{"id":227897,"date":"2026-01-06T13:14:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=227897"},"modified":"2026-01-06T13:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:15:11","slug":"in-memoriam-nalani-kanakaole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/06\/in-memoriam-nalani-kanakaole\/","title":{"rendered":"In memoriam: Alumna, educator N\u0101lani Kanaka\u02bbole"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Headshot
Faith N\u0101lani Kanakaʻole<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> is mourning the death of Faith N\u0101lani Kanakaʻole<\/span>, a revered kumu hula, cultural leader and UH<\/abbr> Hilo alumna who also served as a former faculty member at Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community College, and whose life\u2019s work profoundly shaped Hawaiian cultural practice and Indigenous education across Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and beyond.<\/p>\n

Born on March 19, 1946, and raised in Hilo, Kanakaʻole<\/span> died peacefully at her home on January 3, surrounded by family. She leaves behind a legacy deeply rooted in ʻike<\/span> k\u016bpuna (ancestral knowledge), artistic excellence and an unwavering commitment to ensuring Hawaiian culture remains a living, evolving practice.<\/p>\n

\"People
Picture of N\u0101lani (bottom right), her sister Pualani and mother Edith on display at UH<\/abbr> Hilo\u2019s Mookini Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kanakaʻole<\/span> was part of an extraordinary lineage. The daughter of Luka and the legendary kumu hula and educator Edith Kanakaʻole<\/span><\/a>, she stood in the fifth iteration of a direct line of kumu hula within a family whose h\u0101lau<\/a> traditions span eight generations. As the youngest of six siblings, she was part of an ʻohana<\/span> whose influence on Hawaiian studies and cultural preservation is unparalleled.<\/p>\n

She stepped into the kuleana (responsibility) as kumu of H\u0101lau o Kekuhi alongside her sister, Pualani Kanakaʻole<\/span> Kanahele, and later with her niece, Huihui Kanahele-Mossman. A guardian of the ancient ʻai<\/span> haʻa<\/span> (hula danced with bended knees) style, Kanakaʻole<\/span> helped elevate hula as a classical art form while grounding it firmly in ʻ\u0101ina<\/span><\/a>, genealogy and ceremony.<\/p>\n

Hilo roots<\/h2>\n

A graduate of UH<\/abbr> Hilo, Kanakaʻole<\/span> studied art history in the early 1970s during the same period her mother was pioneering Hawaiian studies courses on campus.<\/p>\n

Together with her husband, Sig Zane, Kanakaʻole<\/span> co-founded Sig Zane Designs in 1985, helping build a globally recognized brand rooted in Hawaiian values and cultural integrity.<\/p>\n

After years devoted to family and co-founding one of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s most recognized fashion lines, she returned to UH<\/abbr> Hilo and earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in art in 2001.<\/p>\n

“N\u0101lani was an extraordinary cultural leader and UH<\/abbr> Hilo alumna whose dedication to perpetuating Hawaiian knowledge touched countless lives,” said UH<\/abbr> Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin. “Her work elevating hula and Hawaiian cultural practices helped shape the broader movement toward indigenous education \u2014 a movement that has profoundly influenced our university\u2019s mission.”<\/p>\n

Merrie Monarch icon<\/h2>\n
\"Hula
N\u0101lani on stage at the Merrie Monarch Festival. Credit: ʻOhana<\/span> Zane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kanakaʻole<\/span>\u2019s leadership extended far beyond campus. In 1993, she and her sister were named National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation\u2019s highest honor in folk and traditional arts. She was also deeply connected to the Merrie Monarch Festival, serving as a respected judge for more than two decades.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s a sad day for hula,” said Luana Kawelu, Merrie Monarch Festival president and UH<\/abbr> Hilo alumna. “She was reviewing plans for this year\u2019s presentation just three days before she passed. That\u2019s how committed she was to hula and to Merrie Monarch.”<\/p>\n

Kanakaʻole<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Family
N\u0101lani Kanakaʻole<\/span>, husband Sig Zane, and son, K\u016bhaʻoʻ\u012bmaikalani<\/span>. Credit: ʻOhana<\/span> Zane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Kanakaʻole<\/span> family legacy is visible throughout UH<\/abbr> Hilo, from Edith Kanakaʻole<\/span> Hall and its iconic mural to the Hale Kanakaʻole<\/span> Fund, established with the UH<\/abbr> Foundation to support Native Hawaiian students across the UH<\/abbr> System.<\/p>\n