace the principles of regenerative tourism. This journey is not just about seeing these extraordinary places but about engaging with them in a way that honors their history, environment, and the communities that cherish them.

Explore successful community partnerships, translational research, and cultural adaptation in the development of a substance use prevention program for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth. Participants will reflect on their own methods, positionality, and approach to knowledge in learning how to apply community-based participatory research principles in everyday practice.

Love and aloha are vital to our physical and mental health. Join healthcare providers from Hawai‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu as they share strategies for improving physical, oral, and mental wellness to build a healthier lāhui.

Join the discussion on disaster recovery and resilience, inspired by Tutu’s gatherings. Panelists will draw on lessons from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and the 2023 Maui wildfires, sharing insights on recovery, community trust, and building long-term resilience through cultural education, sustainable practices, and community rebuilding.

Learn about Micronesian knowledge and expertise that can address historical and contemporary justice issues. This session will help participants understand and support people from the region of Micronesia, focusing on an overview of the region and Culturally Sustaining practices based on understanding key Micronesian cultural norms and delivering professional practices in ways that support those norms while promoting success.

In Ka Paʻakai o ka ‘Āina v. Land Use Commission (2000), the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court helped protect Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights by requiring government agencies to mitigate the impacts of their decisions. Learn more about the history of Ka Paʻakai, its most critical uses, and how Kānaka ʻŌiwi and kamaʻāina can defend and enhance its role in keeping Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi. Hear from original Ka Paʻakai plaintiffs, cultural practitioners, and legal and policy experts.

Lunch is not provided with your event registration. Click here to view dining options available nearby.

Hula Performance by Nā Lei Aloha

Over 30 Hawaiʻi island kumu hula and their haumāna unite to honor Moku O Keawe with the Mele “Halehale Hawai’inuiākea.” Don’t miss this spectacular convention opening!

Kūhiō Lewis, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Chief Executive Officer

Kona Kaipo and Mileka Lincoln

Dr. Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele

Wayne Ka‘iwi

While many people typically associate cowboys with the “Wild West,” Hawaiʻi had its own cowboys long before the United States. Hear from modern-day paniolo about the rich history of Hawaiian ranching and how this tradition has become a lifeline for many ʻohana in Hawaiʻi.

Special Presentation

Hear the newest data about Native Hawaiian housing, economic outlook, and outward migration.

Special Presentation

He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kāne. The land is chief; a person is its servant. Our kūpuna remind us that caring for the land is our kuleana, ensuring its resources sustain us. With growing threats to both land and people, what does effective aloha ʻāina look like in today’s world?

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Join us from 5-6pm for a kanikapila performance with Nā Hoku Hano Hano Award Winner, Kainani Kahaunaele.

Hear directly from our youth about their issues, how they are becoming civically engaged, and how the community can help. Open to all convention attendees.

Check in at the registration desk to pick up your name tag and event information for all three days of the Native Hawaiian Convention.

Find local vendors and shop Hawai‘i-owned businesses.

Programs designed with our youth in mind. Students have the opportunity to meet with one another, connect with different schools, learn together.

‘Āina is a fundamental responsibility, but efforts by Native Hawaiians to lead conservation programs have long been hampered by colonialism and racism. Join and hear from aloha ‘āina efforts to uplift Hawaiian leadership in natural and cultural resource management.

Resources are finite on an island and a canoe. We can only voyage because of the community and resources that allow us to holomua. Learn the importance of treating our resources on land as we would on the waʻa and hear the moʻolelo and moʻokūʻauhau of the voyaging canoe, Makaliʻi and the traditionally built canoe, Mauloa.

Hometown Legends is a 60-minute documentary about Sonny Keakealani, Manny Veincent, Willy Kaupiko, Shirley Kauhaihao and Keoni Turalde, masters of their craft in paniolo, lawai’a, po’e ulana, pahu carvers and hoe wa’a. Their stories of resilience remind us of what truly matters – identity, ‘ohana, and aloha ‘āina.

Join our Lahaina Lāhui as we strategize the restoration and protection of Mokuʻula and Mokuhinia. Learn about current efforts being made to heal the lands, waters, and people. We invite the greater Lāhui to kākoʻo the resurrection of our Independent and Sovereign Nation’s original capital.

Hear from the visionaries behind some of Hawaiʻi’s most celebrated fashion labels. Manaola Yap of Manaola, Aloha Victor of Kaulua’e, and Kuhaʻo Zane of Sig Zane will share their perspectives, stories, and inspirations behind their iconic creations and how they are shaping the future of Hawaiian fashion.

Explore moʻolelo about heroes in Hawaiʻiʻs history and dive into the dynamics of universal storytelling. Attendees will create a lyrical piece inspired by their superhero alter egos and apply the crafts of writing and stylizing words into poetry and mele lyrics.

This workshop is geared toward ʻohana of young children interested in or currently enrolled in Hawaiian language medium programs. Learn the basics and bring ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi into your home.

Join us at 11am for Mo‘olelo Workshop. Established on the rich cultural heritage of the Kanakaʻole family, the Foundation’s mission is to elevate Hawaiian knowledge through the teachings and traditional practices of Edith and Luka Kanakaʻole. Let us come together to learn the stories and traditions of Hawaiʻi.

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Aunty Tammy Smith and Keala Kahuanui are making moves in Hawaiʻi’s food sovereignty movement by reconnecting ancient and modern ways of creating shelf-stable, locally-sourced Native Hawaiian food provisions for long distant waʻa voyages, homes, and emergency preparedness.

Born on the eastern shores of Hawai‘i, Dr. Cliff Kapono is a surfer, molecular bioscience professor, and storyteller with a handful award-winning films that discuss indigenous activism, ocean conservation, and global food security. Cliff is currently based in Hilo, Hawai‘i and can be found in the MEGA Lab when not chasing the best waves on the planet.

The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, or NAHASDA, can provide financing to certain Lessees and Awardees for rental assistance, home repairs, and safe, affordable, and healthy housing. Kūpuna, low-income beneficiaries, those residing in older Hawaiian Home Lands communities, and their ʻohana should come hear what the program entails and how NAHASDA can kōkua with your housing needs.

Maunaʻala, the resting place of aliʻi from the Kamehameha and Kalākaua dynasties, made headlines when its new curator was selected without consultation from Native Hawaiian organizations. Join the discussion around the area’s maintenance, stewardship, and future decisionmakers.

Empower your leadership by understanding the concepts of Kūlana and Kuleana and how one fits in the larger picture of our modern Kanaka world to uplift Lāhui.

Come practice one of Hawaiʻi’s most recognizable traditions. Kumu Punahele Andrade will teach the history, meaning, types, and evolution of lei before attendees will be able to make their own haku lei, wiliwili style! Pre-registration required.

E komo mai!….Come, let’s use our ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, the language of the land, in our journey through the Hawaiian language movement with kumu and haumāna from Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu.

Established on the rich cultural heritage of the Kanakaʻole family, the Foundation’s mission is to elevate Hawaiian knowledge through the teachings and traditional practices of Edith and Luka Kanakaʻole. Let us come together to learn the stories and traditions of Hawaiʻi.

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Lunch is not provided with your event registration. Click here to view dining options available nearby.

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Hawaiʻi Island is home is many endangered native birds. What are the greatest threats to their survival and what is being done to protect them? Join the conversation and hear from conservation expert, Bret Nainoa Mossman.

Discover the ways in which Hawaiian canoe paddling continues to shape community identity and perpetuates cultural heritage today, with a special focus on the deep-rooted connections between Hawai’i Island and this revered seafaring tradition.

So much of who we are as individuals, the places our families live, and the hopes we wrap around our children can be found in the names we wear. Join Hailama V.K.K. Farden for a cultural experience on name giving including name giving practices and personal stories of Hawaiian inoa – inoa kūpuna, inoa ho‘omana‘o, inoa kūamuamu, hō‘ailona &  ‘ūlāleo.

Join the community protecting Mauna a Wākea, Mauna Kūpuna. This interactive workshop includes learning an oli and updates on the mauna by those who remain steadfast to guard Mauna a Wākea and ensure its sanctity for future generations.

Are hula shows for malihini extractive? Should hula be kept sacred through hālau in order to be authentic? Or, is there a way for hula to be performed in a regenerative tourism model while maintaining authenticity? Hear some answers to these complicated questions directly from hula practitioners.

Delve into the synergy between ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and modern scientific fields. This workshop demonstrates how the Hawaiian language enhances scientific inquiry and strengthens our bond with the environment. Participants will also learn ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi phrases that can be used in daily life and exploration of our island.

Organized by the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations to convene Homestead Beneficiary Associations with U.S. Treasurer, Chief Marilynn Malerba, and discuss priorities important to enrolled Hawaiians and successors under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920. All convention attendees are welcome!

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Join us for a year-in-review state of the organization update. Hear all about CNHA’s recent endeavors, successes, and what the future holds. For CNHA members only.

Enjoy a dazzling fashion show featuring designs from Kauluaʻe Hawai‘i, MANAOLA, and Sig Zane Designs, paired with delectable creations from Chefs Musashi Young, Jayson Kanekoa, and Brian Hirata. Dive into the rhythm of Seven Suns, one of Hawaiʻi’s most talented musical groups, as they light up the night with their vibrant mele.

This exclusive event is open to all registered convention attendees. VIP tickets available (includes food, drinks, and priority front row seating). Doors open at 5:30 PM—see you there!

The evening culminates with a stellar performance by Seven Suns, an all-Native group rising as one of Hawaiʻi’s brightest musical stars. Seven Suns is a collective of seven extraordinary artists, producers, and musicians, each bringing their unique energy to create a vibrant sound that resonates with the spirit of Oceania.

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Check in at the registration desk to pick up your name tag and event information for all three days of the Native Hawaiian Convention.

Find local vendors and shop Hawai‘i-owned businesses.

Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

Robin Danner

Kilohana

Jack Wong, Kamehameha Schools Chief Executive Officer

Listen to the importance of integrating Hawaiian culture, ‘ōiwi perspectives, and community input into land stewardship decisions. Fostering collaboration between landowners and the community helps to ensure that the restoration of ʻāina is resilient and supports thriving communities.

Nā Lei Aloha

Kilohana

Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

Remarks from the 9th Governor of the State of Hawaii

Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

Join Aunty Vicky Holt-Takamine for an exclusive fireside chat with Jaime Kanani Green, Hawai‘i’s first Native Hawaiian First Lady.

Hear directly from Kānaka leaders about their strategies, local engagement, and cultural preservation to shape the future of tourism for the benefit of Hawaiʻi.

Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

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Lunch is not provided with your event registration. Click here to view dining options available nearby.

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As the birth site of Kauikeaouli – the future Kamehameha III – Keauhou Bay is home to rich cultural and natural resources, ocean recreational activities, and visitor attractions that at times are in conflict. A major landowner at Keauhou Bay, Kamehameha Schools will share a vision for the bay that focuses on culture, economic diversity and community as the foundation.

With the introduction of platforms like AirBNB and VRBO, the visitor industry has grown at odds with local needs. Join for an in-depth discussion on the recently passed short-term rental bill, what that means for tourism, housing, and families in Hawaiʻi, and what you can do to help.

Whether you’re a prospective homeowner or an affordable housing advocate, learn about adequate financial education, access to lending, and the role of Hawaiian homelands. Panelists will share valuable resources, success stories, and actionable steps to empower Native Hawaiian families on their journey to homeownership.

For over a century, members of Hawaiian Civic Clubs across the pae ‘āina and the continent have organized and advocated to improve the conditions of the Native Hawaiian community. Join us to learn how we support the well-being of our land and people, provide leadership training, create forums for learning, and lead community service projects.

After two years of delays, the National Science Foundation is set to review potentially funding the Thirty-Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea this fall. However, the National Historic Preservation Act first requires consultion with Native Hawaiians. Join legal experts to discuss how the consultation process works, consulting parties’ roles and rights, and how the NHPA has been used to protect other traditional cultural landscapes.

Talk with Native Hawaiian practitioners, food producers and community leaders on how we address existential climate threats with indigenous climate solutions.

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What is the current state of Hawaiian language education in our state? This session explores efforts in schools and communities to promote and sustain ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i for our haumāna.

Founded in 2019 to support Hawai‘i entrepreneurs, the KūHana Accelerator helps businesses define objectives, outline costs, and assess impacts. Learn how to craft a business plan and secure funding. Join us and get down to business, KūHana style!

After FestPAC 2024 in Oʻahu, a panel of Pasifika scholars will discuss modern issues facing the Moana, including demilitarization, identity, native lands, and relational understandings, while exploring connections to Hawaiʻi and resilience in navigating the future.

Learn how the Native Hawaiian community has driven change through federal government work and uplifted the lāhui. ONHR will share updates on programs serving Native Hawaiians, while the White House highlights its successes engaging with communities across the continent.

Kānaka Maoli in Kohala and Kona face water scarcity and some of the state’s highest water rates. Join a panel of experts as they discuss West Hawai‘i’s water challenges and potential policy solutions.

In the recent legislative session, Hawai‘i came closer than ever to legalizing recreational cannabis. Join experts as they discuss the economic benefits of cannabis in Hawai‘i and on the continent, and what this could mean for future legislation in the state.

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As we approach the general election, hear directly from Hawaiʻi Islandʻs mayoral candidates about their policy platform.

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