Fairmont Kea Lani event celebrates Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day

In recognition of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, Hawaiʻi’s Day of Sovereignty Restoration, Fairmont Kea Lani invites the community to a day of cultural learning, reflection and celebration on Sunday, July 27, 2025, from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea commemorates the restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty in 1843 after a brief British occupation. The event, held from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wailea resort, is organized in collaboration with cultural practitioners and will take place in the main lobby and at Hale Kukuna, the resort’s Hawaiian cultural center.

The celebration begins with a flag-raising ceremony and the singing of “Hawai‘i Ponoʻī.” Guests are invited to join a series of scheduled workshops and all-day demonstrations.

Event Schedule:

• 9:45 a.m. – Raising of the Hawaiian Flag + Hawai‘i Ponoʻī
• 10:30 a.m. – Lauhala Weaving with Gayle “Kaila” Miyaguchi
• 11:30 a.m. – Kapa Making with Lei Ishikawa
• 12:30 p.m. – Wood Craftsmanship with Kenneth Hiraoka
• Ongoing throughout the day:
  • Lei Hulu with Leonani Meyer
  • Kākau Uhi (traditional tattoo) with Chase Keliʻipaʻakaua
  • Agricultural Practices with Lukela Alboro

Live music by Kaniala Masoe will accompany the event.

“Our intention is to create more than just a celebration,” seaid Jobi Miguel, manager of Hawaiian culture at Fairmont Kea Lani. “This is a gathering place for education, cultural connection and community. We are deeply honored to share in the remembrance of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea and the living traditions that continue to shape Hawaiʻi today.”

Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day) honors the historic moment on July 31, 1843, when King Kamehameha III declared “Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono” (“the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”) after British forces returned sovereignty to the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Located in the storied ahupuaʻa of Honuaʻula, Fairmont Kea Lani honors the kuleana of standing on sacred ground. Through events like this – uplifting knowledge through hula, oli, moʻolelo and ancestral practices – the resort says it reaffirms its commitment to cultural stewardship and community engagement through Hale Kukuna.