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Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo

Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo

INDIGENIZATION WEBSITE REPOSITORY
Welcome to the Leeward Community College Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo Indigenization Website Repository. Ka ʻumeke is a calabash made from Indigenous wood like kou, and traditionally used to contain mea ʻai | food. Kūpuna would say ka ʻumeke kāʻeo is a learned person, someone of high expertise. When a person is full of knowledge, wisdom, skill or training, the comparison is to that of a full ʻumeke. The Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo repository hosts program information, resources and support for the work of indigenization at Leeward CC for employees. This repository may also be a source for students who seek resources that support their identity, wellness, sense of belonging, and connection to Hawaiʻi while on their academic journey.

Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo was created to support the work of Indigenization. Indigenization is the process of intentionally representing Kānaka Maoli Indigenous worldviews of these ancestral lands into the framework of Leeward CC. Representation of this process may appear in any course, program, service, space, or event. Through indigenization, kaiāulu | community is strengthened, binded, and sourced. Indigenization is a permanent opportunity to draw real world connections to Hawaiʻi for Kānaka Maoli and all who call Hawaiʻi home. In service to the largest Kānaka Maoli community in the world, Indigenization is the kuleana | privilege, concern, and function of Leeward CC to appropriately, authentically and meaningfully acknowledge and provide access to Hawaiʻi ancestral ways of being. The excellence of kuleana for Indigenization practitioners is grounded in Hawaiʻi knowledge systems:

Nā mea waiwai | Values
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi | Hawaiian Language
Moʻolelo | History, Stories
Hana noʻeau | Arts
ʻIke kūpuna | Elder Wisdom
Ancestral practices

He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu he pōkole ke aho;
He lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu he loa ke aho

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #725

“A fisherman of shallow seas uses only a short line; a fisherman of the deep sea uses a long line”

Pukui, 1972, p.80

The veiled meaning of this Hawaiian proverb teaches that shallow, surface attempts provide results, albeit superficial and non-sustaining; while casting he loa ke aho, the proverbial longer, deep-sea fishing line, reaps long-lasting, impactful knowledge and results.

He Loa Ke Aho

A FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICE
The words of kūpuna | ancestors tell us the veiled meaning of this Maoli | Indigenous proverb. It teaches that shallow, surface attempts provide results, albeit superficial and non-sustaining; while casting he loa ke aho, the proverbial longer deep-sea fishing line that reaps long-lasting and impactful knowledge and results.

Dr. Erin Kanoelani Thompson, Professor CC, is the Coordinator of the Leeward Community College Innovation Center for Teaching and Learning. Dr. Thompson championed the vision to activate accountability for the 2023-2029 University of Hawaiʻi Strategic Plan imperative of fulfilling kuleana to Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi. Her contributions to the Indigenization efforts of Leeward CC through Indigenous professional development opportunities, in order to provide employees with the foundational rigor to support an authentic and vibrant Native Hawaiian Place of Learning is systemic institutional innovation at work.

Dr. Thompson is the Coordinator of Kawaimanomano, Alumni of Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, ʻO Hāna ka ʻĀina Uluwehiwehi Participant, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant, SCUP Co-Presenter, Kaleoiki Mentor of Paʻapono, Paeʻāina Panelist, He Loa Ke Aho Co-PI and Grant Writer

Through Maoli professional development programs like Kawaimanomano, Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, and E ʻImi Naʻauao participants dive deeper into Indigenization learning opportunities and experiences. With readiness, employees are primed to indigenize spaces of instruction and service with confidence, knowledge and intentionality for the benefit of Native Hawaiian and all students. He Loa Ke Aho is the applied ancestral practice of an appropriate longer line for deeper intentionality. Leeward CC Indigenization practitioners develop their practice through this way of being. The He Loa Ke Aho Native Hawaiian Student Support Specialist, imagines this foundational practice through ancestral imagery.

Aloha nō! ʻO Leiʻala Okuda koʻu inoa. As the designer of the He Loa Ke Aho graphic elements, I designed to tell the moʻolelo of the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau that grounds this work.

Ke Kai Pāpaʻu

Inspired by the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau from which our program receives its name, Ke Kai Pāpaʻu is my visual interpretation of “the shallow seas”, more specifically, the shallow waters and shores of Puʻuloa. In developing this design, I researched what is commonly found within these waters while also reflecting on the moʻolelo of my Nana growing up in Puʻuloa. I chose to illustrate ʻōpihi (limpets), koʻa (coral), and limu (seaweed) as reflections of this place. One memory in particular remained with me: my Nana recalling “the strong smell of limu” from when she was a little girl. That memory became part of how I imagined and represented these shores. Ke Kai Pāpaʻu is therefore more than an illustration of shallow water. It is a reflection of Puʻuloa through place, memory, and moʻolelo by honoring both the environment itself and the generations who knew and experienced these waters.

Loa Ke Aho

Loa Ke Aho is a visual interpretation of “a long line,” drawing from the second half of our program’s ʻŌlelo Noʻeau. In developing this graphic element, I reached out to my friend and Kākau practitioner, Hema Yam-Lum, to request symbols of wā kāhiko (ancient times) to represent the idea of “loa ke aho.” Through his research, Hema identified a traditional visual element used to represent rope. While a single element would traditionally be used, he developed the design with two sides to visually extend the form and reflect our name accurately. I further developed the graphic represented today.

COMPANION GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
Ke Kai Pāpaʻu and Loa Ke Aho were designed as companion graphic elements. Individually, each reflects a portion of the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau that grounds our practice. Together, they complete its visual story: “He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu, he pōkole ke aho. He lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu, he loa ke aho.” Ke Kai Pāpaʻu grounds us within the shallow seas and shores of Puʻuloa, while Loa Ke Aho represents the long line needed to reach deeper waters. When brought together, these special designs honor the visual foundation of our guiding ʻŌlelo Noʻeau while embodying the philosophy and kaona (deeper meaning) of He Loa Ke Aho, the line that extends farther as we prepare ourselves to navigate deeper waters.

Waihona Aho | Aho Repository

INDIGENOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
In reference to the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau | wise poetical saying, He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu, he pōkole ke aho. He lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu, he loa ke aho; the aho loa | long line is identified as the type of cordage used to catch protein from the deep sea. The Waihona Aho provides access to deeper exploration of a Hawaiʻi world view through Maoli professional development programs for Indigenization practitioners to engage within.

Learn More

Waihona ʻUmeke

INDIGENOUS RESOURCES
ʻUmeke | calabash holds and curates access to a wealth of high quality and high impact resources. The Waihona ʻUmeke provides Native Hawaiian Student Success Counselors with the resources to inform students of services and resource manuals. Employee users find resources to aid their personal Maoli professional growth, and instructional Maoli resources for their courses and programs. Additional publications, readings and media resources are curated in Waihona ʻUmeke.

Learn More

Indigenization Practitioner

STATEMENTS
Engaging in Indigenization professional development programs result in mind shifts of values, learned practice and developed pedagogy. We practice through learned history and impact, inclusive learning environments, and ancestral knowledge systems as a guiding compass. Leeward CC employees prime to advance this practice and mindset. Indigenization practitioners holomua | move forward with increased knowledge, strengthened confidence, valued pilina | relationships, and the determined will to increase the quality of their relationship to Hawaiʻi for themselves and for their students.

He Loa Ke Aho Programs like Ka Lei Kumupaʻa professional development and Hōʻikeākea Gallery installation, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina, are two examples of high impact programs and resources accessible at Leeward CC. Here is how a few co-leaders and indigenization practitioners have experienced these opportunities.

“I just finished watching Ho`olina and want to thank you both for creating and sharing such a treasure. I am rarely at a loss for words, and “awe” barely captures how deeply impressed I am, not only by the vision it takes to dream up such a powerful theme, but also by the talent and dedication required to bring it to life. You are both amazing, and I’m truly grateful for the gift of this film and for all of your hard work over the past couple of years. I wholeheartedly agree that everyone needs to see this.”

William Kahoku Castillo,
Coordinator, Alumni of Kawaimanomano and Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“I especially want to share how impressed I am by the level of care and genuine aloha that was poured into all the projects under He Loa ke Aho and the resulting impact on our students. It is evident in everything that you and your team have done that mana, aloha, and kuleana were at the heart of the process. We are incredibly fortunate to have been recipients of this work—both faculty and students alike. I know your impact will extend far beyond the duration of the grant and will continue to benefit our Leeward ʻohana for years to come.”

Dr. Kaleʻa Silva,
Professor, Kawaimanomano Professor, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

Leiʻala Okuda

Native Hawaiian Student Support Specialist, Alumni of Kawaimanomano and Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, Hoʻopūnana Program Lead, Paʻapono Program Lead, He Pillina Wehenaʻole Co-Director and Co-Producer, Paeʻāina Panelist, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant and Contributor, ʻO Hāna ka ʻĀina Uluwehiwehi Participant, Molokaʻi Nui A Hina Participant, Ēwe Maoli Hawaiʻi Participant, Indigenous Sensory Space Collaborator, Hā Source of Energy Collaborator, He Loa Ke Aho Graphic Designer, Paʻapono Mural Collaborator

“’Pilina ʻai moʻolelo.’ This saying speaks to the indigenous practice of fostering and strengthening connections (pilina) by gathering, listening, and nourishing our bodies (ʻai) through ancestral and personal narratives (moʻolelo). This quote is also the two things that come to mind when I think about indigenization- pilina and moʻolelo. As I learned through my time in Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, moʻolelo is an ancestral technology that has been used across time to keep our Lāhui alive. And without the establishment of reciprocal and evolving pilina, there would be no people to tell the moʻolelo to. How can a story be passed down when there is no one willing to listen? But when there is someone, anyone, that takes the time to create space to hāmau and hoʻolohe pono, a shift occurs. Whether in people’s homes, community groups, and institutions, this indigenous practice of “pilina ʻai moʻolelo” has the ability to thrive everywhere, anytime, and is consistently responsive to the needs of our Lāhui Hawaiʻi. That is what indigenization means to me.”

Lexer Chou

Student Services Coordinator, Alumni of Kawaimanomano, Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, and Hoʻopūnana

“After more than 20 years of visiting Hawai‘i and now 17 years of making Hawai‘i my home as a settler, I recognize my kuleana to deepen my connection to Kanaka Maoli, whose ancestral lands I am privileged to live on and where I am blessed to raise my keiki. Ka Lei Kumupaʻa provided me with a meaningful foundation for learning and understanding a piece of Kanaka Maoli history, while also reminding me that this learning is only a beginning. With this foundation comes a responsibility to continue listening, learning, and creating spaces that uplift and elevate Kanaka Maoli mo‘olelo, histories, voices, and ways of knowing. In my work with students, I hope to honor this kuleana by creating opportunities for them to engage more deeply with one another, with the history and culture of Hawai‘i, and with the ‘āina and communities they are a part of.”

Kānaka Maoli Hopes for Lāhui Hawaiʻi

STATEMENTS

Who are Kānaka Maoli that serve and learn at Ke Kulanui Kaiāulu o ʻEwa?

How do these Kānaka protect and serve the most far-reaching Indigenous Native Hawaiian community on Oʻahu, in the State, and in the world?

How does identity, wellness and persistence strengthen and improve through indigenization?

Through curated Indigenous Kānaka Maoli portraits, cultural media resources, and student program artifacts, He Loa Ke Aho, Oahu Films, and the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Excellence respond to these wonders in the Ēwe Hānau O Ka ʻĀina Spring installation of the Hōʻikeākea Gallery. This temporary resource was installed between April – July 2026. The curated gallery pieces connected people to place and practice through the work of indigenization. Personal statements of Leeward CC portrait participants are featured in an accompanying booklet entitled Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina. Hopes within personal statements inform how Kānaka Maoli of Leeward CC aspire to new moʻolelo for the future lehulehu | multitudes to come.

Piʻikea Hardy-Kahaleoumi

Counselor, Kawaimanomano Professor, Alumni of Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant, Keoneʻula Hawaiian Language Chair, Ēwe Maoli Hawaiʻi Professor

“My hope for the Lāhui is that through education we continue to heal from the trauma of colonization, reclaim our history, and emerge as leaders in our homeland. By restoring our cultural practices and language, I believe we will not only persevere, but thrive.”

Lopaka Jose-Matias

Alumni of Leeward CC, He Loa Ke Aho Student Aide, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“My hope is for a thriving Lāhui Hawaiʻi because they are in great hands. I donʻt have any worry that the next generation will come up with better solutions to navigate through toughness and push through plateaus. Our generation is setting it up for the next generation to pick that up.”

Brittni Ramos

Instructor, Alumni of Kawaimanomano, Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, and Hoʻopūnana, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“My hope for lāhui Hawaiʻi is continued strength, unity, and opportunity rooted in culture and community. I hope we continue to uplift one another, invest in education, and create systems that honor our ʻike, history, and collective resilience. I believe education is one pathway toward that vision. When we grow home-grown teachers, leaders, and professionals who are grounded in their identity and committed to serving their communities, we strengthen not only individual families but our entire lāhui. My hope is that future generations inherit a Hawaiʻi where they feel proud of who they are, confident in their abilities, and empowered to lead with aloha, integrity, and kuleana.”

Kaipo Spencer

Public Safety Sergeant, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“Achieve your goals and dreams. Build your foundation strong. Invest in yourself and your ‘Ohana.”

Poliʻahu Wright Dulay

Lecturer, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“I hope that my time at Leeward CC contributes to growing political literacy across generations where we understand how power operates and how to move it. ʻOhana governance continues today. It lives in how we raise children, protect ʻāina, and hold one another accountable. ʻOhana governance has guided my contributions to our lāhui Hawaiʻi. By sharing it, I hope it offers one more option forward for our future generations.”

Dr. Kaleʻa Silva

Professor, Kawaimanomano Professor, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“I envision more ʻōiwi in leadership, more ʻōiwi professors, and stronger support for our ʻōiwi students. My lofty aspirational goal is a lab school on our Leeward campus, where teacher education students can practice and deepen their skills and knowledge within a culturally grounded environment. I imagine this lab school as not only a place for aspiring teachers to practice their skills but also a safe and nurturing space where faculty and community members can confidently send their children.”

William Kahoku Castillo

Coordinator, Alumni of Kawaimanomano and Ka Lei Kumupaʻa, Ēwe Hānau o ka ʻĀina Participant

“My hope is that this momentum continues. I want Native Hawaiian students to feel that support is not an initiative, but a sustained commitment embedded in the culture of the campus. When intention is matched with action, real impact follows.”

Testimony

VIDEOS

Ka Lei Kumupaʻa Testimonies

Hoʻopūnana Trailer link

Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo

Nā mea waiwai | Values
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi | Hawaiian Language
Moʻolelo | History, Stories
Hana noʻeau | Arts
ʻIke kūpuna | Elder Wisdom
Ancestral practices

He lawaiʻa no ke kai pāpaʻu he pōkole ke aho;
He lawaiʻa no ke kai hohonu he loa ke aho

“A fisherman of shallow seas uses only a short line; a fisherman of the deep sea uses a long line”