Jayna Omaye
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Past articles by Jayna:
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
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
Beloved kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho dies at 81
Revered kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho died Sunday in Hilo. He was 81. → Read More
Daughter of Kona coffee farmer continues his legacy
Whenever Victoria Magana Ledesma misses her dad, she looks up at the sky. → 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. That inspired Ikuma to take an interest in the military at a young age, which led him to join the Navy later on. → 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
When Lynnae Lawrence moved to Oahu in 2017, she said, she enjoyed learning about Native Hawaiian culture. After attending many community events, Lawrence, a member of the Hopi Tribe from Arizona and the Nakoda Nation from Montana, said she, in turn, was asked questions from people wanting to learn more about her Native American culture. → Read More
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
Maile Naehu grew up with a love and deep appreciation for the Hawaiian language and culture. Whether it was dancing hula, speaking Hawaiian or singing Hawaiian music, Naehu said, her mom encouraged her to be immersed in her heritage and spent many nights at the dinner table asking her what she had learned. → Read More
Community marks 80th anniversary of Japanese internment with reflection, hope
Karen Yamaga spent the first five months of her life at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. Although she doesn’t have memories of time spent at the internment camp, the impact it had on her family during and after World War II was traumatic and long-lasting. → 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. The repatriation of the Hawaiian skeletal remains, which the agency said were stolen from Hawaii more than 100 years ago, is seen by many as an act of healing and fulfillment of a kuleana. → 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. He said some kumu hula also work two to three jobs to support their halau and kuleana to uphold the beloved tradition. → 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
Cafe opens on Hawaiian home land in Anahola
Wyatt Kamoku used to wake up at 3 a.m. to make the nearly 30-mile trek across Kauai for his job. Kamoku, who lives with his family on Hawaiian home lands in Anahola, cooked breakfast at a restaurant in Poipu Beach. → Read More
New specialty license plate features Hokuleʻa
As a Hokule‘a crew member, Chris Blake said words cannot describe the way it feels to be on the iconic vessel. He first sailed on the double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe in 2012 with a group of educators from Kamehameha Schools and then as part of the historic Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage in 2016. → Read More
KIKU-TV returns after several months off air
When Larry Ordonez heard the news that television station KIKU’s popular Japanese and Filipino programs would be restored, he said he was both surprised and excited. Ordonez, president of Ethnic Education Hawaii, which works to ensure local programming is broadcast in various languages, said many immigrants and those with limited English proficiency in Hawaii missed that connection to their… → Read More
Hawaii Tourism Authority grants help groups perpetuate, steward natural, cultural resources
After a one-year hiatus, the Hawaii Tourism Authority has brought back its grant programs that seek to support community organizations focused on protecting and perpetuating natural resources and the Hawaiian culture. → Read More