July 22, 2026

DAY 2

Uplifting Our Present

“Advancing with Purpose”, the anchoring theme of Day 2 will build upon the conversations of Day1. Through engaging sessions, shared ʻike, and collaborative dialogue, participants will explore strategies that strengthen our communities, elevate Native Hawaiian leadership, and move our lāhui forward with intention, unity, and purpose.

Make sure you check-in before the activities begin! Grab your badge, a program, and find more information about everything happening during Native Hawaiian Convention.

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

Grab a bite to eat from a variety of local food trucks and vendors.

Need to take a break? Want somewhere to hang out connect with friends? Enjoy live mele throughout the day in our Hale Hoʻoluana lounge! Stop in to relax, or tune in to Channel 8 on your headset.

9AM–12PM

Morning Mele Vibes

Kūhiō Lewis
Hawaiian Council, Chief Executive Officer

Ron Kouchi
Senate President

Mayor Alameda, Mayor Bissen, Mayor Blangiardi, Mayor Kawakami, Governor Green

Join Hawaiʻi’s state and county leaders for a dynamic and engaging discussion on the current state of Hawaiʻi’s counties and the future of our island communities. This session will explore the opportunities and challenges shaping Hawaiʻi today. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain valuable perspectives on the issues impacting Native Hawaiian communities and all who call Hawaiʻi home.

Amy Hānaialiʻi, Michael Jackowitz, Moses Goods, Roslyn Catracchia, Manaola Yap, Kūhiō Lewis

Discover the mana, artistry, and passion behind a groundbreaking theatrical experience that brings the legendary story of Hiʻiaka to the stage in epic form. Join producers and cast members of the Broadway-caliber musical “The Epic Tale of Hiʻiaka” for an inside look at the making of this unforgettable production.

Summer Sylva
Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Interim Chief Executive Officer

Olin Kealoha Lagon, Kuʻulani Keohokalole

ʻAʻohe lokomaikaʻi i nele i ka pānaʻi. No kind deed has ever lacked its reward. This one-on-one discussion will confront the realities of artificial intelligence today and how our lāhui should be preparing.

BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS

1:00–2:45PM

Olin Kealoha Lagon

Artificial intelligence is a force reshaping our lives before we have agreed on the rules. We will name the hard parts: the power and water that AI burns, the data centers reshaping grids and bills, who pays, and who profits. This is for the whole lāhui to come with hard questions and leave with more clarity; no tech background needed.

Marjorie Leimomi Mau, Kamuela Enos, (presenting on behalf of) Alika Maunakea, S. Lani Park

Building health sovereignty, the PONO Study is creating a longitudinal cohort of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island communities to ensure that our health concerns are heard, our culture of health is practiced, and our connections as indigenous people from one generation to the next are kept alive.

Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong, Kaleihau Kamauʻu, ʻEkolu Miller, Kimmy Takata, Kalei K-aloha, Aubree K-aloha, Mark Kawika Patterson, Micky Huihui (facilitator)

ʻEkolu Mea Nui leads this panel to explore justice through the lens of puʻuhonua, a place of refuge, restoration, and renewal. Justice is not solely the responsibility of the criminal legal system, but a shared kuleana that touches every family, community, and sector working to build a thriving Hawaiʻi.

Kevin Chang, Pahonu Coleman, Ka’imi Kaupiko, William “Billy” Kinney Jr., Pekelo Lind, Kelson “Mac” Poepoe, Hannah Kihalani Springer, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo

Hawaiʻi’s first law empowering communities and the state to enter into co-management agreements was passed recently on July 8, 2026. Learn about what this means for our communities, practitioners and advocates, and how you and your hui can utilize co-management as a practice in environmental governance and self-determination at the local level.

Nāmaka Rawlins, Dr. Kauanoe Kamanā, Kaʻiu Kimura, Wahde (Ryan Mackey), Teshina Banks Rama, Sierra Her Many Horses

For decades, the Hawaiian language revitalization movement has successfully preserved and proliferated ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi. Through the dedicated work of practitioners, teachers, parents, and students, the ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi movement has become a model for Indigenous language revitalization movements worldwide. Discuss the history and success of the movement, and the state and national policies that support language revitalization.

Department of Hawaiian Homelands

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.

Ciara Lacy, Bryson Chun, Angela Laprete, Georja Skinner, Pōʻai Lincoln

From the misty valleys of the Nā Pali Coast to the bustling streets of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi has long been a backdrop for Hollywood’s biggest hits. But who is telling those stories? Join a dynamic panel of filmmakers and industry professionals as we pull back the curtain on Hawaiʻi’s film industry. Come ready to learn, ask questions, and imagine what a thriving, homegrown Hawaiʻi film industry could look like for the next generation.

BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS

3:00–4:45PM

Dr. Keolu Fox, Dr. Josiah Hester, Chaney Lopez, Jaden Kapali, Kale Hannahs, Keoni DeFranco (mod.)

ʻŌiwi researchers sit at the intersection of ancestral knowledge and technological innovation. Join Purple Maiʻa and OHA in a kūkā to share critiques of AI, the extractive nature of data centers, and an alternative future for sustainable computing and ʻŌiwi data sovereignty.

Rep. Adrian Tam, Kamaka Pili, Mālia Sanders, Kelly Sanders, Tyler Iokepa Gomes

The values we expect from visitors begin with us. Join the conversation on traveling with intention, integrity, and reciprocity, reflecting on how our own choices can shape a more respectful and sustainable relationship with place. Leading by example can strengthen aloha ʻāina, inspire responsible travel, and redefine what it means to be a thoughtful guest wherever we go.

Dr. Jamee Miller, Aubree K-aloha, Carrie Ann Shirota, Zoe Martinez, Ohawai Manuel, Hailee K-aloha, Kimmie Takata, Luanna Peterson

How do we transform the vision of Puʻuhonua into lasting systems change? Featuring the Clean Slate Hawaiʻi Initiative Steering Committee and Nā ʻŌpio Waiwai, a Native Hawaiian youth-led leadership council, this session showcases practical examples of how community-driven action can reshape systems and build a more just and restorative future.

Naʻalehu Anthony, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, Kali Watson, Mehana Hind (mod.) // Erik Montague, Ben Sullivan, Ramsey Brown, Scott Seu, Kalani L. Kaʻanāʻanā (mod.)

The energy decisions we make as a community today will determine ownership and jobs, land use, and your utility bill for a generation. Join this two-part panel on affordability and energy futures. First, hear about what an energy sovereign future looks like for Hawaiʻi. This panel will discuss new models to increase our voice, our ownership, and long-term reliability to protect households. Then, a separate panel puts the tradeoffs on the table so you can walk away knowing what’s at stake and what we should watch for next.

Kaʻiulani Neff Laʻehā, Shawn Kana’iaupuni, Makalika Naholowa’a, Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina

The Federal Trust Responsibility affirms that Native peoples are a unique political class, not a racial one. This session covers how the federal government must uphold that trust relationship, including the importance of federal funding for Native Hawaiian programs in health, education, economic stability, and housing.

Maile Alau

When life knocks us down, our instinct is often to pull inward: to isolate, to suffer quietly, to protect everyone else from our pain. In this heartfelt session, Maile Alau speaks to the pilina that carried her through the most challenging parts of her life. As an organizational development practitioner, she’s seen pilina at work on teams as the foundation that real productivity is built on. By sharing her own story, Maile shows all of us how the same connection that holds people up also holds teams together.

Cody Keale

Nānā nō a ka lāʻau kū hoʻokahi. Look for the plant that stands alone. Come and learn from Cody Keale, a passionate lāʻau lapaʻau practitioner and a student of the late Kumu Levon Ohai.

Native Hawaiian Convention 25th Anniversary HOʻOLAULEʻA

5:00–8:00PM

25 years ago, a movement was born. The Native Hawaiian Convention became the heartbeat of our lāhui – and the music of that era became its soundtrack. Weʻre bringing back the sounds that defined a generation with an evening that takes you straight back to our beginnings 25 years ago: Hoʻonuʻa. Manaʻo Company. Natural Vibes. Kapena. Join us outdoors at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Parking Lot for a live throwback concert, food trucks, games, prizes, and so much more!