By the Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke Team
“ʻO wai lā kou makuahine? ʻO ka ʻāina nō! ʻO wai lā kou kupuna wahine? ʻO ka ʻāina nō!”
(Who is your mother? It is ʻāina! Who is your grandmother? It is ʻāina!) – Joseph Iosepa Kahoʻoluhi Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, Ke Aloha ʻĀina, 1895
In February, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) participated in Ola Ka ʻĪ events across the pae ʻāina to celebrate and perpetuate ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in public spaces. With thousands of attendees across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi, these gatherings highlighted the growing commitment to language revitalization.
As part of our efforts to support this event, we created an activity-coloring book in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi that shares our kuleana and mission. More than 900 copies were distributed to keiki kaiapuni and community members, with a free PDF now available on our website. Mahalo to the communities who hosted us, and hoʻomaikaʻi to the haumāna who represented their kula through oli, mele, and haʻi ʻōlelo (speech competitions).
In March, OHA proudly co-sponsored the Aloha ʻĀina Leadership Awards (AALA) with Kanaeokana and Kanu o ka ʻĀina Learning ʻOhana. AALA honors students who live aloha ʻāina, carrying the kuleana of stewardship, cultural pride, and leadership.
Representing Hawaiian-focused charter schools, kaiapuni programs, Kamehameha campuses, and other Kanaeokana network schools, these haumāna embody the understanding that ʻāina is an ancestor, a source of life, and the foundation of our identity as Kanaka.
Selected by their schools, awardees received a makana to support their future endeavors. Mahalo to Kanaeokana and KALO for hosting AALA since 2018 and for ensuring that the next generation remains rooted in the values of our kūpuna. To this year’s 18 awardees: we wish you the best and hope you continue to ʻauamo your kuleana as poʻe aloha ʻāina.
Advocacy and aloha ʻāina are not just for our oldest haumāna. In March, OHA welcomed kumu and students from Hālau Kū Māna to the Board of Trustees’ Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment Committee meeting.
After emailing our trustees, students prepared verbal testimonies, offering lei and oli along with poised speeches that clearly laid out their issues. Eighth- and 12th-grade students shared heartfelt stories about how recent federal funding freezes have impacted their programs – and proposed a variety of creative solutions.
Students also engaged with OHA trustees and staff to explore the many available career pathways at OHA that might align with their passions. Their participation reflects the strength of our young leaders and the importance of ensuring they have the support they need to thrive.
Through language, leadership, and advocacy, these events reaffirm our collective commitment to ea and the mauli ola of our lāhui.
For more information, reach out to our Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke team: Director Kuʻuleianuhea Awo-Chun, kuuleianuheaa@oha.org; Strategy Consultant Makiʻilei Ishihara, makiileii@oha.org; Strategy Consultant Chantelle Kapua Belay, chantellekb@oha.org or email education@oha.org.
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