This year, the Native Hawaiian Convention returns to Honolulu after five years away from Oʻahu. Hosted by Hawaiian Council, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, the event will take place Monday, July 20, through Wednesday, July 22, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.
The convention brings together Native Hawaiian leaders, cultural practitioners, policymakers, educators and community members for three days of activities and conversations. It will immediately be followed by the Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula Festival, an invitational competition for keiki between the ages of six and 12 years old. The festival — which runs Thursday, July 23, through Saturday, July 25 — is also hosted by Hawaiian Council .
“It is super important for us that we celebrate our 25th anniversary of our beginnings back here home in Hawaiʻi on Oʻahu,” Mehanaokala Hind, senior advisor to the CEO, executive office for Hawaiian Council, told Aloha State Daily. “After being away from Oʻahu for five years, we're so excited to be back home and be back in a venue that can host the growing audience that we have that's participating in the convention.”
Tickets for all events at the Native Hawaiian Convention start at $230 for Hawaiian Council members and $305 for non members. To make the convention more accessible, a limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Participants must apply for scholarships by Friday, July 17.
In recent years, the convention garnered about 2,000 participants, Hind said, adding that the convention has outgrown the hotels in Waikīkī, especially for breakout sessions.
Last year, the convention was held in Tulalip, Washington. Before that, events were held on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We have things that have been consistent over the past couple years that our conventioners look forward to and look toward,” Hind said. “But this year, since we're back home, and since it's the 50th anniversary of the first landing on Kahoʻolawe, we're going to have a few breakouts dedicated to that and celebrating them, and also a Kilohana Award [will go] to the surviving members of the original nine that landed on Kahoʻolawe.”
In addition, the convention will feature Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, a marketplace featuring Native Hawaiian artisans and entrepreneurs, as well as a 24-hour film competition and panel discussions. Some of the topics addressed during the convention include efforts to return ʻāina to Hawaiian hands, aloha ʻāina in the age of artificial intelligence, water safety, storytelling, economic sovereignty, disaster recovery, health, and more.
On Monday, July 20, there will be a pre-convention workshop day with hands-on cultural workshops led by Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong, Kumu Hula Cody Pueo Pata, Kumu Hula Vicky Holt Takamine, Kumu Hula Lono Padilla, Lōpaka Kapanui, Haus of Puas, Kāhuli Leo Leʻa, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and Pā Kōnane, among others.
The following day, Tuesday, July 21, there will be a keynote address by Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green, and panel discussions on legal challenges facing Native Hawaiian programs and efforts to restore ʻāina to Hawaiian hands. There will also be breakout sessions on different topics.
For the final day of the convention, which is Wednesday, July 22, there will be a keynote address by Senate President Ron Kouchi and a mayor talk story event, moderated by Green, which includes Hawaiʻi Island Mayor Kimo Alameda, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami.
“We're going to bring our government leaders in, starting with the governor and all county mayors, which is a unique feature of ours that we've been able to command the attention of our lawmakers to be able to be present while we discuss those issues that are super important for us,” Hind said. “And then for this year — because of the recent challenges within the last year to the Native Hawaiian trusts — the trusts are going to speak.”
There will also be a special Hoʻolauleʻa that evening, which features music by Hoʻonuʻa, Three Plus and Manaʻo Company. Tickets to that event are $25 in honor of Hawaiian Council’s 25th anniversary.
“We have a great concert,” she said. “We know that our people love to gather around music. We're going to take it 25 years back to celebrate the 25 years of our existence, [and the] birth of our organization. We're going to do a throwback concert to back in the days about 25 years ago, and the bands that were celebrating with all of us.”
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
