WHAT IS ʻAHA KŪKALAHALE?

ʻAha Kūkalahale is a two-day Indigenous Education Conference hosted by the Kūkalahale Title III Grant at Honolulu Community College, in proud collaboration with Kanaeokana, a network of ʻōiwi educators committed to strengthening the lāhui through education.This event marks the culminating celebration of the five-year Kūkalahale Title III Grant, a project dedicated to building an Indigenous-Serving Institution through professional development rooted in ʻike Hawaiʻi.Over the past five years, Kūkalahale has brought together cohorts of UH faculty, staff, and community educators to engage in deep learning around Indigenous education frameworks. ʻAha Kūkalahale is their platform to share implementation plans, celebrate their journeys, and activate collective insight with the broader community, a space to lift up — ea — through education.This year’s theme, “E Welo Mau ke Ea Hawaiʻi,” calls us to continually uplift the life force of Hawaiʻi, to amplify the voices of our people and build a resilient lāhui through ʻike. Together, we center Hawaiian culture and place-based education, honor ʻike kūpuna, and activate innovation grounded in ancestral intelligence.As part of this gathering, we will welcome cultural experts and knowledge holders from across the pae ʻāina, each rooted in their respective fields, from education and language revitalization to traditional arts, agriculture, and ceremony. The conference will also showcase indigenous creatives, local vendors, and community-based businesses who are living examples of ʻike lawelawe and ʻōiwi-led innovation.