October 6

PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOP DAY

Enjoy cultural workshops featuring cultural practitioners in a plethora of hana noʻeau and other engaging opportunities.

Check in to get your name tag and event information for all three days of the Native Hawaiian Convention.

Shop Hawai‘i-based curated products that represent the unique culture, spirit, and artistry of its people.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

10–11:45AM

Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

A mele can be a pathway to home. Learn a chant that honors the nine waters that surround Hawaiʻi, reminding all that Moananuiākea connects us as a people across the world.

Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa

Honor your mo‘okūʻahau, add to your mo‘olelo, and prepare for your mo‘opuna by verifying your genealogy. Join this Moʻopono Workshop, hosted by Prof. Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa and her team of graduate students and volunteers, and get help filling out genealogy forms and using their website to qualify for Hawaiian Home Lands or Kamehameha Schools.

Lei represents the ultimate expression of aloha, honoring ʻāina while encircling the bonds of our people. Practice your lei-making skills with the master, Bill Char, and leave with a lei kupeʻe! Pre-registration required.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

1–2:45PM

Kumu Vicky Holt-Takamine

“Mele O Kahoʻolawe” was composed by Harry Kunihi Mitchell when Uncle Harry and members of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ‘Ohana took on the kuleana to stop military bombing. Learn the hula to this mele aloha ʻāina.

‘Ōiwi Ē is a kāhea to stand together as one lāhui. Join Kumu Mehanaokalā Hind to learn and connect through the powerful anthem in preparation for opening ceremony. Whether you’re a seasoned chanter or just love to sing, lend your voice to honor our kūpuna, stand in solidarity, and show the world that no matter where we are, Hawaiians are still here!

Malia Peoples

Art can be a pathway to empowerment and healing, helping people reconnect with heritage, regain confidence, and build strength. Through kapa making, artist Malia Peoples explores cultural resilience, the revival of Native Hawaiian traditions, and her experience living in the Hawaiian diaspora. Malia will talk about her journey with kapa and guide participants in creating their own kapa-inspired stamped artwork to take home.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

3–4:45PM

Through chant, movement, and storytelling, we follow Pele’s journey of establishing home in Hawaiʻi as a reflection of Hawaiians in diaspora, creating and sustaining lāhui wherever they are. Open to all levels, this workshop offers hula, oli, and cultural reflection in a welcoming and inclusive space.

Moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) shapes our identity as kānaka maoli and serves as the aho (cord) that connects us to our kūpuna, our ʻāina, and our kuleana. This workshop will highlight the importance of genealogy, family and place names, and discuss best practices and protocols for conducting genealogical research.

Keanahala

Working with hala weaves a deeper value system of ‘āina, kūpuna, kumu, a me ka lāhui. Join Keanahala to perpetuate the Native Hawaiian practice of ʻulana lauhala as an everyday affirmation of cultural resiliency and presence.

6–9PM

Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha

Join in for light pūpū and an interactive session featuring:

• Ea-activation: Games, mele, and online resources that build our cultural and ʻōlelo skills and knowledge
• Collective action: Concrete ways for us to join together and uphold Ke Aliʻi Pauahi’s charge.
• Iron-on bar: Turn your shirt or hoodie into a canvas for lāhui messages. Please bring a cotton item for our staff to help iron designs onto.

Click here to RSVP