The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s will become a hub for international experts as it hosts the September 8–11, 2025, at the Imin Conference Center. IASA is a leading international organization dedicated to safeguarding recorded sound and audiovisual materials.

This year’s theme, “A Loss of Place: Preserving Climate Narratives, Cultural Identity, and Marginalized Voices through Audiovisual Media,” underscores the urgent need to document communities facing climate displacement and highlights the role of audiovisual archives in preserving cultural resilience.

The conference was brought to �鶹��ý by David Rowntree, Hamilton Library’s digital preservation librarian, part of the local planning committee with librarians and archivists from Hamilton Library, Bishop Museum, and at UH West Oʻahu.

“Our team’s collective enthusiasm reflects just how significant this event is,” said Rowntree. “Bringing global perspectives to Hawaiʻi’s doorstep is an incredible opportunity, and we’re excited to be part of this important conversation.”

Call for submissions

through April 14, 2025, for contributions exploring the preservation of climate-impacted media, including film, sound, audiovisual records, drone footage and underwater recordings. The conference aims to spark meaningful discussions at the intersection of climate change, cultural identity, marginalized communities, and Indigenous knowledge systems.

“IASA is thrilled to join the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa for this year’s conference,” noted IASA President, Patrick Midtlyng. “As a global organization, our executive board recognized the importance and value of re-engaging with the Pacific region and expressed a strong commitment to making this a priority.”

ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of �鶹��ý at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu launched a new and . ʻUluʻulu has more than 4,000 searchable titles with video clips available for viewing.

“The new online platforms are our first website and catalog refresh since 2012 and provide a powerful new way to search and view archival footage from our collections,” said Janel Quirante, head archivist at ʻUluʻulu, �鶹��ý’s official state archive for moving images.

With September being Hawaiian History Month, ʻUluʻulu welcomes visitors and recommends these videotapes and motion picture film reels accessible via the new site:

New content management system

The website contains information about ʻUluʻulu‘s programs and services, and provides a searchable gateway to its new catalog and content management system Recollect, ʻUluʻulu‘s online access point to all of its collections and digital videos. ʻUluʻulu worked with �鶹��ýWest Oʻahu Communications for graphics and user experience (UX) design, and with �鶹��ýWest Oʻahu Information Technology to develop the site and integration with Recollect.

For more information about ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of �鶹��ý, email uluulu@hawaii.edu or call (808) 689-2740.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu is part of a nationwide effort to digitize and preserve historic publicly funded radio and television programs across America, including .

The project, (AAPB), is a collaboration between the , and participating organizations across the country who care for archival public media.

“I’m so proud that the programs from PBS �鶹��ý archived at ʻUluʻulu will soon be available to watch online through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting website,” said Janel Quirante, ʻUluʻulu head archivist. “The footage will be in good company with other public media icons like Julia Child and Mr. Rogers!”

ʻUluʻulu, �鶹��ý’s official state archive for moving images, is coordinating the digitization and description of 2,000 films and videotapes from the PBS �鶹��ý collection. The entire digitization project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The digitized programs will be made publicly available through ʻUluʻulu‘s online catalog and the AAPB website. The digital preservation masters will be stored at ʻUluʻulu and at the Library of Congress.

“We are in the business of preserving analog media—ensuring that these films and videotapes are carefully maintained, digitized, and made accessible to the public,” said ʻUluʻulu Collections Specialist and Producer Heather H. Giugni. “It is partnerships and opportunities like these that make our mission possible.”

ʻUluʻulu received the PBS �鶹��ý collection in 2016, and the tapes are physically stored in a vault on campus. Over the years, ʻUluʻulu has been able to digitize portions of this collection through various grant funding. The new project will enable the digitization of the remaining videotapes, with the help of WGBH and a preservation laboratory in Pennsylvania.

Read more at .
—by Zenaida Serrano Arvman

A digital archive highlighting the distinguished career of U.S. Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga, a pivotal figure in �鶹��ý‘s political landscape, was released by the in February. A collaboration between the and the , the collection includes 10.5 hours of footage highlighting Matsunaga’s significant contributions to civil rights, Japanese American reparations, space exploration, renewable energy and peace efforts.

Matsunaga was a member of the famed 100th Infantry Battalion and represented �鶹��ý in the U.S. Congress from 1963 until his death in 1990.

The collection offers , with complete recordings available upon request. Notable clips include Matsunaga’s 1959 campaign ad for lieutenant governor and recordings discussing elections and industrial development in �鶹��ý. Also featured is the 1988 Senate debate on redress for Japanese Americans interned during World War II.

Post-statehood congressional archives

The footage is the inaugural release by the �鶹��ý Congressional Media collection, an online archive featuring digitized moving images from �鶹��ý‘s post-statehood congressional members. , this collaboration between at UH West Oʻahu and the at the UH Mānoa Library ensures the preservation and sharing of �鶹��ý‘s political history.

“The images and voices from this collection that have been newly revealed through digitization provide an invaluable glimpse into our state’s rich political past,” said Janel Quirante, UH West HOʻahu ʻUluʻulu head archivist “I’m so grateful for the partnership with UH Mānoa Library and thrilled that researchers and students can now view this amazing historical footage online.”

“Working with ʻUluʻulu leverages the strengths and expertise of both of our organizations to share these important moments in history with the public” said Dawn Sueoka, UH Manoa Congressional Papers archivist.

Upcoming digitization plans

Later this year, ʻUluʻulu aims to digitize an additional 250 reels from various �鶹��ý congressional members, including Sen. Hiram Fong, Sen. Daniel Akaka, Rep. Tom Gill, Rep. Pat Saiki, Rep. Neil Abercrombie and Rep. Ed Case. ʻUluʻuluu also preserves the moving image archives of .

Reel Wāhine of �鶹��ý, a local television show about �鶹��ý filmmakers, won an Emmy Award on June 3. The show, co-produced by lecturer Vera Zambonelli and Shirley Thompson, won in the category Historical/Cultural—News or Long Form Content. The (PDF), which honors excellence in television, were held by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in San Francisco, California.

The Emmy went to the third season of the series, a compilation of six short films that showcase the work of veteran �鶹��ý filmmakers. Reel Wāhine of �鶹��ý 3 aired in March 2022 on PBS �鶹��ý and is currently streaming for a limited time on .

Zambonelli, who teaches Creative Media (CM) 401: Creative Professionals and CM 150: Film Analysis and Storytelling courses, directed two of the six short films. Another of the short films was directed by Heather H. Giugni, cultural collections specialist and producer at .

The series is produced by Honolulu-based non-profit (HWF), whose mission is to create more opportunities for women in front of and behind the camera, according to a press release. The films are told through the eyes of �鶹��ý-based female directors and crafted by all-women film crews.

“Each season of Reel Wāhine of �鶹��ý spotlights the work and creative inspirations of six �鶹��ý women filmmakers,” Thompson said in a press release. “We tell the stories of women who have produced and directed well-known local films as well as camerawomen, editors and animators behind the scenes whose creativity helps bring local films to life.”

Zambonelli, who is also the founder and executive director of HWF, added, “It’s so important that we document and celebrate the pioneering women who paved the way and helped build the local independent film industry, as well as new rising stars who continue to create groundbreaking work.”

—by Zenaida Serrano Arvman
Read more at .

U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono visited the on January 12, and spoke with students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators about initiatives in sustainable food and agriculture, food security, digital media, labor education and research, and more.

As part of her visit, Hirono toured , , and the new .

“For the last decade, UH West Oʻahu has steadily worked to expand the programs, resources, and support available to its students,” Hirono said in a release. “They have demonstrated their commitment to creating opportunities to enable all students—particularly underrepresented students—to receive a quality post-secondary education.”

• Related UH News story: U.S. Sen. Hirono visits UH West Oʻahu, meets students, November 18, 2022

During Hirono’s tour of the māla (garden), she met with Albie Miles, assistant professor of , and discussed the program, which prepares students for jobs in the sustainable food and agriculture sector. Hirono also spoke to Manulani Aluli Meyer, Konohiki of Kūlana o Kapolei (director of Indigenous education), and Indrajit Gunasekara, financial aid officer, about their NiU NOW!/Uluniu Project movement, and planted an ʻulu (breadfruit) tree in the Uluniu Grove beside the māla.

Her next meeting was with William Puette, director of the (CLEAR), which is designed to provide labor education, research and labor-related programs to workers, their organizations and the general public. CLEAR recently established a .

Hirono then visited ʻUluʻulu, the state’s official archive for moving images, where she spoke with staff about the digital preservation work they do with audiovisual materials sharing �鶹��ý’s culture, traditions and collective memory.

Finally, Hirono toured the new ACM Student Production Center with Chris Lee, founder and director of the ACM System; Sharla Hanaoka, director of ; and students and alumni, who shared the work they are doing within the hub for creative media education throughout the ACM System.

Hirono also stopped by and briefly spoke at two events on campus: a board meeting for Pacific Islanders in Communications, a national nonprofit media arts organization whose board of directors represent �鶹��ý, Guam, American Samoa and public television entities; and the �鶹��ý Food Systems Summit, where participants brainstormed ideas for food system transformation and policy ideas for implementation during the 2023 state legislative session.

“UH West Oʻahu offers diverse programs in promising fields that can contribute to �鶹��ý’s economy, such as creative media and agriculture, and I enjoyed learning more about these initiatives,” Hirono said. “I will continue working to support �鶹��ý’s colleges and universities, as well as the students they serve.”

For more, go to .
—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

Editor’s note: The federal government withdrew grant funding for this project in 2025.

The (NEH) awarded a $350,000 grant to at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu in support of its project titled, “20th Century �鶹��ý: Moving Images from Territory to Statehood.” The project will preserve and make accessible the stories of the Nisei and Hawaiian struggles and achievements through the digitization of audiovisual recordings of oral histories, documentaries, festivals, conferences and live performances.

In April, for 245 humanities projects across the country. These grant awards include support for historic collections, exhibitions and documentaries, humanities infrastructure, scholarly research and curriculum projects.

“I am so honored that the NEH recognizes the historical significance of ʻUluʻulu:’s moving image collections,” said project director and ʻUluʻulu: head archivist Janel Quirante. “Their support will make it possible for us to digitize and describe hundreds of hours of footage which hasn’t been viewed in decades.”

ʻUluʻulu:’s “20th Century �鶹��ý: Moving Images from Territory to Statehood” is a three-year project set to begin in September 2022, and involves the digitization of 890 audiovisual assets spanning eight collections that document Hawaiian history and culture from the 1920s to 2000s.

“I‘m looking forward to sharing this newly digitized footage with our students and researchers, as well as with the filmmakers who recorded the original reels, and with the family members of the people whose images, voices and stories are captured on these videotapes and films,” Quirante said.

The materials to be digitized come from collections such as Juniroa Productions, 442nd Legacy Center, Katsugo Miho, Samuel P. King, Making Waves Films, �鶹��ý People’s Fund and �鶹��ý Council for the Humanities.

The nominated collections for digitization align with NEH’s A More Perfect Union initiative, in highlighting the stories of �鶹��ý’s citizens who witnessed and participated in the road to statehood and the consequences of admission into the union.

“NEH is proud to support these exemplary education, media, preservation, research, and infrastructure projects,” NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo) said in a statement. “These 245 projects will expand the horizons of our knowledge of culture and history, lift up humanities organizations working to preserve and tell the stories of local and global communities, and bring high-quality public programs and educational resources directly to the American public.”

Read more in .
—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

An online collection of songs meaningful to the man whom the Los Angeles Times called “one of the most influential Hawaiian musicians in the last half-century and a filmmaker who painstakingly documented the culture and history of the islands,” the late Eddie Kamae, will be available to the public for free on May 1, 2022. Years in the making, is a collection of 34 songs that were meaningful to his journey as a musician, filmmaker and Hawaiian son.

The songbook was produced by Eddie & Myrna Kamae’s The Hawaiian Legacy Foundation (HLF) in partnership with the and . The songbook offers a new and interactive way for Hawaiian music listeners to access and learn about their favorite Hawaiian songs through a treasure trove of information.

“Eddie realized the importance of documenting the wealth of traditional knowledge shared by his many kumu. His life work was committed to building an archive of the stories and music of �鶹��ý. This songbook ensures that songs shared with Eddie, and those he composed, can be played and sung by families, children, students, musicians, and lovers of Hawaiian music,” said his wife Myrna Kamae, HLF executive director. “We are so excited to share this gift!”

The Eddie Kamae Songbook includes direct links to the descriptive catalog records and short streaming video clips in the on ʻUluʻulu‘s website. Researchers may contact ʻUluʻulu to view full length digital footage from the collection.

A launch event is scheduled for May 1 at The Royal Grove, Royal Hawaiian Center, from noon to 6 p.m. The program features the music of Eddie Kamae & The Sons of �鶹��ý performed by Paul Kim, Analu Aina, Mike Kaawa, Ocean Kaowili and the Grandsons of �鶹��ý, Waipuna, Waimānalo Sunset Band and other guest artists kanikapila style.

UH West Oʻahu participates in production

Several UH West Oʻahu members participated in the production of the songbook. Kawena Komeiji, �鶹��ý-Pacific resources librarian, was a songbook reviewer and gave feedback on the design, curriculum and mele translation. Curriculum Specialist Lilinoe Andrews wrote and researched the text, and updated the song translations. ʻUluʻulu‘s staff contributed to this project, including Haunani Haia, HLF Archives project assistant, and Associate Professor of Music Jon Magnussen, who reviewed the songbook. UH Mānoa Librarian and archivist Kapena Shim was a member of the Hui Hana songbook team along with Myrna Kamae and Andrews.

Each song is presented as a pūʻolo (bundle) that contains sheet music, lyrics and translations, audio and video recordings of Kamae and fellow musicians, the story of the song, educational questions, a bibliography, and many print resources from the Kamae archive. Written with children and families in mind, the songbook is a source of curriculum across disciplines in schools and at homes and a foundation for the music, stories and aloha to live on.

Kamae died in 2017 at the age of 89, leaving an entire library of music and materials celebrating the culture of �鶹��ý, including 10 films that continue to be broadcast on PBS �鶹��ý.

Read more in .
—By Leila Wai Shimokawa

When Mitsuo Aoki, founder of the Department of Religion at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, taught REL 151: Religion and the Meaning of Existence or REL 494: On Death and Dying, their popularity required holding classes in Varsity Theater in the 1970s. For more than four decades, “Mits” showed others how to experience death not merely as an end, but as a vital, inseparable part of life. Instrumental in establishing Hospice �鶹��ý, Aoki was named a in 2004. When Aoki met the Dalai Lama, his Holiness invited Aoki to “Come, sit, you and I are the same.” Many years later when visiting �鶹��ýi, the Dalai Lama bypassed others and greeted Aoki with “Good to see you again Cosmic Dancer,” a moniker given by Aoki’s students because of his tai chi and aikido like movements in class and his sudden jumping on the table in class to dance.

Aoki brought spirituality and forgiveness into caregiving for those going through the transition of death. His approach is one of ‘conscious dying’ that leads to fuller living. He has profoundly influenced the lives of thousands of clients, their families as well as his many students through his 44 years of UH classes, public workshops, sermons and writings. The works of Aoki are held in two UH repositories; in the on the UH Mānoa campus and on the UH West Oʻahu campus. The resources were held by the , which transferred the collections to each repository.

Production materials and raw footage of the documentary film Living your Dying produced by Lotus Films in 2003 are available in the Mistuo Aoki collection within ʻUluʻulu. In 2020, the Mits Aoki Legacy Foundation donated his personal papers to the University Archives. The collection is comprised of 6.25 linear feet arranged into three series: Courses, 1963–95, which include the development of his highly popular courses; Community Engagements, 1954–2009, containing preparation for the numerous trainings and speeches as well as correspondence; and Research and Publications, containing works both by and about Aoki.

A Preservation & Access Grant awarded by the �鶹��ý Council for the Humanities in 2021 with matching funds from the Mits Aoki Legacy Foundation supported the digitization of Aoki’s papers and videos for the purpose of increasing access and preservation of the resources. The digitization of these collections provides preservation and significantly increases access to the personal and professional papers of a man whose contributions exceeded academia and touched the lives of thousands through his spiritual guidance through a process of melding Buddhism and Christianity.

A provides access to digital collections at each campus, a video tutorial on navigating the collection, the public presentation of the project, which includes his impact on the humanities, a brief biography accompanied with photographs, and works about and by him.

—By Helen Wong Smith, archivist, University Archives

University of �鶹��ý Archives and Manuscripts Collections:

• : Arranged into three series: Courses from 1963-1995, includes development of his highly popular courses; Community Engagements, 1954–2009, containing preparation for the numerous trainings, speeches and correspondence; and Research and Publications, containing works both by and about Aoki.

ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of �鶹��ý:

• Includes full-length documentary “Living Your Dying”
• Descriptions and clips of the interviews and other raw footage recorded for the documentary

“Living Your Dying” (Lotus Films with PBS �鶹��ý)

, �鶹��ý’s moving image archive, presents , a documentary that honors artist Ruthadell Anderson and the many hands that helped her create the massive tapestries that have decorated the walls of the �鶹��ý State Capitol for nearly 50 years.

The film will be screened on November 10 at 4 p.m. at the 39th �鶹��ý International Film Festival (HIFF), at the Regal Dole Cannery Stadium Theatre in Iwilei.

A short video of the opening of the State Capitol in 1969, filmed by George Tahara, will precede the newly restored footage documenting the weavers’ process, which was filmed by Web Anderson, Ruthadell’s husband.

The ʻUluʻulu Archives, the official moving image archive of �鶹��ý, is meant “to perpetuate and share the rich moving image heritage of �鶹��ý through the preservation of film and videotape related to the history and culture of Native Hawaiians and the people of �鶹��ý.”

The archives, a project of the University of �鶹��ý Academy for Creative Media System and UH West Oʻahu, are located in the campus’s library.

—By Leila Wai Shimokawa