A quarter of Hawaii residents have danced hula, study finds
A new University of Hawaii study has found that one-quarter of Hawaii residents have danced or still dance hula, officials announced last month. Read more
Jayna Omaye
Jayna Omaye covered ethnic and cultural affairs at the Star-Advertiser as a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
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Latest Stories by Jayna Omaye
New UH Hilo sustainability academy draws on Indigenous knowledge
The University of Hawaii at Hilo is launching an academy that seeks to train students and professionals about climate change solutions and sustainability, with a focus on incorporating Indigenous values and knowledge, officials announced in March. Read more
Edith Kanakaʻole’s recognition on coin shows she is ‘just as alive now as she’s ever been,’ family says
Whenever Kuha‘o Zane dances with Halau o Kekuhi at the Merrie Monarch Festival’s ho‘ike, he always thinks about the Hilo stadium’s namesake — his grandma, Edith Kanaka‘ole. Read more
Hokuleʻa and Hikianalia embark on voyage to Tahiti
The Polynesian voyaging canoes Hokule‘a and Hikianalia departed from Sand Island at about 11:15 a.m. Monday on the first leg of their sail to Tahiti. The Kealaikahiki Voyage is focused on preparing the next generation of crew members for the momentous Moananuiakea Voyage, a five-year circumnavigation of the Pacific set to launch in 2023. Read more
Nisei Impact: Honolulu Star-Advertiser youth storytelling project honors Hawaii’s Japanese American World War II veterans
The inaugural Nisei Impact program is a partnership between the Star-Advertiser and the nonprofit Nisei Veterans Legacy. Each day this week, the Star-Advertiser will publish a story, written by a high school student, about the nisei veterans in our families and communities. Read more
Beloved kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho dies at 81
Revered kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho died Sunday in Hilo. He was 81. Read more
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Community sows seeds of awareness during Native Hawaiian Plant Month
April marks Native Hawaiian Plant Month and national Native Plant Month. Several advocates say it’s a great way to bring awareness about the environmental and cultural importance of our native species, as well as to highlight the work community groups are doing to increase our native plant species in the islands. Read more
Daughter of deported Kona coffee farmer continues his legacy
Whenever Victoria Magana Ledesma misses her dad, she looks up at the sky. Read more
Students seek to inspire, empower youth through developing curriculum on Filipino culture, history
During her sophomore year at Punahou School in 2021, Marissa Halagao said, she wondered why her Asian studies class didn’t include more Filipino education and history. Read more
Alejandro Haban, known as one of the last living sakadas in Hawaii, dies at 95
Alejandro Haban, a longtime mechanic at Dole, died Feb. 17 in Lanai City. He was 95. Read more
Student project seeks to perpetuate 100th Infantry Battalion’s legacy
Growing up in Hawaii, Gary Ikuma said, his father, a 100th Infantry Battalion veteran, shared stories about his experiences during and after World War II. Read more
Native Hawaiian homestead nonprofit buys Kauai affordable rental property
A Native Hawaiian homestead nonprofit recently purchased an affordable rental property on Kauai, advancing a first-of-its-kind project. The nonprofit’s leaders say the initiative is an effort to keep more rentals at affordable rates, particularly during the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Renowned anthropologist Adrienne Kaeppler dies at 86
Adrienne Kaeppler, a leading expert in Pacific Islander culture, music, dance, poetry and visual arts, died March 5 in Washington, D.C. She was 86. Read more
Native American event at UH West Oahu seeks to share, celebrate Indigenous cultures
Native Hawaiian organizations to study community well-being
Four Native Hawaiian organizations are conducting a statewide survey on the well-being of Hawaii’s diverse communities. They say the study’s findings will help to shape strategic planning and improve services for Native Hawaiians. Read more
Grants help ethnic and cultural festivals, projects in Hawaii
The Honolulu Intertribal Powwow, the We Are Samoa Festival and the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival are some of the ethnic and cultural celebrations expected to return in person this year, after two years of cancellations and major changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Community celebrates Hawaiian Language Month
February is Hawaiian Language Month, or Mahina ‘Olelo Hawai‘i. Several community leaders — including Naehu, who is part of a more recent movement of people and organizations continuing to grow ‘olelo Hawai‘i — say that while it’s important to bring more awareness during February, Hawaiian should be celebrated and spoken beyond that. Read more
58 iwi kupuna return home to Hawaii after more than 100 years
An Office of Hawaiian Affairs delegation has returned home 58 iwi kupuna after completing a five-city trip to Germany and Austria. Read more
Community marks 80th anniversary of Japanese internment with reflection, hope
About 122,000 people of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii and on the mainland who were forcibly evacuated from their homes and sent to internment camps after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Today marks the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the internment. Read more
First-of-its-kind hula cultural center proposed for Wailuku
For several decades, Cody Pueo Pata said, many fellow kumu hula have struggled to find homes for their halau. Some rotate their practices among parks, school cafeterias and family members’ garages, often rushing home from their day jobs to grab supplies for class. Read more
Bills seek to address language access inequities in Hawaii
When Agnes Malate emigrated with her family from the Philippines to Hawaii in the 1960s, she knew only three English words: yes, no and what is your name. At 7, she said, school was difficult, learning to speak English while adjusting to life in a new country. Read more
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