#Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele

Esteemed kumu hula Nālani Kanakaʻole, whose life’s work transformed Native Hawaiian cultural traditions globally, was honored in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony, underscoring her far-reaching influence in hula and Hawaiian values.

Services honoring the life and legacy of Nālani Kanakaʻole, a revered hula master and cultural practitioner, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in the storied place that bears her late mother’s name, Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo.

Nālani Kanakaʻole, a fifth-generation loea hula whose life work preserved and perpetuated the ancient traditions of Hawaiian chant and hula kahiko, died peacefully on Jan. 3, 2026, in Hilo. She was 79.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., alongside community advocates, opened a new kauhale in an ongoing effort toward ending homelessness in Hawai‘i. This community project at 357 North King St. on Oʻahu, is designed to provide a safe, supportive and culturally rooted environment for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness.