Huaka‘i #1: From Kou to the Capitol—A Honolulu Micro Huakaʻi

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Time: 9:30am-noon 

Why does 70 percent of Hawaiʻi’s population live on its third largest island? And how could a march of six blocks result in the overthrow of a nation spread out over hundreds of miles? This walking tour begins mauka of Aloha Tower at Walker Park—ever heard of it?—and ends at the Liliʻuokalani statue between ʻIolani Palace and the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. Along the way, we’ll look at what is there now and the traces of what was there before. We’ll also consider what only remains in memory.

Honolulu’s economic, political and cultural history is embedded in its geography and its architecture. This tour explores the stratigraphy of the city.

Huaka‘i Leader: Craig Howes, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Craig Howes is the Director of the Center for Biographical Research at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He is the author of “A Downtown Honolulu and Capitol District Decolonial Tour” published, in Detours: A Decolonial Guide To Hawaiʻi, edited by Hōkūlani H. Aikau and Vernadette Vicuña Gonzalez for Duke University Press, 2019.

Max. Number of Participants: 20

Location/Directions: Meet at Walker Park, a triangular park bounded by Queen St., S. Nimitz Highway, and Fort St. Mall, Honolulu, 96813.

Restroom Availability:  Public restrooms along route

Notes for Attendees: Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring water. Metered parking available at Aloha Tower and 888 Nuuanu Ave. Harbor Court Parking-best deal.

Huaka‘i #2: Kamehameha Schools Archives & Koehana Facility, Kapālama

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Time: 1-3pm

Be among the first to explore Kamehameha Schools’ newly completed 8,000-square-foot Archives and Koehana Facility, that opened in January 2026. Located in Kapālama near Dillingham Zippy’s, this state-of-the-art repository houses thousands of cultural and historical artifacts connected to ʻĀina Pauahi.

During this exclusive visit, participants will:

• View a curated selection of koehana up close
• Learn about the Kamehameha Schools Cultural Resources Program
• Explore how cultural collections are preserved and cared for
• Enjoy a rare behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and its operations

Space is limited, so reserve your spot early! We look forward to welcoming you for this unique opportunity to connect with the stories, collections, and stewardship of ʻĀina Pauahi.

Huaka‘i Leaders: Trever Duarte and Jon Tulchin, Kamehameha Schools

Jon Tulchin and Trever Duarte are managers within Kamehameha Schools’ Wahi Kūpuna (Cultural Resources) Program, which stewards more than 5,000 cultural sites across 370,000 acres of trust lands and a collection of over 70,000 artifacts. Both began their careers as Cultural Resource Management (CRM) archaeologists and now lead KS' efforts to protect, manage, and perpetuate Hawaiʻi’s cultural heritage through responsible stewardship and community engagement.

Max. Number of Participants:  15

Location/Directions: Meet at Dillingham Zippy's parking lot, 1210 Dillingham Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96817.

Restroom Availability: At facility

Notes for Attendees:

• Ample parking available at Zippy’s Dillingham
• ADA-friendly access—no stairs or rough terrain
• Air-conditioned facility
• Restrooms and water fountain on site

Huaka‘i #3: Wahi Kūpuna of West Honouliuli

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Time: 9am-noon

This huaka'i shares the cultural significance embedded in the landscape of west Honouliuli. The huakaʻi starts at the piko of the ahupuaʻa, Puʻuokapolei, to ground everyone to where they are, pointing out the importance of the puʻu, both in the past and how it continues today. From there, the huakaʻi moves to Kīpuka O Kahinahina, an endangered plant sanctuary in Campbell Industrial Park, where the resources of kāluaʻōlohe, kāluamahi, and kāluawai are protected. The traditional practices of kālua agriculture and kālua water access are further informed by scientific data collection as the community strives to ‘āina, wai, and kai of contamination and pollution so that our home sands can thrive once more and provide food & water security & sustainability. From there, the huakaʻi moves to Kahe Point to see the cultural artwork sponsored by the Mayor’s Office on Culture & Arts Wahi Pana Sacred Places Program. The beauty of the five westernmost ‘ili of Honouliuli have been painted onto the pillars of Kahe pavilion. At the pavilion the huaka'i participants can eat lunch in the shade while Ulukoa Duhaylonsod shares the Wahi Pana Sacred Places artwork that the Mayor's Office on Culture and Arts has recently put on the pavilion through Aunty Mele Meyer and Solomon Enos.

Huaka‘i Leaders: Ulukoa Duhaylonsod, Kiawekūpono O Ka Ua/ Kaʻuikiokapō

Leading the huaka'i is D.J. Ulukoa Duhaylonsod, who is the Kumu Hula of Halau Kiawekupono O Ka Ua and Cultural Advisor to the aloha 'aina org Ka'uikiokapo, malama kai org Ho'ola Hani'o. He is also a Board Member for the Honokai 'Ohana Council, which represents the piko 'ohana of Honokai village and the surrounding area. Kumu Ulukoa was born and raised in the area at a time when Campbell Industrial Park only consisted of one refinery; Kapolei was covered by a sea of green; and Ko Olina was still a coastline of amazingly beautiful natural lagoons in which we'd play. After being sent to Desert Storm at the wise old age 19 and seeing man-made destruction firsthand, he returned home on a mission to malama --- malama ka 'ohana, malama ka home, a'o 'ana i ka malama kekahi i kekahi me ka mahalo Ke Akua. The halau and NHOs and his ICO in the Mariana Islands as well as his work in global spaces all reflect this mission to malama ke ola. With a Double Bachelor's in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, a Master's in Pacific Islands Studies, and a PhD on the way in Anthropology, Kumu Ulukoa hopes to encourage others with one simple message: Find the goodness everywhere you go, figure out how to magnify it, then do it. JUST DO.

Max. Number of Participants: 20

Location/Directions:

First stop:

 Puʻuokapolei

 Kapolei Regional Park 

 1077 Manawai St.

 Kapolei, HI 96707

Meet by the pā hula (hula mound/platform). Folks can drive into the parking lot by the skate park entrance on Fort Barrette Road.

Second stop (by convoy) near Kīpuka O Kahinahina:

  Kapolei Convenience Center

 91-184 Kaomi Loop

 Kapolei, HI 96707

 (Campbell Industrial Park)

Located between the beach and the makai side of the H-Power plant. We will go through the guard shack at the Kapolei Convenience Center and drive through a closed gate in the back. From there, the walk is about 1 to 2 minutes to the Kīpuka O Kahinahina sanctuary.

Final stop (by convoy) to see cultural artwork:

 Kahe Point Beach Park

 92-301 Farrington Highway

 Kapolei, HI 96707

Restroom Availability:  At Puʻuokapolei and Kahe Point

Notes for Attendees: Hybrid walking/driving huaka'i at three tour locations a drive 10 minutes apart from each other. Wear protective walking shoes in case of possible thorns along the along the Kīpuka O Kahinahina trail. Bring water and (optional) your lunch.

Huaka‘i #4: Bishop Museum: Behind the Scenes Tour

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Time: 2-4pm

The Bishop Museum's Archaeology Department houses the world’s largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific artifacts recovered from archaeological contexts. Many of the sites excavated by Bishop Museum archaeologists are fundamental to our understanding of the cultural past of Oceania. This behind-the-scenes tour will have you exploring the museum's collections from archaeological projects throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. After the tour concludes at 4pm, guests will have self-guided access to the public exhibits at the museum until closing at 5pm.

Huaka‘i Leader: Stephanie Abo Lambert, Bishop Museum

Stephanie Abo Lambert is the Archaeology Collections Manager at the Bishop Museum. She has her BA and MA in Anthropology, with an emphasis in Archaeology, along with a Museum Studies Certificate. Stephanie has over ten years’ experience in the proper care, maintenance, and preservation of archaeological collections, including their associated archival records.

Max. Number of Participants: 10

Location/Directions: 1525 Bernice Street Honolulu, HI 96817. Meet at 1:45pm near the iron gate by the Visitor Parking 2 lot, next to Paki Hall.

Restroom Availability:  At facility 

Notes for Attendees: Upon entering the museum grounds, do not park in the parking lot on your left. Turn right after entering through the main gate and park in the Visitor Parking 2 lot. Stephanie will provide you with a free parking pass to be placed in your car's windshield upon check-in. There's also free (but limited) street parking just outside the main gate on Bernice St. Tour will be indoors in collections spaces. Eating, gum chewing, drinking, and smoking are not permitted within the Department at any time. Large backpacks, coats, flowers, leis, and most personal items are not permitted in collection storage or laboratory areas; however, all belongings will be kept in a secure location within the department.

Huaka‘i #5: Kāneikapualena Temple

Date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Time: 9am-1pm

This huakaʻi offers a rare on-ʻāina opportunity to witness how the ancestral knowledge systems of Waiʻanae continue to mark time and sustain kuleana to the land and sky.

Overview: This guided huakaʻi takes participants to Kāneikapualena, a significant Kāne temple in the Waiʻanae moku known as the sun temple of Waiʻanae. Led by Kahu Glen Kila with support from Christophor Oliveira, the visit centers on the temple’s celestial alignments, with special attention to the equinox. Participants will experience how ancestral knowledge of time, place, and the movement of the sun is encoded in the landscape and stone features of this wahi pana.

What to Expect:

• Short to moderate hike on established paths and open ground within the cultural landscape of Waiʻanae.
• Terrain includes uneven surfaces, rocky areas, and gradual elevation changes typical of coastal and valley sites in the district.
• Duration: Approximately 2.5 – 3.5 hours total (including walking, cultural orientation, and time at the site). Exact timing will be adjusted for the equinox observation.
• At the site, Kahu Glen Kila and Christophor will share moʻolelo, discuss the temple’s relationship to Kāne, and demonstrate the equinox alignments , showing how the rising or setting sun interacts with key features of the unu during this seasonal turning point.
• Opportunity for quiet observation, reflection, and questions about Kaʻananiau (managing the rolling beauty of time) and the broader network of Kāne temples in Waiʻanae.

Huaka‘i Leaders: Christophor Oliveira and Kahu Glen Kila, Koa Ike Foundation

Christophor Edward Oliveira is Executive Director of Koa Ike Foundation (501(c)(3)) and founder of ʻIkehala Archaeology. He graduated summa cum laude in 2026 from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and is an incoming graduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. A haumana in the Kanenuiakea tradition under Kahu Glen Kila, his research focuses on the celestial alignments, moʻolelo, and stewardship of Kāne temples in the Waiʻanae moku. He is a 2023 United Nations OHCHR Indigenous Fellow and 2018 U.S. Department of State Young Pacific Leaders alumnus. His current project, Kaʻananiau: Managing the Rolling Beauty of Time, examines how ancestral knowledge systems guide the interpretation and protection of sacred sites.

Kahu Glen Makakaualiʻi Kila is a respected cultural practitioner and knowledge holder of the Kanenuiakea tradition of Waiʻanae, Oʻahu. As a lineal descendant with deep ancestral ties to the sacred sites and temples of the Waiʻanae moku, he has dedicated his life to the preservation, practice, and transmission of traditional Hawaiian knowledge systems. Kahu Kila serves as a mentor and kumu to haumana, including Christophor Edward Oliveira, and actively leads efforts in cultural stewardship, sacred site protection, and community education. He is frequently called upon to share moʻolelo, guide huakaʻi, and advise on matters of cultural protocol and the care of wahi pana.

Max. Number of Participants: 20

Location/Directions: Meet at Kamaile Wells, Board of Water Supply (BWS), at the corner of Kaulawaha Rd. and Mahina'au Rd. Arrive 15 minutes early - huaka'i attendees will be allowed to park inside the gate, on the side of the road so that the path to the pump station remains accessible to BWS, and the gate will be locked for duration of the hike. BWS will not be held liable for damages or vandalism to cars or personal property parked on the BWS property.

Restroom Availability: No public restrooms

Notes for Attendees: Recommended: Closed-toe shoes with good grip, hat, sunscreen, water, and light rain gear. Huaka'i leaders also recommend downloading the skyview app to your phone.