He Aliʻi Ka ʻĀina Educator Conference 2025
He Aliʻi Ka ʻĀina Educator Conference 2025
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He Aliʻi Ka ʻĀina Educator Conference is being held this October 9 and 10, 2025. It serves as a transformative professional development opportunity for the greater community to learn more about Hawaiian Culture-Based Education (HCBE). This initiative integrates the principles of aloha ʻāina (love of the land) and ea (sovereignty, life) into educational practices. Led by a hui (group) of dedicated educators, community leaders, and cultural practitioners, the conference equips kumu (teachers) with the tools, resources, and networks necessary to incorporate place-based and HCBE into their classrooms. Through a series of in-depth workshops, participants engage in collaborative efforts to build pilina (relationships) between schools and community organizations, inspire meaningful actions, and increase the capacity for sustainable educational practices. The conference also fosters open dialogue, addressing essential cultural, environmental, and community issues. This approach aims to deepen educators' connections to ʻāina, Hawaiian culture, and their communities, empowering them to become informed and proactive stewards of Hawaiʻi. In turn, this provides a strong foundation for incorporating these values into their teaching practice.
The workshops offered at the He Aliʻi Ka ʻĀina Educator Conference are essential because they equip educators with the tools and knowledge to integrate culturally responsive education into their teaching, ensuring that lessons are relevant and meaningful for students in Hawaiʻi. Each workshop focuses on key areas that are crucial for fostering a holistic, culture-based learning environment, and will be centered on one of the following important concepts.
Conference Keynote Speakers
Conference Keynote Speakers
Featuring Keynote Speaker:
Pualani Lincoln Maielua
Blossom Pualani Lincoln Maielua is from Puʻukapu, Waimea, Hawaiʻi. A mother of three handsome teenage boys and a beautiful baby girl, a cultural practitioner and researcher, and an educator for over 20 years. Pualani received both a B.A. and M.A. at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Hawaiian Studies where she focused on Mālama ʻĀina (natural resource management), Hālau o Laka (visual arts), and Moʻolelo (traditions and history).
She was first introduced to voyaging as a student in high school in 1999. In 2007, she sailed aboard Alingano Maisu on the Kū Holomau voyage to Satawal and Yap in Micronesia, served as an apprentice navigator in 2017 on Hōkūleʻa’s final leg from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi, and in 2019 navigated Makaliʻi to Nihoa and Mokumanamana.
Pualani applies her time on the ocean, dedication to cultural practices, and land stewardship to the many classrooms and academic programs that she has taught in including Native Hawaiian Public Charter Schools – Hālau Kū Mana and Kanu o Ka ʻĀina; the University of Hawaiʻi system – Kamakūokalani at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and I Ola Hāloa of Hawaiʻi Community College and Pālamanui. Pualani currently works as a Hawaiian Studies instructor at Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy.
As a mother and educator, Pualani shares her passion for cultural revitalization, traditional lifestyles, and thriving communities.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Ō Lewa Ka Hōkū
Pualani Lincoln Maielua will explore the brilliance of our kūpuna and their expansive knowledge of celestial beings, atmospheric phenomena, and the universe. She will share how they applied this ‘ike to their daily lives and professions and how it continues to guide our lāhui today.
Featuring Keynote Speaker:
Featuring Keynote Speaker:
Kauʻi Sai-Dudoit
Kauʻi Sai-Dudoit
Kauʻi Sai-Dudoit is a life-long student of Hawaiʻi’s history and was the Director of the Hawaiian newspaper project, Hoʻolaupaʻi. She has been the Programs Director of Awaiaulu since 2011 and guides the progress of Awaiaulu’s various projects that bridge Hawaiian knowledge from the past to the present by creating bi-lingual educational opportunities for today's generation.
October 10, 2025
Kahu i Ke Ahi
This is a reflection on the quiet, sometimes heavy, often invisible work of carrying stories forward. In this keynote, I share moments from my own journey—learning to listen to ancestral voices, navigating the weight of kuleana, and finding purpose in the restoration of language, history, and identity. These are the fires I tend—not just for myself, but for my children, my community, and the generations still to come.
Kahu i Ke Ahi
This is a reflection on the quiet, sometimes heavy, often invisible work of carrying stories forward. In this keynote, I share moments from my own journey—learning to listen to ancestral voices, navigating the weight of kuleana, and finding purpose in the restoration of language, history, and identity. These are the fires I tend—not just for myself, but for my children, my community, and the generations still to come.
Conference Campaigns
Conference Campaigns
Building ʻĀina Literacy and Culturally Responsive Education in HawaiʻiTo be an educator in Hawaiʻi, we must all continue to learn about the history and current conditions of this place. The workshops and speakers in this campaign focus on developing ‘ike ʻāina – knowledge from and about this land we call home. Children who learn in an environment that is ‘āina-literate grow to be grounded, empowered, and culturally literate in any space they exist in. Participants will have opportunities to learn more about place-based education in general, Hawaiian history, significant contemporary movements, strategies for building ʻāina literacy as an educator and institution, and the importance of using original place names with students.
Embracing Sustainability: Integrating ʻĀina-Based Practices for Hawaiʻi’s FutureThis strand focuses on fostering a deep connection to Hawaiʻi’s land and natural resources through ʻāina-based practices. Sessions will explore how traditional knowledge, conservation, and cultural values can guide sustainable living and stewardship of the environment. The aim is to inspire a lifelong commitment to caring for Hawaiʻi’s fragile yet resilient ecosystems.
Kūkulu Artificial Intelligence (AI): Building AI tools for Hawaiian Language Futures and Aloha ʻĀina
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly woven into our daily lives, what role can it play in revitalizing and normalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and Aloha ʻĀina via conservation and management? This strand explores how kumu, students, and community leaders can shape the future of AI tools that kākoʻo ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and Aloha ʻĀina practices. From designing custom classroom assistants to unlocking the wisdom of 19th-century nūpepa, to enhancing ahupuaʻa restoration efforts- this campaign will feature some of todayʻs innovators who are at the forefront of this work to engineer and test bold ideas while ensuring security and protection for ʻike kupuna and wahi pana. We invite you to join this interactive series of sessions.
Ea and Education: Honoring Hawaiʻiʻs TruthsJoin us for an enlightening session that delves into the rich yet tumultuous history of Hawaiʻi from the perspective of the kanaka maoli. This session offers educators a vital opportunity to explore the complex historical events that have shaped the lives and identities of Native Hawaiians. We will examine the impact of colonization, land dispossession, and cultural suppression, alongside the resulting intergenerational trauma that continues to affect communities today. By deepening your understanding of these historical contexts, you will be better equipped to foster empathy, support culturally responsive education, and honor the resilience and cultural heritage of the Hawaiian keiki in your classroom.
No ke Aʻo ʻAna i Ke Kula ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Teaching and Learning in Hawaiian MediumFor over 30 years, Hawaiian Medium Education has been a cornerstone of the Hawaiian language revitalization movement. The dedicated educators within this field are not only fluent in the Hawaiian language but are also well-versed in language and knowledge acquisition strategies that are fundamental to Hawaiian Immersion classrooms.This strand offers a unique opportunity to delve into the heart of Kaiapuni Education, providing a platform to share innovative strategies, profound reflections, and essential resources for all those passionate about the future of Hawaiian language and culture.
ʻUlu A’e: Growing Strong Roots in Early LearningHow do we care for our youngest learners in ways that carry culture forward? This campaign explores how early learning—birth through age 8—can be a powerful space for strengthening identity, ʻohana, and aloha ʻāina. Rooted in child development, culture, and place, this strand centers practices that help children thrive while honoring the knowledge that shapes who we are. Sessions will highlight how early experiences can either deepen our connection to ʻike kūpuna—or risk letting it fade. Presenters include researchers, educators, and community leaders who are imagining what a Hawaiian culture-based education system might look like from the earliest years—one small, intentional step at a time. Together, we’ll reflect, share, and grow a vision for early learning rooted in values, connection, and small actions that shape lasting change.
The Venue
The Venue
Kamehameha Schools - Kapālama
1887 Makuakāne St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
808-842-8365
Park in the Kekūhaupiʻo gym parking structure. Shuttles will be available to and from middle school and the parking structure.
Conference Sponsored by:
Conference Organizers
Conference Organizers
Atkins, Trevor - Kua o ka lā and Ke EaAustin, Aulia - Office of Hawaiian Education, Papahana KaiapuniCosma, Kalei - Kamehameha Schools Furuta, Moanikeala - Kealaiwikuamoʻo, Kamehameha SchoolsHolt, Gabby - Hanahauʻoli SchoolIsara, Kēhau - Kamehameha SchoolsKalama-Macomber, Kaʻanohi - Office of Hawaiian EducationMakaiau, Amber - UH- Mānoa and Hanahauʻoli SchoolManoʻi-Cuban, Leialiʻi - Kamehameha SchoolsPeters, Manuwai - Kealaiwikuamoʻo, Kamehameha SchoolsReppun, Keʻalohi - Punahou School
Conference logo was designed by
Noel Mitsui Class of 2029 of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama
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