Just in time for Mahina ‘Ō������� �鶹��ý (Hawaiian Language Month), PhD candidate Nicholas “Kealiʻi” Lum is turning social media into a classroom for cultural deepening.

Hiʻona Haku Mele, Lum’s new Instagram video series, invites learners to explore the poetic soul of Hawaiian music, going beyond conversational speech to uncover the unique lexical phrases that make mele (songs) distinct.

“There are specific pieces of language and ways of expression that make mele unique and separate it from common speech,” Lum explained, adding that he was inspired by Kahikina De Silva, an assistant professor at UH �Ѳ��ԴDz�’s , who recommended that Lum document these poetic devices in his dissertation.

Hiʻona Haku Mele launched on February 1 on and Instagram accounts, and new episodes will drop every Monday and Thursday throughout the month. Each minute-long video highlights a specific term, explains its function, and provides examples from recorded albums. “ʻAUHea”—listen, heed my words—is featured as the first episode’s offering.

Related UH News story: Mele �鶹��ý Reimagined: UH Hilo Makuakāne scholar bridges past and present, October 2025

Lum notes that while spoken Hawaiian and “mele language” share a foundation, Hawaiian haku mele (composers) use musical jargon to convey ideas more descriptively or poetically.

“Our kupuna had ways of expressing emotion in a far more beautiful way than saying something so literal,” explained Lum.

Makuakāne scholar

The initiative is just one part of Lum’s broader academic and creative journey. As a doctoral student at , Lum was recently named the first recipient of the . This award honors the Makuakāne family’s lifelong advocacy for ʻōlelo �鶹��ý and supports scholars dedicated to Indigenous language revitalization.

For more go to .

Voices, movement and moments of reflection filled at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� in early February as , a biennial conference brought together scholars, artists and community members for two days of exchange. Hosted by the (ANNO), the conference explored how Indigenous performance sustains knowledge, language and relationships across generations.

The second biennial conference featured panels, workshops and special events that emphasized learning through practice.

Participants took part in everything from hula workshops led by UH ����ԴDz� instructor and Kumu Hula Tracie Kaʻōnohilani Farias Lopes to kapa making, puppet making, carving and a movement-based session by Sami L.A. Akuna that invited reflection on storytelling and the body.

“We hope that the conference delegates engaged in the many offerings of the two-day event and see the importance of Indigenous performance as a site of knowledge production, cultural preservation, and collective imagination,” said Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, who co-founded ANNO and is a director of UH ����ԴDz�’s award-winning .

One panel, Aloha ʻĀina Embodied: The Praxis of ʻAha, was conducted entirely in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý. The session featured several kumu, including Kaliko Baker, an associate professor at ; Kaipu Keala, an assistant professor at , Kaulu Luuwai, an attorney with at William S. Richardson School of Law, and Snowbird Bento, kumu hula of Ka Pā Hula O Ka Lei Lehua.

Panelists discussed how is expressed through performance and community practice, reflecting on the ways language and movement inform artistic and community-based work.

Celebration and story

The conference concluded with a hoʻolauleʻa, a celebration that combined conversation and creative sharing. Events included a film screening of , directed by Lisette Flanary, professor at UH ����ԴDz� and a preview of a new hana keaka (theatre work) by UH ����ԴDz� Hawaiian theatre graduate student Ikaika Mendez. The production, Lele Wale, reflects on community rebuilding after the Lahaina wildfires, honoring those who were lost, those who survived, and those continuing the work of rebuilding on Maui. Performances run March 4–8 at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre at Kennedy Theatre.

• Related UH News story: Lahaina’s story lives in new hana keaka production, February 5, 2026

Established in 2022 through the UH ����ԴDz� Provost’s Strategic Investment Initiative, ANNO advances Hawaiian and Indigenous performance through scholarship, curriculum and outreach, supporting ongoing research and creative practice at UH ����ԴDz�.

For years, U.S. military bombs thundered across Kahoʻolawe, ripping into its red earth and poisoning its seas. For Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), the damage cut deeper. Ancestors honored the island as a physical form of Kanaloa, the god of the ocean, navigation, marine life and deep ancestral knowledge. In 2026, fifty years after a daring landing helped stop the bombing, the (PKO) is marking an anniversary that reshaped �鶹��ý with the University of �鶹��ý serving as a key place where many movement leaders emerged.

Davianna McGregor, UH Mānoa professor emerita, remembers when the struggle for Kahoʻolawe first arrived on campus was urgent and deeply personal.

“One day, after the first landing on Kahoʻolawe, �鶹��ý musician George Helm and Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli showed up at my class in the George Hall auditorium and asked to speak to my students about Kahoʻolawe,” said McGregor who co-founded the university’s department. “Their powerful message resonated with my students and they were inspired to get involved in the movement to stop the bombing and military use of Kahoʻolawe.”

That moment helped ignite student activism across the UH Mānoa campus. Haumāna (students) circulated petitions in classes, set up educational tables at Campus Center, and organized rallies and concerts including one featuring the then-emerging Makaha Sons of Niʻihau and Helm.

Kahoʻolawe Nine

On January 4, 1976, Helm, Aluli and seven others had evaded a U.S. Coast Guard blockade to land at Kūheʻeia on Kahoʻolawe. Known as the Kahoʻolawe Nine, their act of bold defiance sparked the formation of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and the modern movement. Their courage led to tangible change. The bombing of Kahoʻolawe ended in 1990. In 1994, the island was returned to the State of �鶹��ý, held in trust under state law for a future sovereign Hawaiian entity, setting a precedent for halting military destruction of Indigenous lands.

“We formed an ʻohana to protect the island and to heal her wounds,” McGregor said, “and elevate the island once again into the sacred Hawaiian cultural center that it had been under our ancestors.”

The movement came at a devastating cost. Helm and Maui native Kimo Mitchell were lost at sea while carrying out efforts to support the occupation of Kahoʻolawe. Their disappearance deeply affected many in �鶹��ý and strengthened PKO‘s commitment to aloha ʻāina for generations.

Stewardship in action

That commitment also took root physically at at UH Mānoa, established largely by PKO members and ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language) practitioners. Guided by including Uncle Harry Mitchell of Keʻanae (Kimo Mitchell’s father), students learned that caring for land and caring for people are inseparable. Today, the continues to reinforce student learning in the realm of Hawaiian traditional practices of kalo (taro) farming.

That legacy also continues through ceremony and education on Kahoʻolawe. Kaliko Baker, associate professor at the UH Mānoa Center for Hawaiian Language, leads the annual ceremonies for the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, honoring Hawaiian deity Lono and maintaining the kapu of ceremony upheld to this day. Since 2014, Baker has also helped spearhead Kawaihuelani’s I Ola Kanaloa program, taking Hawaiian language students from UH Mānoa, Hilo and Maui to Kahoʻolawe each year.

“It’s important that UH students continue the pilgrimage to Kahoʻolawe and experience the kapu that has driven the movement to stop the bombing and reestablish Kānaka Maoli education and practice on island,” said Baker who first traveled to Kahoʻolawe as a student in McGregor’s ethnic studies course. “Student access to Kahoʻolawe invigorate the of each and every student who makes the journey, which in turn builds the mauli of the .”

Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa

As PKO marks its 50th anniversary, leaders are calling for Laʻa, Maʻa and Paʻa (to sanctify, sustain and solidify). The framework is both belief and action, guiding how Kahoʻolawe is protected and how future generations carry the work forward.

Half a century after the landing, the island no longer trembles with bombs. Where explosions once echoed, there are now footsteps, ceremony and learning.

—By Moanikeʻala Nabarro

Kaina Makua wasn’t seeking the spotlight when he showed up at a state canoe paddling regatta in 2019. The alumnus was there doing what he loved, coaching Waimea High School’s paddling team. But among the crowd that day was actor Jason Momoa, who saw something more: the future face of a king.

That night, Momoa approached Makua with a bold idea, asking if he’d consider playing legendary �鶹��ý ruler Kamehameha the Great in an upcoming film. Makua, a Kauaʻi native laughed it off, unsure if the Hollywood star was serious.

But Momoa didn’t forget.

“Three years later in 2022 he called me up and said, ‘I told you, I told you,’ and I was like, ‘What did you tell me?’” Makua said with a laugh. “He said, ‘I told you you are going to play Kamehameha.’”

Makua stars alongside Momoa in Chief of War, an Apple TV+ series premiering August 1. The series tells the story of Kaʻiana, a Kauaʻi aliʻi (high-ranking chiefs or royalty) and warrior who opposes Kamehameha’s push to unify the Hawaiian Islands. Filmed in �鶹��ý and New Zealand, the series also brings to life other key aliʻi figures from that era, such as Kahekili and Kaʻahumanu.

A path of purpose

Makua, a trained ʻōlapa hula (hula dancer), was hesitant at first, not having an acting background. His days were already full–dedicating his life to empowering ʻōpio (youth) in west Kauaʻi through ʻāina (land) rehabilitation and food system revitalization centered around kalo (taro) through his nonprofit, .

Related story: Q&A: Exploring Chief of War with UH kumu, July 2025

After deep reflection and guidance, he eventually embraced the role. He dove deep into research and his own genealogy, which connects him to Kamehameha through his father’s side. Along the way, Makua developed a deeper view of the revered aliʻi, often admired, but also questioned for his approach.

“Coming from his perspective and stepping into this leadership role, it was clear that he did what was necessary for �鶹��ý, not for himself,” Makua said.

He discovered parallels in his own life.

“If you’re a real leader and you’re really making change…you understand the kuleana (responsibility) and the weight of that. You’re always going to get ridiculed, you’re always gonna be under the microscope.”

On set, Makua often found himself surrounded by hundreds of crew members working behind the scenes to bring the historical drama to life. But when the cameras rolled, he leaned into something deeply personal, his own life experiences.

“It’s all everyday emotions for all of us. I mean we all get that. We go up and down. We go left and right. We spin around in circles,” Makua said. “Being around other actors and watching them made my job feel way easier to settle into.”

Healing through ʻāina

Makua carries that same sense of purpose into his work off-screen. Within the past decade, he’s poured his mana (strength) into growing his nonprofit, expanding from 10 to nearly 100 acres of restored agricultural ʻāina across four sites on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. More than 3,500 ʻōpio have taken part in its ʻāina-based education programs. Through its commercial brand, Aloha Aina Poi Co., the group processes and distributes more than 70,000 pounds of fresh poi across �鶹��ý each year.

“It’s more apparent how disconnected we are as a people, not even as Hawaiians just as human beings. And it’s only getting worse. Kumano I Ke Ala is here to uplift our people and to help save the world through aloha ʻāina work, love of the land,” Makua said.

Lessons from Kānewai

Much of what he now teaches ʻōpio, especially about the many varieties of kalo and traditional planting techniques, comes from the time he spent immersed at , the taro patches next to the . Makua often reflects with gratitude on the ʻike (knowledge) passed down to him during his time at UH Mānoa where he earned a BA in and an MA in and (Hawaiian language).

Sharing moʻolelo

As for his acting debut on the upcoming tv series, Makua hopes it opens doors for native peoples.
“I hope that Indigenous populations that we have across the world understand this is a foot in the door. It’s not going to end here. I hope they understand that it’s not just for �鶹��ý, this for all Indigenous people because we all get moʻolelo (stories). This is how we all can share.”

—By Moanikeʻala Nabarro

alumnus Brutus La Benz has long been a familiar face on �鶹��ý television screens appearing in commercials for everything from Texaco and 7-Eleven to Kona Brewing Company and the �鶹��ý Quit Tobacco campaign. But his big break came this spring, when he debuted as Lilo’s kumu hula (hula teacher) in Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch, a box office hit that soared past the $1 billion mark this July.

Before landing a role in the major Disney film, La Benz’s earliest acting stage was his family’s living room in Kailua. As a kid, he and his brother would spend hours performing scenes from hit flicks Wayne’s World and Tommy Boy after summer fun.

“A lot of times we would just kind of memorize lines and reenact them. And I always thought that was fun,” he said.

That early love for performance stuck. The Olomana native can still recite skits from the late, beloved �鶹��ý comedian Rap Replinger—classic jokes he proudly calls “scripture.”

La Benz, a Punahou School graduate, earned degrees in (Hawaiian language) and from the UH ����ԴDz� . It was in those ʻō������� classes he says a passion for acting truly began to grow.

“In order to help us learn the sentence structures and the new vocabulary, some of them would ask us to do a lot of mini skits, just so that we could memorize the lines and patterns,” La Benz added. “Once I figured out we can make these funny skits and still learn, that was really cool.”

That energy led him to the stage in 2004, when he starred in Kamapuaʻa, a Hawaiian-language stage production directed by Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, founder of UH ����ԴDz�’s . It’s there he learned how to tell stories through action, not just words.

“Because many didn’t understand Hawaiian language, the words needed to come across in the way we acted. And so that was challenging, but also I think that’s what made us all really, really fun and decent actors,” La Benz said.

Seeking permission

In 2023, when Disney offered him the “kumu hula” role, La Benz actually hesitated. A trained ʻōlapa hula (hula dancer) under Kumu Hula Snowbird Bento, he wasn’t sure if taking the role of a kumu hula on screen was appropriate.

“My initial reaction was I better call my kumu first to make sure that it’s okay to portray a kumu,” La Benz said.

With her blessing, he stepped into it.

“He Mele No Lilo” (A song for the lost)

Filming for the lively scene took place at the Kokokahi YMCA in Kailua, and La Benz, who has a 9-year-old daughter, said it felt natural.

“It was just like having a bunch of my daughters there. They were super goofy. I felt more like I was being a parent and modeling after how I see my kumu interact with her students at those ages,” he said.

In addition to his role as Lilo’s kumu hula, La Benz also served as the body double for the alien character Jumba, performing the character’s physical movements on set.

His daughter, Kealaleihōkū lit up at the film’s �鶹��ý premiere.

“She was just staring into the screen, but when I came on she said, ‘Oooh! Daddy!!’”

Guiding life moments

Outside of acting, La Benz pours his heart into work as a kahu (officiant). He’s spent more than a decade overseeing weddings, blessings and farewells.

“Honored to be a part of different celebrations…making people feel safe and comfortable enough to celebrate or grieve in a way that they need to,” said La Benz.

He expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve as a kahu and looks forward to taking on new acting roles but says above all, being a dad is the role he cherishes most.

—By Moanikeʻala Nabarro

Kealiʻi Rasmussen, an (Hawaiian language) alumnus from the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�, has turned his passion for ʻōlelo into a mission for community impact. Raised in a Hawaiian language church, he recalls his tūtū (grandmother) speaking some Hawaiian words and phrases and grew to love the language.

“It started off as an avenue to learn ʻōlelo �鶹��ý the way our kūpuna (elders) did—through oral teaching and communication,” Rasmussen said. “This led to me caring for keiki (children) at the same time and growing a deep connection.”

What started as a three-year role in 2014 at a Pūnana Leo Hawaiian language immersion preschool evolved into a decade-long dedication to language education. Today, he is the head teacher of Pūnana Leo o Waiʻanae (PLOW), where he nurtures young Hawaiian speakers each day.

Kuleana to nurture keiki

In spring 2024, Rasmussen earned a BA in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý from UH ����ԴDz�’s and a certificate in Hawaiian language medium early education from UH �ᾱ����’s . He believes his studies have equipped him to meet the kuleana (responsibility) to young learners.

“Knowing that you are adding to their success and helping their family grow in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý…and when I run into them 10 years down the line, [I hope] that they remember me and the life lessons that I taught them, are successful and are carrying the ʻōlelo �鶹��ý in their careers.”

ʻŌlelo opportunities, fundraiser

PLOW is hosting Kāpahi Ka Moana I Kai, a free public fundraiser on Saturday, November 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wai Kai in ʻEwa. The event, designed to engage the broader community, will include live Hawaiian music, makahiki (harvest) games, ʻōlelo �鶹��ý lessons, and more than 20 local vendors. Funds raised will help Pūnana Leo o Waiʻanae enhance its language immersion programs, including classes for mākua (parents) to foster a Hawaiian-speaking home environment.

Full circle path

Reflecting on his journey, Rasmussen feels grateful for his career, which helped him fulfill his dream of embracing the language of his ancestors.

“When I first started Pūnana Leo o Waiʻanae in 2014, I couldn’t ʻōlelo �鶹��ý but being immersed and learning alongside of the keiki I was able to learn and speak.”

For more go to .

Two University of �鶹��ý instructors took home first place awards in an international competition, the inaugural , held by the Norwegian company that founded the interactive authoring tool.

The , comprised of instructional designers and ITS staff across the UH System collaborating to support UH H5P programs, submitted five nominations, which resulted in the two first place winners. The nominees were:

• Susan Jaworowski, professor, Business, Legal, and Technology Education,Kapiʻolani Community College: (nominated and awarded first place for Impactful Gamification)
• Felicia Wun, lecturer, Anthropology, Leeward Community College: (nominated and awarded first place for Best Interactive Book)
• Terianne Brown, lecturer, Business Technology/Economics, �鶹��ý Community College: (nominated for Outstanding Visual Design)
• Brent Hirata, instructional designer, Educational Media Center, Leeward CC: (nominated for Best Interactive Book and Best Use of Multimedia)
• Kahealani Lono, instructor, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language, UH ����ԴDz�: (nominated for Innovative Use of Multimedia)

Engaging activities in Laulima, more

Creating interactive content continues to play a significant role in the learning success of online students. As a result of increased requests from faculty for a tool that could support these efforts, the program was piloted in 2021 with a unique structure that motivated faculty to explore, create, integrate (into Laulima courses), evaluate, and share activities created with H5P. Participants were encouraged to improve student learning and engagement while equipped with a 1-year H5P license.

Following its success, two new options were added to form the s. The was created in 2023 and provides the next step for first-year H5P + Laulima participants to return as mentors and advocates. The Site License pathway provides an alternative option for faculty and staff to request department funds and obtain a license without having to meet any program requirements.

Future opportunities

The UH H5P programs will be offered again in the 2024–25 academic year, with the new H5P + LMS (formerly H5P + Laulima) and H5P I Mua cohorts to be announced in May.

With more than 50 interactive activity types available, users can integrate them into online learning management system courses (including Sakai and Brightspace) with automatic grading and enhanced interactivity and assessment capabilities.

Visit the to learn more about offerings. For updates about future cohorts and offerings, fill out the .

For the second consecutive year,, an Oʻahu hālau (school) led by nā kumu hula (hula teachers) Keawe and Tracie Lopes took top honors in both the group and solo divisions at the 61st Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, �鶹��ý. Keawe is a Hawaiian language professor at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa and the director of the at the , and Tracie is a UH Mānoa alumna.

• Related UH News story: UH Mānoa kumu hula leads hālau to Merrie Monarch victory, April 24, 2023

The wāhine (women) of the hālau captured the competition’s overall award with 1,201 points, a combination of scores acquired in both hula kahiko (ancient) and ʻauana (modern) performances. Their score surpassed their closest competitors, Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leināʻala, which finished second with 1,199 points, and Hula Hālau ʻO Kamuela came in third with 1,195 points.

Their mele kahiko (song), Auhea Wale ʻOe E Ka Liko, honored King Kalākaua and compared the Hawaiian monarch to the rising Sun, one who is destined for greatness.

In the kāne category, the hālau took fourth place in both kahiko and ʻauana categories. Their mele kahiko, Waiʻanae Kū Kilakila, praised the moku (district) of Waiʻanae on Oʻahu and Mauna Kaʻala (Mt. Kaʻala), standing tall with its broad shoulders.

4th consecutive Miss Hula

Awards for the hālau follows their soloist, Kaʻōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes, winning the Miss Aloha Hula title on April 4. Kaʻōnohi, a graduate student at UH Mānoa, follows the footsteps of her mother (Miss Aloha Hula 1994) and sister Piʻikea Kekīhenelehuawewehiikekauʻōnohi Lopes (Miss Aloha Hula 2022). This yearʻs win marks the fourth consecutive solo title secured by Keawe and Tracie’s hālau.

A graduate haumāna (student) pursuing a master’s degree in at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa earned the Miss Aloha Hula title and Hawaiian language award at the 61st annual Merrie Monarch Festival. Kaʻōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes competed alongside 12 other contestants in the solo category held at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo on Thursday, April 4.

Lopes’ parents, �鶹��ý����ԴDz� alumna Tracie Lopes and UH Mānoa Director R. Keawe Lopes are also her kumu hula, leading Windward Oʻahu-based hālau Ka Lā ʻŌnohi Mai O Haʻehaʻe. 21-year-old Kaʻōnohi, who is fluent in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language), also earned a BA from the university’s Hawaiian language department.

“One of the goals in Kawaihuelani is for our predominantly Hawaiian population of students to acquire their language and realize a sense of self through ʻōlelo �鶹��ý,” said C. M. Kaliko Baker, a Kumu ʻōlelo �鶹��ý at UH ����ԴDz�. “That sense of self was evident in the way that Kaʻōnohi carried herself last night. She absolutely knew who she was.”

Soloists are judged on a variety of criteria, everything from posture, expression, costume authenticity and mele (song) interpretation. Each contestant is required to dance both hula kahiko (ancient) and ʻauana (modern).

For her kahiko portion, Lopes shared mele Aia Ka Lani Kua Kaʻa I Luna, which transported audiences to Lanikūhonua, a revered cultural refuge at Ko Olina. The West Oʻahu abode, once frequented by aliʻi (royalty), holds great significance to her parents’ hula lineage.

Lopes’ mele ʻauana honored her namesake, the late Uncle George Ainsley Kananiokeakua Holokai, a revered kumu hula. Draped in golden strands of lei kukunaokalā, she danced Kanani Holokai, likening Uncle George to a gentle breeze that dances across the land.

Hula heritage earns 3rd ʻohana title

Lopes comes from an ʻohana deeply rooted in hula. Her mother Tracie won the Miss Aloha Hula title in 1994. This is also the fourth consecutive solo title secured by Keawe and Tracie’s hālau. Two of those were earned by UH Mānoa alumnae; Lopes’s older sister, Piʻikea Kekīhenelehuawewehiikekauʻōnohi Lopes (Miss Aloha Hula 2022) and Rosemary Kaʻimilei Keamoai-Strickland (Miss Aloha Hula 2021).

More hula excellence
• UH Mānoa kumu hula leads hālau to Merrie Monarch victory
• Face of Nike Indigenous collection is Kānaka ʻōiwi grad student
• UH Mānoa grad student captures 2022 Miss Aloha Hula title
• New Miss Aloha Hula 2021 honors UH kumu with dance

There are two more nights of hula competition with wāhine (women) and kāne (men) groups. Hālau from across �鶹��ý and the U.S. continent will perform on Friday, April 5 (hula kahiko) and Saturday, April 6 (hula ʻauana).

is housed within at UH ����ԴDz�.