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 exclusives at our Mākeke, a marketplace celebrating Native Hawaiian artisans, makers, and entrepreneurs. From lole aloha to mea ʻai, find everything you need right here.

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

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

10–11:45AM

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Learn to film like a pro! 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. Watch their award-winning short films and hear all the tips and tricks you might need to make one yourself. Think you can create something unforgettable in just 24 hours? Get inspired by the filmmakers who’ve done it before, then put your creativity to the test. Your next great film could start right here.

Kaleipuupuu

LEI IT DOWN: Learn foundational lei wili techniques while working with native and canoe plants thoughtfully selected for the workshop. Through hands-on lei making, guests will explore lei as a living practice rooted in relationship to ʻāina and culturally significant materials, leaving with a lei kūpeʻe and a deeper understanding of the connections woven through lei.

Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong

Hele mai! Come and learn Poinaʻole Ku’u ‘Āina Kau I Ka Hano, a mele aloha ʻāina.

Kumu Hula Cody Pueo Pata

Recent in a long lineage of mele aloha ʻāina, come and learn choreography for E Ola ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi by Ikaika Blackburn. This workshop is for all levels of dancers.

Keoni Shizuma

Pulling lessons from moʻolelo in nūpepa to better understand our kupuna, our practices, and our stories, to equip us and future generations to be strong, well-grounded kanaka and move forward into the future..

Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

For over a century, members of Hawaiian Civic Clubs across the pae ‘āina and the continent have carried on Prince Kūhiō’s vision of community organizing, advocacy to improve the conditions of the Native Hawaiian community, and Native Hawaiian scholarship. Join us to learn how our members are leaning in to realize this vision 108 years into the Hawaiian Civic Club movement and how we support the well-being of our land and people, provide leadership training, create forums for learning, and lead community service projects.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

1–2:45PM

Talk story and learn protocol mele from moʻo Lono of Kahoʻolawe.

Ryan Okinaka, Improv Superette

In this crash course of improv, participants will get a taste of the art form while overcoming stage fright, being more comfortable with public speaking, stepping outside their comfort zones, and building confidence in their decision-making.

Kāhuli Leo Leʻa

This presentation explores the contours of mele and haku mele as a distinct knowledge stewardship system in which language, values, and culture thrive. Additionally, this presentation considers legal frameworks that supports mele, including contracts and western notions of intellectual property. As cultural practitioners exercise their crafts in modern contexts, panelists will consider the legal and cultural framework that facilitates knowledge transmission and cultural practices. 

Kumu Hula Vicky Holt-Takamine

Join Kumu Hula Vicky Holt Takamine to learn a hula and gain insight into the ʻike and traditions that continue to shape hula today.

Participants will begin researching their genealogy using six-generation pedigree and sibling charts, family stories, and archival research strategies. Through this Moʻokūʻauhau Research Process, attendees will learn how to connect moʻokūʻauhau, moʻolelo, and historical records to continue their family research journey.

As Hawaiian tatoo continues to gain visibility around the world, important conversations emerge around cultural stewardship, appropriation, and authenticity. Join working uhi and kākau practitioners as they discuss the evolution of Hawaiian tattoo, the use of contemporary motifs, and what it means to carry this cultural art form into a globalized future.

CULTURAL WORKSHOPS

3–4:45PM

Kūhana Small Business Accelerator

Give us your best pitch! In this interactive breakout session participants will learn how they can create and deliver a successful business idea to our Kūhana Small Business Accelerator team. 

Haus of Puas

Located in Hoʻopili, West O’ahu, Haus of Puas is dedicated to uplifting local and multi-generational lei makers, sourcing farm-direct pua from across the pae ‘āina, and reinvesting in Hawai’i’s farming and floral community. This workshop is designed as a collaborative, multi-artist experience that brings together lei makers from our community lei fridge, each working in a different traditional style. Attendees will not only learn the craft of lei making, they will hear its story, feel its significance, and carry it home in their hands.

Kaliko Baker

Talk story and learn protocol mele from moʻo Lono of Kahoʻolawe.

Kumu Hula Lono Padilla

Learn directly from Kumu Hula Lono Padilla as he shares a hula and the ʻike, history, and cultural significance behind it.

Kapena Baptista, Pā Kōnane

Kōnane is more than just a game, it’s a portal into a profound Hawaiian intellectual tradition. More than just a kid’s game or “Hawaiian Checkers”, Kōnane today is undergoing a revitalization effort rooted in ‘ike kūpuna. Join Ka Makou Kōnane Champion Kapena Baptista to learn more and improve your kōnane skills!

Lōpaka Kapanui

Huaka‘i pō, mo‘o, ‘aumākua, oh my! Long before the Honolulu City Lights, the islands of Hawai‘i were steeped in oral traditions of creatures that only came out at night. Come hear the stories from Master Storyteller Lopaka Kapanui, a repository of this supernatural legacy.

6–10PM

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