Kēhaunani Abad has happily played background roles in the lāhui. Her day job for 12 years involved teaching Hawaiian history and nurturing the seeds of activism in ‘ōpio. Her evenings were often spent writing testimony to refute developers’ hired archaeologists who not surprisingly reported nothing of significance in the footprints of their plans. Her work at Kamehameha Publishing focused on amplifying Hawaiian perspectives and community voices. Today she serves in Kamehameha Schools’ Community Education Division as the director of Kealaiwikuamoʻo, a unit that supports collaboration among the Kanaeokana network of P-20+ Hawaiian-focused kula and hui whose vision is to grow and sustain the next generations of aloha ʻāina leaders.

She is very excited about a project Kanaeokana has set Kealaiwikuamoʻo to work on – developing a pair of moʻolelo and kilo apps that kumu, haumāna, ʻohana, and kaiāulu can use to deepen their engagement in and understandings of both significant bodies of cultural practice.

Rosie ʻAnolani Alegado was born and raised in Ka‘iwi‘ula, O‘ahu, and lives with her family in Āhuimanu, Kahaluʻu. She is an Assistant Professor of Oceanography and Sea Grant at UH Mānoa where she is Director for the Center of Excellence in Integrated Science, Knowledge and Culture and a member of the Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Team. Rosie earned her BS in Biology from MIT, holds a PhD in Microbiology from Stanford University, and has been learning Kaulana Mahina and Papakū Makawalu since 2015. In 2018, she was confirmed to the City & County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission.

Rosie investigates the how microbes shape the adaptive potential of their ecosystem across a broad range of biological and temporal scales. In partnership with Paepae o He‘eia, her group has collected microbial and water quality data at He‘eia Fishpond since 2014, tracking the influence of restoration, storms and multi-annual climate patterns on the health of this coastal ecosystems.

Keahi Bustamente is a forest restoration and extinction prevention specialist for the islands of Maui Nui, Hawai‘i, where he leads and assist conservation efforts in remote areas, including out-planting, weed management, and exploration for the recovery of critically endangered plant and animals species. Operating in remote areas in Hawai‘i requires: weeks of planning and preparation, usually requires helicopter assistance, but most importantly, favorable weather. Keahi’s field work planning is centered around Kaulana Mahina, but includes, keen observation, and remote technology, to determine weather trends for remote locations; enabling him, to reduce cancellation of field operations due to poor weather, and increase effectiveness and overall safety.

Liliana Clarke is of Ngati Porou, Waikato, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi and Scottish whakapapa. She resides in Whakatane, Aotearoa with her hoa tane and two tamariki. Liliana is passionate about Maori achieving their aspirations in regards to Putaiao and sustainable development. She has a background in resource and environmental planning and Maori natural resource management. Liliana has a broad experience base working with Iwi and Hapu: Ngati Awa and Ngati Rangi; the public sector: Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Manaaki Whenua, Society of British Aerospace; and research institutes at Massey University, Lincoln University, University of Waikato and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi. Recent research interests include environmental contamination issues affecting Maori communities and she is currently examining traditional and contemporary applications of Maramataka (the Maori Lunar phase calendar).

Kalaunuola Domingo
No Waipahū mai au, ke keiki a George lāua ʻo Rose. ‘O wau ‘o Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo. He wahine au na Kealoha, a he makuahine no Kahikinaoakalā, Kaiao, Kauha‘anui, Keao Ku‘ikahi. He 18 a‘u kalahiki e a‘o nei ma Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau LPCS, ma Ha‘ikū, He‘eia, O‘ahu.

In Papa Mālaa‘o, we kilo anilā daily & discuss as a class what it looks, sounds, & feels like. We record our observations in their puke kilo lani also being mindful of the mahina. This practice guides our prediction skills & how to prepare for the daily changes in our environment. It also leads the discussion on how we take care of Papahānaumoku each and every day.

Kealoha Domingo–  NuiKealoha is an ‘ohana owned and operated catering company driven by Robert Kealoha Domingo & his eldest son Kahikinaokalā. Chef-owner Kealoha carries many different kūleana, husband, father, cultural practitioner, active community member affiliated with several hawaiian organizations including Nā Papa Kanaka O Pu’ukoholā Heiau, Papa Hana Kuaola, Kai Loa Non- profit in support of Ke Kula o SM Kamakau, as well as the Kaaawa Community Association. Kealoha and his wife Kalaunuola have four sons, the hiapo Kahikinaokalā, graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, and currently enrolled in Kapiolani Community College’s Culinary Arts program.

Kanani Frazier hails from Hawai‘i Island and is a kua‘āina of Ola‘a in the moku of Puna. Growing up in many different environments both ma uka and ma kai gave her the desire to pursue a degree in biology at UH Mānoa and a career in conservation biology. Working with NOAA and the Hanalei community to produce the Hanalei Moon Calendar inspired and energized her to continue to educate about the Hawaiian lunar calendar and community sustainability. She currently creates the Puke Mo‘olelo Mahina moon phase planners, the Puke Ho‘olalā Ha‘awina school year planners and also various community based kilo planners. She hopes that by having these resources available to ‘ohana, keiki and our Hawai‘i communities that we can all move forward into a future where kaulana mahina is apart of all of our daily lives. She is also contributor to the Moon Phase Project, an interactive, web-based observation that has been a wonderful platform for many throughout ka pae‘āina Hawaiʻi and beyond to share their observations and reconnect with their ‘āina.

Kauʻi Fu is a native practitioner hailing the North Shore of Kaua‘i currently residing in Kīlauea. She uses Kaulana Mahina in her current work teaching, paddling, and sailing with her keiki at Waipā. She comes from an ‘ohana of avid fishermen, and has been using this ʻike to ensure sustainable fishing practices in her community, which include recording gonad sizes and tracking spawning cycles for the fish they catch and consume. Kau‘i was recently a part of an innovative project in Anini interviewing and recording kūpuna to preserve mo‘olelo and fishing traditions of the area.

ʻO Kuiokalani Lee Gapero ko’u inoa a no Maui mai wau. Ua hele aku wau i ke kula o Kamehameha ma Kapālama. Ma hope o ka puka ʻana maila o ua kula lā, ua komo no ka makemake e lilo i puali koa no Amelika i hui pū ʻia. I kaʻu hoʻi ʻana mai i Hawaii nei, ua hele aku wau i ke kula nui ma Mānoa a puka aʻela me ka palapala puka kula ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Ua lilo nō i kumu ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, kanaka mālama ʻāina, a mākuakāne nō hoʻi! Ua hoʻi mai i Maui no ka hana ʻana ma ke keʻena ʻo KIRC (Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission) a ma laila nō i hoʻomaka ʻia ai i ko’u kilo ʻana.

I am Kuiokalani Lee Gapero and come from the island of Maui. I attended Kamehameha Schools Kapalama campus. After I graduated, I enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard. Upon my return to Hawaiʻi, I went to the University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated with my degree in Hawaiian Language. I became a teacher, a land resource manager, and a father too! I came home to Maui to work for the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission and it is there where I began my observation techniques and practice.

Koʻikūokalani’s experiences as a youth growing up on the island of Maui has shaped him to his many interests and work today in our community. His background and work has lead me through conservation and restoration efforts all throughout Hawaiʻi as well as a teaching aide in the Hawaiian immersion school on Hawaiʻi and Maui. Koʻiʻs passion surrounds our importance on educating our youth of Hawaiʻi through the traditions and customs of Hawaiian culture.

He is working with the Education and Marketing department at Maui Ocean Center as a cultural practitioner.

Ryan “Gonzo” Gonzalez
Ryan “Gonzo” Gonzalez has spent the past 22 years working with and for Hawaiian communities in various roles around mo’olelo and media. He is a digital artist, an award winning musician, a director/producer of documentaries, and an old school web designer/developer; But most importantly he is a garut, happily providing platforms through which community stories and experiences are shared broadly. He is currently the director of Network Engagement of Kealaiwikuamo’o, a department within Kamehameha Schools that is focused on supporting Kanaeokana, the kula Hawai’i network. He is very interested in utilizing mo’olelo, media, and technology to positively influence and impact how systems think and operate. He likes mud pie ice cream.

Kalikolehua Goo was raised in Puna on the island of Hawaiʻi, and currently lives in Wahiawa, Kauaʻi with her ʻohana.  She is going into her 9th year as a teacher at Kawaikini Charter School teaching 4th grade in a Hawaiian immersion environment.  She has also taught at Pūnana Leo o Hilo, Kua o ka Lā and Kanu o ka ʻĀina charter schools.  She enjoys teaching students to be better kilo and stewards of their place.

Pauline Harris
Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Kahungunu
Dr. Pauline Harris has a PhD in astroparticle physics from Canterbury University, where she investigated gamma ray bursts as possible sites for high-energy neutrino production. Dr Harris is currently a research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington and is the Chairperson of the Society of Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART).  There, she is dedicated to the collation and the revitalization of Māori astronomical star lore and the Maori Moon calendar as well as the search for extra-solar planets and. Pauline has been involved in the revitalization of Māori star lore for the past 14 years, giving many talks pertaining to Māori Astronomy and Matariki/Puanga in New Zealand and overseas.

Hōkūlani Holt has been the Kumu Hula for Pā‘ū O Hi‘iaka for over 40 years. She has devoted her professional and personal time to many aspects of Hawaiian culture throughout the islands. Hōkūlani was a founding member, a parent, and a Director of Pūnana Leo O Maui Hawaiian Language Preschool. She was the first Maui Site Coordinator for Nā Pua No‘eau, The Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children; she was the Culture and Education Manager for the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission and continues to be a lecturer at the Maui Community College. Hōkūlani currently works UH Maui College as the Director of Ka Hikina O Ka Lā scholarship program.

Hōkūlani’s hula background comes from two places. Her early hula training comes from her family through her grandmother, Ida Pakulani Ka‘aihue Kai‘anui Long, as well as her aunt Kahili Long Cummings and her mother Leiana Long Woodside. While in Honolulu, Hōkūlani’s kahiko (traditional hula) training came from Kumu Hula Hoakalei Kamau‘u and it was through Hoakalei that she began to teach hula. She has also had the opportunity to study oli and cultural ceremony with Dr. Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele.

Hōkūlani Holt has participated in numerous Boards and public service organizations such as Kauahea Inc, Lālākea Foundation, Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana, Kamehameha Schools CEO Advisory Board, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Community Group, and Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commissioner.

Hōkūlani continues to give tirelessly to her community and is tremendously proud to be from Maui and to be Hawaiian.

Koa Hewahewa was born and raised in Wailuku, Maui. A small business owner of Kanu Ka ʻIke LLC. Currently the Forestry Manager at Hōkū Nui Maui LLC and responsible for the planning and management of habitat restoration for a 30-acre Native Habitat Corridor, and Multi-story Agroforestry Food farm in partnership with Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel and Hālau Kealaokamaile. Koa is passionate about watershed protection, education of youth, water rights for Native Hawaiians and worked with community members to develop plans for using generational knowledge to manage community resources and also worked with many organizations, including NRCS, DOFAW, Liliuʻokalani Trust, OHA, Kamehameha Schools, and Hui o Nā Wai ‘Ehā on numerous restoration/educational projects. Koa has a background in Sustainable Science Management, Horticulture of Native Hawaiian plants and resource management.

Koa utilizes Kaulana Mahina in his planning of his and his crews work schedule daily, throughout the week and year. Understanding moon phases and some of the biodynamics like where the sap is in our plants creates a schedule and timing of when and when not to do things. He also developed a kilo app for the farm to help better understand the surroundings from which he can kilo.

Kainoa Horcajo was born and raised on the island of Maui. He has studied under the guidance of highly respected kūpuna (elders) in disciplines such as traditional celestial calendars, martial arts, and herbal and energetic healing. He has trained thousands of visitor industry executives in Hawai‘i on embracing cultural values and instilling an authentic Hawaiian sense of place. At the Grand Wailea Hotel, Kainoa is the resort’s Hawaiian cultural ambassador, who aims to create experiences connecting visitors and residents to the host culture and the islands by creating innovative programs connected to the kaulana mahina and kilo. He tries to pay’tention, mostly unsuccessfully but sometimes he gets lucky.

Manaiakalani Kalua
A true mauliauhonua Mānai Kalua and his ʻohana know every nook, cranny, story, rain, wind and attitude of Keaukaha, Moku o Keawe. Mānai graduated from Kamehameha School in 1996 and received a BA in Hawaiian Studies in 2002 from Ka Haka ʻUla ʻo Keʻelikolani at UH-Hilo.  He has been an instructor at Hawaiʻi Community College in the Hawaiian Life Styles-program, since 2003 and currently works as a consultant for several native Hawaiian restoration projects. As a kumu hula Mānai opened his hālau, Akaunu, in 2012. Mānai’s hula traditions branch out of UNUKUPUKUPU and Hālau O Kekuhi.

ʻEkela Kaniaupio-Crozier is the E Ola! Learning Designer and Facilitator at Kamehameha Schools Maui where she provides campus support to fulfill the kuleana of providing a world class Hawaiian culture-based education to haumāna. She’s been blessed with wonderful opportunities to pioneer Hawaiian language programs in different communities and spaces, and at all levels from preschoolers to kūpuna. She has been a Hawaiian language instructor for over 35 years at various schools including St. Louis School, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Leeward Community College and University of Hawaiʻi Maui College and continues to provide classes on Molokaʻi and here on Maui. Ekela designed and taught Kulāiwi, the first Hawaiian language distance learning program which aired across the state of Hawaiʻi and now reaches a worldwide audience via Youtube. She is also the Hope Kahu of Ekalesia o Kupaianaha, Hoʻomana o Ke Akua Ola in Wailuku, a mother of 3 awesome kānaka and “Honey” to 2 moʻopuna living in Aotearoa. ʻO kona manaʻo, ʻo ia nō hoʻi, e ola mau ana ko kākou poʻe kūpuna a me ko lākou ʻike ma o ko kākou koho ʻana e hoʻopuka i ko kākou ʻōlelo makamae ma nā wahi a pau.

Pōmaikaʻi Kaniaupio-Crozier was born on the island of Oʻahu and has always taken a keen interest in Hawaiian Natural Resource Management.  Since graduating from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a degree in Hawaiian Language & Hawaiian Studies focused on Natural Environment, he has taught at his alma mater, St. Louis School; served as the lo‘i coordinator at Ka Papa Lo‘i ‘o Kānewai and helped to develop and teach the papa mahi’ai at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Mentored by many kūpuna, Pōmaika‘i takes every opportunity to share with others the art of kilo and traditional resource management. Pōmaika‘i assisted in establishing several ‘aina based education programs statewide over the past 20 years and was also responsible for the restoration and reconstruction of the 106 year old hale pili in the Bishop Museum. 

Presently his days are filled with a variety of tasks as the conservation manager for Pu’u Kukui watershed preserve (the largest private nature preserve in the state) that can range from protecting the ‘ua‘u kani (Hawaiian Wedge-tailed Shearwater) at the Hawea shoreline, protecting native species, flora and fauna, to escorting world renowned scientists to the summit of Pu‘u Kukui. In his rare free time he enjoys mahi‘ai activities and especially making memories with his ‘ohana.

Lāiana Kanoa-Wong is a graduate of the papahana kula kaiapuni. A student from Pūnana Leo o Honolulu, ke Kula kaiapuni o Waiau and graduate of Ke kula kaiapuni ‘o Ānuenue. Lāiana received a Bachelors degree in Hawaiian language and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. As an educator Lāiana worked at both Pūnana Leo o Honolulu and Kawaiaha’o,  Ka Papa Lo’i o Kānewai,  Ke Kula Kaiapuni ‘o Ānuenue and at Hālau Kū Māna charter school teaching Hawaiian language and culture through an aloha ‘āina lens. Lāiana currently works as a Hawaiian Cultural Specialist for Kamehameha Schools, helping to strengthen the Hawaiian cultural foundation of the organization. Lāiana and his wife Cami are parents of 3 Keiki who are being raised in the Kula Kaiapuni and Hawaiian focus charter school programs. Lāiana credits his kilo skills to lunar and solar observations in preparation for ceremonies on Kaho’olawe as a Kua for the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana.

Hi‘ilei Kawelo is the Executive Director of Paepae o He‘eia, the non-profit organization that cares for He‘eia Fishpond, an 88-acre, 800-year old traditional Hawaiian fishpond located in the ahupua‘a of He‘eia and the moku of Ko‘olaupoko on O‘ahu. Paepae o He‘eia was founded in 2001 and has been actively restoring the fishpond for the past 17 years. Hi‘ilei’s passion is Hawai‘i, its land and sea, its people, practices and traditions.

Hi‘ilei is a wahine lawaiʻa (fisherwoman) from Kahalu‘u, O‘ahu. Six generations of the Kawelo ‘ohana have been fishing the waters of Kawahaokamanō (Kāne‘ohe Bay); their dependence on the Bay for sustenance has led Hi‘ilei to where she is today.

The He‘eia ahupua‘a may well be one of the few ahupua‘a on the island of O‘ahu where the connection between land and sea is still maintained and is actively being restored. The health and functionality of He‘eia Fishpond depends on the health of the entire ahupua‘a. Understanding the impacts of climate change and the way the fishpond and surrounding areas respond keep the practice of mahi i‘a (fish cultivation) alive and well. Paepae o He‘eia’s goal is to return the fishpond to its original production potential, that of cultivating herbivorous fish such as ‘Ama‘ama (Mullet) and Awa (Milkfish) for the community.

Liam Kernell is the director of communications at The Kohala Center, an independent nonprofit organization based in Waimea, Hawai‘i Island. In his role he communicates stories of The Center’s programs and initiatives that turn research and ancestral knowledge into action, in an effort to help communities in Hawai‘i and beyond thrive economically, ecologically, culturally, and socially. Liam was born and raised on O‘ahu and is a graduate of ‘Iolani School. He holds a B.A. in social sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kēhau Kimokeo
Sommer “Kehau” Kimokeo resides in Keanae and Waihee Maui. In one capacity for her full time job she is the Maui Nui Marine Wildlife Program Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Aquatic Resources. In this she works with endangered marine wildlife and lawaia of Hawaii. She is also the part time Operations Manager and educator for the Paeloko Learning Center who focuses on Native Hawaiian education and cultural traditions. The kaulana mahina has been an important part in over 20 years of conservation work and everyday in the loʻi and ocean gathering.

Billy Kinney
From northern Kauaʻi, Billy was raised in a ranching and fisher family. He spent most of his early years with the mākua of Hanalei and Hāʻena. Currently an undergraduate in English at Mānoa; he is interested in contemporary stories as they connect people / place / resources to enrich advocacy. He uses the Kaulana Mahina: continuously recalibrating and being mindful of appropriate actions, intentions, planning for promoting communal productivity – from investigating the flux of personal productivity / creativity to the noting of fish and limu production of the shorelines his family has tended to for generations.

Koʻikūokalani Lum’s experiences as a youth growing up on the island of Maui has shaped him to his many interests and work today in our community. His background and work has lead me through conservation and restoration efforts all throughout Hawaiʻi as well as a teaching aide in the Hawaiian immersion school on Hawaiʻi and Maui. Koʻiʻs passion surrounds our importance on educating our youth of Hawaiʻi through the traditions and customs of Hawaiian culture. 

He is working with the Education and Marketing department at Maui Ocean Center as a cultural practitioner.

Rereata Makiha
Nga Puhi, Te Arawa, Rangitane
Rereata has been passionately working with several universities and communities in New Zealand, sharing his research on the Maramataka (Maori Lunar Calendar) and traditional Māori astronomy. Rereata is currently working with the Society of Māori Astronomy, Research, & Traditions (S.M.A.R.T) to identify the natural indicators in the environment that guides the tangata whenua (people) towards leading healthy productive lives.

Dr. Rangi Matamua
Tūhoe
Rangi is a professor and an Associate Dean Postgraduate/Te Ara Tōtara at the University of Waikato in the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies. His research fields are Māori astronomy and star lore, Tūhoe weaponry, Māori culture and language development, research and revitalisation. He travels extensively throughout the country giving public lectures about Matariki and Māori Astronomy. Rangi is a board member of the Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART), a graduate of the Panekiretanga o te reo programme, and is a current student of the Te Mata Punenga course under the guidance of Professor Pou Temara and Professor Wharehuia Milroy.

Dane Uluwehiokalani Maxwell was raised on the slopes of Haleakalā in a home surrounded by Hula and Hawaiian politics. Currently, he resides in Pukalani in the moku of Kula mauka. From an early age, Dane has worked alongside his grandfather Charles K. Maxwell on iwi kūpuna repatriation, reinterment, and now serves as the vice chair on the Maui Lānaʻi Island Burial Council. In 2001, he and his grandfather have responded to most if not all of the cetacean and marine mammal strandings on the Island of Maui and after the passing of his grandfather in 2012, he has continued to carry on this kuleana. Now, Dane is currently a cultural specialist at Maui Ocean Center where he partners with the aquarist team on how to manage and malama the marine animals while theyʻer under MOCʻs care. His hopes are to educate and partner with like-minded individuals who are deeply connected to Kanaloa in itʻs entirety and creating a better foundation for our future Kiaʻi Kanaloa.

Born and raised in Kapahulu, Kim Kanoe‘ulalani Morishige is a Marine Biology Ph.D. candidate at UH Mānoa and a Nā Kilo ʻĀina (NKA) Program Coordinator for Nā Maka o Papahānaumokuākea (NMP) working with multiple communities across the pae ‘āina. Under NMP, she collaborates with communities to coordinate NKA community engagement programs, implement biocultural monitoring, and provide leadership and research opportunities for local students. One of the tools used in NKA programs is Huli ʻia, a quantitative methodology to internalize kilo in relation to our lifestyles and practices and build a deep understanding of dominant seasonal and lunar patterns of place. NKA encourages building place-based knowledge to support a collective movement for communities to gather, reconnect to place, and adjust our behaviors to support ʻāina momona. Based on the foundation of ancestral knowledge systems, Huli ʻia is a platform for communities to build collective records of place-specific natural cycles of productivity (population increases, new growth, presence/absence, reproductive activity, etc.) and identify dominant environmental occurrences correlated with these changes across our skies, lands, and oceans. NKA also grows local capacity to utilize institutional science to examine intertidal ecosystem health including ʻopihi, hāʻukeʻuke, and fish seasonal reproduction, size of reproductive maturity, and population size to inform sustainable harvesting practices. Ultimately, NKA empowers communities to perpetuate ancestral knowledge systems and essentially re-establish balance guided by place-based knowledge of our communities of people and place.

U‘ilani Naipo is a mother, a hula practitioner and a life learner of Hawaiian indigenous knowledge. As a dedicated community volunteer, U‘i passionately provides program management and technology skills to various Hawai‘i non-profit organizations such as ‘Aimalama, Nā Kālai Wa‘a, and Make a Wish Foundation to name a few.

Malia Nobrega-Olivera is from Hanapēpē Valley, Kona, Kauaʻi. She is a co-founder of ʻAimalama, currently the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement and also the Director of a program called Loli Aniau, Makaʻala Aniau (LAMA) (Climate Change, Climate Alert) at UH Mānoa. Malia is a Native Hawaiian educator, kumu hula, salt maker, cultural practitioner, filmmaker, community organizer, and advocate of indigenous rights at all levels – locally, regionally, and internationally. Her experiences demonstrate her commitment to her people, language, and culture and to indigenous peoples worldwide. Ms. Nobrega-Olivera’s advocacy work has taken her to various international meetings such as the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Kalei Nu‘uhiwa was born and raised on the island of Maui. Kalei has been active in the Hawaiian language movement, revitalization of the island of Kahoʻolawe, has taught wayfinding practices on the Mo‘olele and has worked to reinstate the Kaulana Mahina (lunar calendar) into daily practice. Kalei is a co-founder of the ‘Aimalama consortium and the Director of Kūkeao: ‘Aimalama E Mauliauhonua. Her work is a project that conducts research in Hawaiian pule (incantations/prayers) and mele (songs) to extrapolate Hawaiian scientific understanding and epistemologies of the natural world to be reestablished in Hawaiian Focus Charter Schools. For the last 12 years, Kalei has also been a researcher for the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation’s Papakū Makawalu project specifically studying the traditional Hawaiian atmospheric and celestial knowledge. The collected research is the resource for her thesis.

A PhD candidate at the University of Waikato in the Māori & Pacific Development Programme, Kalei’s topic is “Papakū Makawalu: A Native Hawaiian Method to Deconstruct, Analyze & Reconstruct Traditional Knowledge.”

Kalei is extremely passionate about elevating modern Hawaiians today with tools from ko mākou ancestors of the past, impelling us forward into the future well equipped.

Ka‘iulani Odom is the Director of the ROOTS Program at Kōkua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services. A licensed dietician, she has researched diverse traditional Native Hawaiian health practices and conducts a maternal and child health class entitled Birthing a Nation.

Kōkua Kalihi Valley incorporates the lunar calendar in many aspects ~ mahi‘ai use it daily to plant in their community garden, lāʻau is harvested and produced by the moon phases, and major events and meetings are scheduled accordingly. Their staff gathers regularly every full moon to share ʻawa and stories, and there is a conscious effort to increase awareness and intentionality with ʻāina and with each Other.

Joylynn Paman is the Executive Director of ‘Ao‘ao O Nā Loko I‘a O Maui, a non-profit organization that is revitalizing a Native Hawaiian fishpond in South Maui. She has been an instrumental leader with the organization for 20 years and has developed its education and fishpond restoration programs which have influenced thousands. She has a passion for combining her love for the Hawaiian culture and language in the work that she does within Maui’s community and within our environment. In addition to the fishpond project, she has also served environmental education leadership roles at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Maui Invasive Species Committee and NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Hōkūao Pellegrino
He kalo kanu o ka ‘āina ‘o Hōkūao Pellegrino no Maui Nui o Kama i ka makani Kokololio o Waikapū, kahi e kaulana nei ‘o Nā Wai ‘Ehā. Aia ala i laila e noho nei ka ‘ili ‘āina aloha ‘o Noho‘ana i hānai ‘ia ai ‘o ia.

Hōkūao Pellegrino is from Maui and a native of Waikapū of the gusty Kokololio winds, one of the four famous kalo growing regions of Nā Wai ‘Ehā. It is on his family’s kuleana land of Noho‘ana where he was raised and continues to live and cultivate kalo with his ʻohana and keiki.

Uses of Kaulana Mahina: In the quest over the last 20 years to restore our the kuleana lands of our ʻohana at Nohoʻana Farm, Waikapū as well as assisting others in Nā Wai ʻEhā who are doing the same, a key component of this work is the integration of kaulana mahina practices. Reacquainting ourselves to time, sense of place, seasons, weather patterns, pule, and moon phases through a cultural lens has provided numerous learning experiences for us, both challenging and rewarding. Compiling data through observation and ʻāina-engagement is an important component of the way we cultivate food Nohoʻana Farm.

Kelson “Mac” Poepoe is a native Hawaiian fisherman and community leader on Molokaʻi who has dedicated his life to sharing his knowledge of traditional resource management with the hope of ensuring that the ocean will be well-stocked for generations to come. Mac’s wealth of knowledge and expertise accumulated over his years of growing up in the rigor and lifestyle of a Hawaiian family that has been fishing and maintaining the sustainability of these waters for generations. He utilizes Kaulana Mahina as a monitoring tool in a fishing program he leads at Mo‘omomi, as well as in his planting practices.

Hi‘ilani Shibata, born and raised in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A mother first, she has four beautiful keiki and lives on the island of O‘ahu. Currently she is the Kumu of the papa kamali‘i at Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau and is the lead cultural trainer of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. She also works with the YWCA work furlough program for women transitioning out of the hale pa‘ahao, where sharing our mo‘olelo, culture, and traditions with the women has proven to strengthen their self awareness and pride.

Kēhaunani Springer is a kanaka scientist who grew up in Kona & Koʻolaupoko on the island of O‘ahu. She currently resides in Waikahekahe on Hawai‘i Island with her ‘ohana. In 2006, she graduated with a BA in Hawaiian Studies & minored in Marine Science from UH-Hilo. In 2011, she continued at UH-Hilo and received a MS in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science working in intertidal ecosystems focusing on the cultural use and ecology of ‘opihi populations at Kalaupapa National Historical Park. As the Coastal Community Capacity Development Advisor for Conservation International’s Hawai‘i Program, Kēhau supports the perpetuation of cultural practices and development of coastal monitoring tools and technology for community driven place-based research and management. This includes kilo observations and data collection based on the mahina, natural cycles and seasonal changes of place and resources to support community and hoa ‘āina relationships to their ‘āina to achieve momona. As a mother of a young toddler, she incorporates these practices into her daily life to teach her son how to build resiliency and pono relationships with the changing world around us.

Roxane Kapuaimohalaikalani Stewart holds a Bachelor’s degree in marine science, a Master’s degree in marine resource monitoring and education, and is a doctoral candidate at UH-Mānoa. Roxane has been a kia‘i loko for Hale O Lono, a loko i‘a kuapā in Honohononui on the Island of Hawaiʻi, for over 15 years. Roxane is also a kia‘i Kanaloa and a founding member of Kai Palaoa, an organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of our oceans and its creatures. In particular, Roxane steers the work related to responding to distressed and stranded Kanaloa, mainly cetaceans. Her work includes training a state-wide network of kia‘i Kanaloa. As in most Hawaiian practices, Kaulana Mahina is an important aspect of this sacred work and integral component to understanding the intricacies of the ocean’s system.