Kūkulu Hale Hou: Reenvisioning, Reimagining, and Recalibrating Our Systems That Support Youth in Hawaiʻi

Come talk story with the iconic community leader and advocate, Kumu Hina, and share your manaʻo of how we can come together to support youth in Hawaiʻi.  We will talk about existing conditions and needed movement toward solutions.

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is a teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader who promotes kanaka ʻōiwi language, philosophies, worldview, and traditions of her people across diverse educational, political, and media landscapes.   Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, her life experiences include teaching at all levels, in both public and private sectors, working with students from all educational levels and spaces, including higher academia, Hawaiʻiʻs incarceration system, and with our endeared kūpuna. She is an accomplished haku mele (songwriter/composer)  whose iconic composition, “Kū Haʻaheo,” has become a  staple mele that unites, elevates, and uplifts our lāhui.   As an Oscar-nominated filmmaker of the animated short, “Kapaemahu,” Hina uses digital media as a modern extension of Hawaii’s ancient storytelling traditions.  She is highly respected in many circles, from the government to the community, from ʻāina to the boardroom, people around the world laud her for her work and advocacy rooted in honoring and uplifting Hawaiʻi and her people.  Among the many hats she wears, she currently serves as the Cultural Ambassador for the Council For Native Hawaiian Advancement. She is truly a voice of our people.