MONDAY, JULY 20

PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOP DAY

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

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.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

10–11:45AM

Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor, Hinaikawaihiʻilei Keala, Kauluponookaleilehua Luʻuwai

How can the movement to stop the bombing of this sacred island serve as an example to end live fire training in Hawaiʻi and return Public Land Trust ʻāina leased by the military to the people of Hawaiʻi? Learn the moʻolelo of Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe and the accomplishments of the Aloha ʻĀina movement over the past 50 years.

Dr. Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa

Through the practice of moʻokūʻauhau, begin your journey to reconnect with your kūpuna and preserve family histories. Using six-generation pedigree and sibling charts, family stories, and archival research strategies, learn the foundations of genealogy research. Explore how moʻokūʻauhau, moʻolelo, and historical records come together to guide your ongoing journey of ʻike and connection.

Ciara Lacy, Alex Bocchieri, John Salanoa, Averie Joy Maikalima O Makua Huffine

Lights, camera, action! The kickoff of our 24-hour film competition starts here as we set you up with the basics from well-known filmmakers in our community. Your next great film could start right here.

Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

For over a century, members of Hawaiian Civic Clubs across the pae ʻāina and the continent have carried on Prince Kūhiō’s vision of community organizing, advocacy, and Native Hawaiian scholarship. Join us to learn how our members continue to lean in and turn this vision into action, supporting the well-being of our land and people, developing strong leaders, creating forums for learning, and leading impactful community service projects that strengthen our communities.

Kaleipuupuu

Learn foundational lei wili techniques and work with thoughtfully selected native and canoe plants. Through hands-on lei making, guests will explore lei as a living practice rooted in relationship to ʻāina and culturally significant materials. Come early, space is limited!

Kumu Hina

E nā ‘ōiwi a puni ka honua, hele mai! Join us and learn Poinaʻole Kuʻu ‘Āina Kau I Ka Hano, a mele aloha ʻāina written and composed by Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong. Be part of the kāhea to perpetuate the sovereignty and life of the land. Whether you’re reconnecting with your roots or learning for the first time, your voice belongs in this mele.

Kumu Hula Cody Pueo Pata

Eō e nā kiaʻi o nā ʻailana! A call out to all protectors of the islands! Come and learn choreography from Kumu Hula Pueo for E Ola ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi by Ikaika Black-burn. Join us to explore the meaning behind this modern mele aloha ʻāina while learning choreography in a welcoming space for beginners and experienced dancers alike.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

1–2:45PM

Kāhuli Leo Leʻa

Who owns a mele? Who has the right to share it? And, how do we protect ʻike passed down through generations? This presentation explores the contours of mele and haku mele as a distinct ʻike stewardship system in which language, values, and culture thrive. Additionally, this session considers legal frameworks that support mele, including contracts and western notions of intellectual property. As cultural practitioners exercise their craft in modern contexts, panelists will consider the legal and cultural frameworks facilitating transmission of knowledge and cultural practices.

Kamaliʻikupono Hanohano

Hawaiian tattooing is not simply decorative art or an expression of individual identity. Through the practice of kākau, the body tells a larger story: one of genealogy and ancestry, of relationship to ʻāina and community, and of the kuleana we hold. Join kākau practitioner Kamaliʻikupono Hanohano as he shares the cultural significance of Hawaiian tattooing and what it means to perpetuate this ancestral practice today.

KūHana Small Business Accelerator

Have a great idea? The floor is yours. In this interactive session, the KūHana Small Business Accelerator team will guide participants through the art of creating and delivering a powerful business pitch. Bring your ideas, sharpen your message, and learn what it takes to make people believe in your vision.

Maui Department of ʻŌiwi Resources

What is our lāhui’s collective and shared kuleana to restore and revitalize Mokuʻula, Mokuhinia, the greater Royal complex, and our nation’s original capital of Ka Malu ʻUlu ʻo Lele? This session will provide historical context for this wahi pana, empower our ʻōiwi leading the community organizations for the past 30+ years, and share ways for the lāhui to engage with regeneration efforts now and into the future.

Kapena Baptista, Pā Kōnane

Learn the strategy, skill, and ʻike carried through kōnane, a traditional Hawaiian game of careful observation and forward thinking. Ka Makou Kōnane Champion Kapena Baptista will introduce its history and cultural significance, guide participants through the rules and strategies of play, and help players of all experience levels sharpen their skills.

Ilima DeCosta

Self-lomilomi for trauma recovery is designed to provide a safe, clothed and gentle self-massage experience focused on reconnecting with the body and releasing tension utilizing native Hawaiian healing principles.

Kumu Hula Vicky Holt-Takamine

When one wants to dance the hula, bashfulness should be left at home. Join Kumu Hula Vicky Holt Takamine to learn a hula and gain insight into the ʻike and traditions that continue to shape hula today.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

3–4:45PM

Imaikalani Winchester

Trace the foundations of Ka Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day) and its resurgence as a movement for Hawaiian conscientization, resistance, and liberation from U.S. occupation. Commemorating the restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty on July 31, 1843, when the Hawaiian Kingdom was returned to King Kamehameha III following a five-month British occupation, the contemporary movement to honor and celebrate this occasiion has become a powerful expression of Hawaiian national identity and a catalyst for the restoration of sovereignty. Explore how education strengthens Hawaiian national consciousness and advances the work of restoring the Hawaiian nation.

Lopaka Kapanui

Long before the Honolulu City Lights, the islands of Hawai‘i were steeped in oral traditions of myths, leg-ends, and moʻolelo. Come hear the stories from Hawaiʻi’s “Chicken Skin” Master Storyteller Lopaka Kapanui. Sharing more than just Hawaiian ghost stories, Lopaka shares his deep knowledge and love of the history and legends of Hawaiʻi.

Keoni Shizuma

Hawaiian-language newspapers hold a vast archive of moʻolelo, ʻike, and perspectives from our kūpuna. Join Keoni Shizuma to explore selected nūpepa texts, learn how to draw meaning from them, and consider how these stories can deepen our understanding of Hawaiian history, practice, and identity today.

Haus of Puas

Step into the living tradition of lei making at Haus of Puas, where Hawaiʻi’s flowers, artisans, and stories come together in an unforgettable cultural experience. This immersive workshop brings together talented lei makers from our community lei fridge, each offering a glimpse into a different traditional style and creative practice. Learn the techniques behind lei making while gaining a deeper appreciation for the history, meaning, and aloha woven into every strand. Pre-registration required at https://buytickets.at/hawaiiancouncil/2310293.

Ryan Okinaka, Improv Superette

Step into the unexpected! During this fast-paced crash course, participants will get a taste of improv to conquer stage fright, become more confident public speakers, step outside their comfort zones, think on their feet, and trust their instincts. Pre-registration required at https://buytickets.at/hawaiiancouncil/2310311.

Kaliko Baker, Kaipulaumakaniolono Keala

Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa: Sanctify, Sustain, Solidify. Where explosions once echoed, there are now footsteps, ceremony, and healing. Learn from Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana member Kaliko Baker about the history of Kahoʻolawe, protocol mele for the island, and how future generations can carry the work forward.

Kumu Hula Lono Padilla

Kalākaua once said, “Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” Learn directly from Kumu Hula Lono Padilla as he shares the ʻike, history, and cultural significance behind “Kaulana Ke Kuahiwi,” a wahine hula ʻauana.

6–10PM

Join us for the Official Afterparty at ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach!