Leilani Kahananui
@leilani.kahananui · Member #3,847
Waipio Valley, Hawai'i Island · Kumu Hula · Kalo Farmer · Lineal Descendant
About
Seventh-generation Waipio Valley family. My grandmother taught me that every taro leaf holds a prayer. I am here to honor her memory and carry our culture forward for the next seven generations. E ola mau ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i.
Lineage
Traces to Chiefess Kalola Pupuka-o-Honokawailani through the Maui line · Kamehameha line connection through Kohala
Sacred Quote
I ka wā ma mua, ka wā ma hope. — The future is found in the past.
Member Since
January 2026
Connections
Photos
My Grandmother's Last Words
She called me to her bedside in the last week of October. The mango tree outside her window was heavy with fruit. She took my hand and said, in 'ōlelo Hawai'i, 'Do not let them take the language. The language is the land. The land is us.' I have never forgotten. I never will.
She was 94 years old. ...
The kalo harvest this morning. Seven generations of our family have worked this patch. The roots go deeper than we know.
On the Merrie Monarch
I have danced at Merrie Monarch three times. The first time I was 19 and I shook so hard I could barely hold my ipu. The second time I cried through the entire opening chant. The third time — last year — I finally understood what the elders mean when they say hula is prayer made visible.
The judges...
Sunrise at Mauna Kea. We went up to pray before the assembly. The mountain holds everything.
What the Trust Means to Me
When I first heard about Hale Kapu Mo'olelo a Ali'i Ana, I thought it was another organization making promises. I've seen too many of those come and go.
But then I read the manifesto. All 76 pages. And I understood — this is different. This is not asking for permission. This is not petitioning the ...
