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Conference Details

37th SHA Conference, October 17-19, 2025

Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikolani, UH Hilo, Waiākea, Hawaiʻi

Hale ‘Ōlelo

113 Nowelo St, Hilo, HI 96720

Schedule Overview

Friday, October 17, 2025: Huaka‘i (additional information to be announced)

Friday, October 17, 2025, Evening: Welcome Reception and Keynote (complimentary pupu, beer, and wine)

Saturday, October 18, 2025: Papers and Presentations, Annual SHA Membership Meeting, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (continental breakfast, coffee service, and lunch included)

Saturday, October 18, 2025, Evening: ‘Aha ‘Āina, Awards Presentations, and Silent Auction, at ‘Imiloa (dinner and entertainment provided)

Sunday, October 19, 2025: Papers and Presentations, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (continental breakfast, coffee service, and lunch included)

Huakaʻi Information

We are excited to be having several huaka‘i this year on Hawai‘i Island. More details to be announced shortly.

About the Conference

This year’s conference theme, “Ka manu kahea i ka wa‘a e holo” refers to "The bird that calls the canoe to sail."

This is the kioea (bristle-thighed curlew), whose early morning call was often a signal to canoes to go fishing or traveling. Archaeology and Wahi Kūpuna Stewardship is a journey into the past, through the present, and towards the future. Like the lawai‘a, we who do this work hear the kahea and head out on our voyages of learning and connection. But what is the call that you hear, what draws you to this study of the past? Why is it important, and to whom?

These questions have always mattered in our practice, but feel especially urgent now in this time of drastic changes — climate, political, technological, etc. For this year’s conference, we invite you to consider these questions about what makes archaeology your calling and encourage you to ask them of the past, present, and future of archaeology and wahi kūpuna stewardship as practiced both in Hawai‘i and by Hawaiians.

About the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology

The Society for Hawaiian Archaeology was established in 1980 to:

Promote and stimulate interest and research in the archaeology of the Hawaiian Islands
Encourage a more rational public appreciation of the aims and limitations of archaeological research
Serve as a bond among those interested in Hawaiian archaeology, both professionals and non-professionals, and aid in directing their efforts into more scientific channels as well as encourage the publication of their results
Advocate and assist in the conservation of archaeological data
Discourage unethical commercialism in the archaeological field and work for its elimination.

SHA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

2025-2026 SHA Membership Info

At the last General Meeting of the Membership on October 19, 2024, the membership voted to change the SHA "membership year" to Oct. 1 – Sept. 30 to align with SHA’s fiscal year. We extended the 2024 membership year to the start of this new period. This means that 2024 members were active until Sept. 30, 2025. The next membership year will start October 1, 2025.

Several individuals renewed their memberships during the transition. If you have paid for membership in 2025 and were already a member in 2024, then you will automatically become a member for the 2025-2026 membership year starting October 1, 2025. If you were not a 2024 member and paid for membership after April 1, 2025, you will also automatically become a member for the 2025-2026 membership year starting October 1, 2025. We will be sending a notification email to all of those that have already signed up or been automatically renewed for the 2025-2026 membership year in mid-September.

You can sign up for the 2025-2026 membership year via the conference registration platform

There you can sign up for the conference AND membership by clicking one of the following options:

Registration & SHA Membership
Registration & SHA Membership – Student

*For conference registration and a lifetime membership, please sign up for a lifetime membership (see below) and then register for the conference as a member.

If you are not planning to attend the conference, you can simply sign up for a membership by clicking one of the following options on the conference registration platform:

SHA Membership Only ($40)
SHA Student Membership Only ($20)
SHA Lifetime Membership Only ($500)

Please contact membership@hawaiianarchaeology.org if you have any questions on the membership levels, seek clarification on your membership status, or need assistance with registration. For companies and institutions that would like to do bulk registration for their staff, please reach out to membership@hawaiianarchaeology.org for instructions.