Kīpuka Moʻolelo

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Kamalani Johnson reflects on a life shaped by ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, moʻolelo, and aloha ʻāina—from his beginnings in Pūnana Leo and Hawaiian-medium education to his work today as a scholar of Hawaiian language, literature, and political thought. Through deeply personal reflections, Kamalani traces how family history, ʻike kūpuna, and immersion education grounded his c...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Noʻeau Peralto shares his journey home to ʻāina, moʻolelo, and kuleana. Raised in Waiākea and now living on ancestral lands in Hāmākua, Noʻeau reflects on how ʻike kūpuna, education, and intergenerational relationships shaped his path as a land steward and community leader. Through stories of his grandfather, his work with Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili, and his ref...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Kuʻulei Kanahele shares her journey into Hawaiian language, hula, and the deep study of Pele traditions—work shaped as much by archives and translation as by embodied practice. Raised on Oʻahu and drawn into ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through school and family, Kuʻulei reflects on the differences between classroom Hawaiian and home Hawaiian, and how fluency grows through re...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Holeka Inaba shares how a childhood rooted in Hawaiian language education shaped a lifelong commitment to community leadership, public service, and aloha ʻāina. Raised through Pūnana Leo and Hawaiian-medium schooling in Kona, Holeka reflects on how ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi formed his worldview long before he ever entered formal political spaces. The conversation traces hi...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Ikaakamai Nahuewai explores how Hawaiian language and worldview move through sound—across reggae, contemporary mele, and multimedia storytelling. Raised in Hilo and shaped by both Hawaiian-language education and diverse musical training, Ikaakamai reflects on songwriting as a space where ʻike Hawaiʻi, political consciousness, and creativity meet. The conversatio...

In this  episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Kananinohea Kawaiʻaeʻa-Mākaimoku reflects on her life as one of the first children raised entirely in the Hawaiian language revitalization movement. From her early years with Pūnana Leo and Ke Kula o Nāwahīokalaniōpuʻu to her role today preparing new Hawaiian-medium teachers, Kanani shares her thoughts on what it means to live, learn, and lead through ʻōlelo Ha...

In this  episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, revered scholar and cultural practitioner Kalena Silva shares how his grandmother’s Hawaiian language and a childhood encounter with oli set him on a lifelong path of education, chant, and hula. From early lessons at home to advanced study in Hawaiian language and ethnomusicology, Kalena reflects on the teachers, kūpuna, and cultural experiences that shaped his...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Larry Kimura reflects on his early upbringing in Waimea that lad the foundation to his role as a leader in the Hawaiian language revitalization movement. Through stories of family, kūpuna, and early voice recordings that helped preserve native speakers, he reveals how ʻike Hawaiʻi was carried forward during a critical moment in history. The conversation then exp...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Kauanoe Kamanā traces her life journey from growing up between Oʻahu and Molokaʻi to becoming a founding force behind the Hawaiian language immersion movement. She reflects on the profound influence of hula, ʻohana, and kūpuna, and how cultural practice became inseparable from her path as an educator and leader. Known affectionally as Kumu Kamanā by generations...

In this episode of Kīpuka Moʻolelo, Pila Wilson reflects on his journey from a childhood spent moving across countries to becoming a fierce advocate for Hawaiian language, worldview, and education. Through stories of learning ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, studying under Larry Kimura, and being fully embraced into a Hawaiian family, Pila shares how identity is shaped through correction, responsibility, and aloha...