By Makiʻilei Ishihara, OHA Strategy Consultant
Kīkilo e nā iwi
Kīkilo e nā iwi e nā mamo e
Nā kini makamaka e
Kūpaʻa ke kanaka
Kūpaʻa ke kanaka hanohano haʻaheo e
Kū ke kanaka
Kūpaʻa ke kanaka hanohano haʻaheo e
– ʻŌiwi E, na Kumu John Keolamakaʻāinana-kalāhuiokalani Lake
I was recently honored to spend time at Hoʻokūʻikahi, learning from and supporting kūpuna, hālau, and ʻohana carrying forward traditional practices ma ka hana ka ʻike (learning by doing).
Even with prior experience, I was humbled to learn alongside descendants of aliʻi, cultural practitioners, organizations, and ʻohana gathered to honor our culture, genealogy, and Hawaiian identity.
In 1991, Hoʻokūʻikahi marked 200 years since Kamehameha’s dedication of Puʻukoholā Heiau, sealed in the sacrifice of his cousin, Keōua Kūʻahuʻula.
What was once a place of hurt has become a space to restore pilina — to remember, forgive, heal, and unite. This transformation was not spontaneous. It was made possible by the work and commitment of many across Hawaiʻi; a powerful reminder of what is possible when state, county, private, and community partners unite in shared purpose.
Delegations from across the Pacific — Aotearoa (Ngāti Porou, Tai Tokerau, Taranaki, Tūhoe, Whanganui), Raʻiātea, Rapa Nui, and Sāmoa — including Pacific Northwest Tlingit, also witnessed the event.
This year marked two milestones: the 53rd anniversary of the Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival and the 34th anniversary of modern Hoʻokūʻi- kahi ceremonies. The theme, “Eia ke ao, ka lau, la loa, ka muʻo, ka hoʻoilina” (Here is the present, the future, the everlasting, the continuous growth, the legacy), is a reminder that hoʻoilina (legacy) is a living practice.
Puʻukoholā has many strong ʻohana bonds, whose third- and fourth-generation descendants affirmed their commitment to care for the space. The Kawaiʻaeʻa ʻohana experienced a second hoʻolaʻa aliʻi (sacred ascension) for Daniel “Danny” Kalalau Kawaiʻaeʻa, Jr., who carries forward his father’s legacy as an aliʻi ʻaimoku. Danny retired this past April after more than 44 years of service – 36 as superintendent and area manager of Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (NHS).
Legacy also means remembrance. In the pre-dawn darkness of August 15, a solemn procession led men to Puʻukoholā Heiau and women to Mailekini Heiau, where each group called aloud the names of those who have transitioned to Pō — friends, family, mentors — in a loving testament of our enduring heritage.
We remembered leaders like Elaine Flores, who helped establish Puʻukoholā Heiau NHS in 1972. Two of her pulapula (descendants) continue her work — grandson Willy Akima, Jr. and great-grandson Alika Amos — who mālama the space with strength and aloha.
We also honored beloved kumu hula and loea including George Nāʻope, Hale Kealoalani Makua, Parley Kanakaʻole, Arthur Kepoʻo, and Kumu John Keola Lake.
Kahuna Nui o Nā Papa Kānaka o Puʻukoholā John Kuʻuhoamele Cuban, a haumana of Kumu Lake, recalled a hōʻailona (omen) during an ʻōpaʻipaʻi ceremony in the pā below the heiau. In Kawaihae, where rain rarely falls, ua puni mākou i ke kuluwaimaka a nā hulu kūpuna — cleansing rains embraced us.
Every mele and pule lifted by attendees, including second- and third-generation hālau mele, carried forward the teachings of our beloved kūpuna.
A hōʻike on August 16 celebrated the completion of kuleana and release from kapu with food, hula, and oli. This year was special for our hālau mele ʻohana as Anakē Barbara Lake, widow of Kumu Lake, attended her first Hoʻokūʻikahi. She and her son, Kekoa, were embraced by warm faces – old and new – and with hula, and mele me he leo kūpinaʻi:
Kū ke kanaka, kūpaʻa ke kanaka hanohano haʻaheo e.
In this spirit, we recommit ourselves to the work ahead, even when the path is difficult. Whether joining protocol, offering kōkua, or bearing witness as part of our kuleana — to learn, hold, honor, and remember.
Hoʻokūʻikahi is more than an event. It is a living practice of unification and healing, bridging past and present with the promise of future wellness.
Wherever you come from, however long you have walked this path, may you honor our shared hoʻoilina by engaging with spaces like Puʻukoholā and carrying forward our culture and traditions, ensuring the leo kūpinaʻi (echoing voice) is never silenced.
Mahalo nui to nā kumu, nā kūpuna, nā ʻohana, and community whose voices, hands, and hearts make this work — and this moʻolelo — possible. To those who came before, those who return, and those who continue to mālama these practices — mahalo for the ʻike and aloha that continue to guide, inspire, and sustain our living heritage.
The original planning committee for Hoʻokūʻikahi included William Akau, Lorna Kaʻiuwailani Akima, Michael Atwood, Elaine Lam Ho Flores, Rose Akana Fujimori, William Hancock, Sam Kahaʻi Kaʻai, Daniel Kalalau Kawaiʻaeʻa, Jr., Lionel Kutner, Hale Kealohalani Makua, Fred Kalani Meinecke, Jerry Shimoda, Frances Heen Sanford, Manny Veincent, and Noelani Teves Whittington.
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