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Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū (NAKM) is a place based aloha ʻāina educational experience grounded in Hawaiian language, culture, values and foundation that honor our past while nurturing community contributors and stewards of the future.
Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū : A Story of Return, Resilience, and Responsibility
In the district of Kaʻū, where the winds sweep across ancient lava fields and the echoes of aliʻi and kūpuna still linger in the cliffs, valleys, and shorelines, a vital seed is being planted: Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū — the first Hawaiian immersion education program in Kaʻū.
What we are building is more than a school — it is a sacred space of reconnection. A place where the ʻōlelo of our kūpuna is the first voice our keiki hear each morning. A kula rooted in ʻāina, moʻolelo, and the living practices of our ancestors.
Why now? Kaʻū remains one of the last districts in Hawaiʻi where our children do not yet have access to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi education in their own homeland. This silence is not natural — it is a result of historical erasure. We stand in the shadow of that loss, but we also stand in the light of a profound opportunity: to restore what was suppressed, to revive what was nearly forgotten, and to honor those who held the flame through darkness.
Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū, is located in the moku of Kaʻū the largest and southern most district of Hawai’i, in the ahupuaʻa of Waiʻōhinu. Kaʻū is steeped in a rich history and legacy, as it is where the first Polynesian voyagers arrived in the Hawaiian archipelago; a wahi pana of Native Hawaiian Aliʻi, and home of the largest nature preserve with the most intact expanse of native forest in the state, and undeveloped coastline.
Who are we? We are the descendants of aliʻi who governed with pono and kūpuna who survived with dignity. We walk in the footsteps of Mary Kawena Pukui, a daughter of Kaʻū, whose life work preserved the knowledge of our people. Her spirit calls us to action. The wisdom of this land — the mele, the moʻolelo, the hula, the lawena — is not gone. It is sleeping. And our kuleana is to awaken it.
When is the time? Now. Not tomorrow. Not when it’s convenient. Our keiki cannot wait another generation. The ancestral winds of Kaʻū — the makani ʻāpaʻapaʻa — carry the message that our time is now. We must rise like the ʻaʻaliʻi, deeply rooted and fiercely resilient, to reclaim our birthright.
E ala e, nā ʻAʻaliʻi o Kaʻū. The time has come.
Vision
Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū is an inclusive center of knowledge, where we teach the whole 'Ohana: Keiki, Makua, and Kūpuna. This kula is not just for learning. It is for healing. For restoring the ʻike, the pride, and the voice of Kaʻū. It is our response to the silence. It is our commitment to a thriving future. Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū provides support to our lāhui of Kaʻū — including home-schooled ʻohana grades K-5 and Pre-Kindergarten keiki — through an ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi immersion pilot program grounded in culture and ʻāina.
Mission
The mission of Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū is to provide our keiki of Kaʻū with opportunities to achieve academic success and personal growth through a Hawaiian immersion education experience. Through keikiʻs daily exposure at NAKM they will develop an “aloha” for their community, their “aina” and grow into contributing citizens within their communities having a desire to perpetuate the knowledge, culture, and experience they receive at NAKM.
ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: (1226)
I lele no ka lupe i ke pola
It is the tail that makes the kite fly
Goals
Cultivate fluency and confidence in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi for all learners, from kamaiki to kūpuna.
Foster meaningful connections between generations through shared learning.
Engage learners of all ages in Hawaiian cultural practices.
Strengthen connection to ʻāina through place-based learning.
Create an inclusive learning environment for entire families.
Prepare a new generation of teachers, practitioners, and leaders.
Strengthen well-being and pride through Hawaiian identity.
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Parent Advocates
Waiʻala Ahn
Cadence Feeley
Miki Moses
Shavonna Panglao
Ashlie McGuire
Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani Foundation is organized and incorporated in the State of Hawaiʻi. This program operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani Foundation (501c3). All monetary donations directly support program delivery, kumu compensation, and cultural and ʻāina-based learning.
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