July 21, 2025

Haumāna from Kupu Nā Leo try their hand at traditional printing at Hale Paʻi, connecting to a legacy of Hawaiian literacy and resistance.

This summer, Kamehameha Schools haumāna are gaining confidence in a speech and debate class centered around Native Hawaiian identity and community advocacy. Kupu Nā Leo, a summer school course at Hālau ʻO Kapikohānaiāmālama, is growing in popularity at the ʻAʻapueo campus by grounding students in kuleana and ʻike kūpuna.

“It’s speech with a purpose — speech through a cultural lens,” said kumu Keonilei Lealiʻifano, who teaches the course. “Whatever they’re choosing for a pressing issue...has to be deeply rooted in cultural understanding, not just of their lāhui but of self.”

The class weaves together personal identity, ancestral knowledge, current events and history to help students craft and deliver speeches on topics like cost of living, food security, cultural loss and climate resilience.

“We do a lot of work around ‘O wai au—Who am I in this larger lāhui?’ and how that translates into the kuleana you carry.” Lealiʻifano said.
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To build those foundations, students went to the heart of communities, visiting sites like Hale Paʻi, home to Hawaiʻi’s first printing press, and also University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, where they learned from Hawaiian leaders and advocates while analyzing the speeches of heroes like Haunani K. Trask, Jamaica Osorio and Skippy Ioane.

“I really liked learning about the Hawaiian literacy rate. Knowing that we were a part of that was really cool,” said sophomore Meleana Peterson. “Getting to see what they did in newspapers kind of helped me think we could do something like that in our journalism program.”

Others found power in learning about advocacy through different mediums.

“We were able to do blackout poetry...and it was interesting for me to see how we can advocate for Hawaiʻi in other ways than just speaking,” said sophomore Avery Pendegraft.

The course also helps haumāna confront the gaps in their own knowledge. Lealiʻifano recalled an intense class activity where students were asked to list and prioritize the most pressing issues facing Native Hawaiians today.

“Almost half of them didn’t speak,” Lealiʻifano said. “When I asked why, one of them said, ‘I felt shame...I didn’t know anything.’”

That moment sparked a conversation about kuleana, not just as responsibility, but as a right.

“In this space, we have the kuleana to speak. The authority to speak for our home and our people and our place,” Lealiʻifano told them. “That feeling you had when you learned that Hawaiʻi is still being bombed today? That feeling in and of itself is evidence that it is hewa.”

Through writing, discussion and creative media like Instagram reels and resistance art, students created final projects that amplify their stances.

“My final project is on cost of living,” said Kaleʻa Coloma-Nahoʻoikaika. “It hurts me because so many Hawaiian families are struggling and they’re the ones keeping the culture and language alive.”

Others are tackling environmental issues like pollution and native bird extinction, connecting scientific research with cultural meaning.

“It’s not just the statistics that matter,” said sophomore Kamakana Ishiki. “It’s also about the cultural significance that Native Hawaiian birds have on our people. That really pushes me to work harder for this cause.”

And for many, the greatest lesson was a sense of belonging.

“Before this class, I used to think advocacy was more like protest,” Pendegraft said. “But throughout this class, I’ve learned that it can be shown through mele or art. It allowed me to gain a new perspective.”

The final speeches were delivered to families and guests at an open house that honored their voices and growth. Some mākua were moved to tears by the emotional depth and wisdom shared by the ʻōpio.

“It was hard for me to speak up about myself and what I cared about,” Serena Moniz said. “In this class, we learned a lot about identity, who we are and who our kūpuna were but it challenged me to dig deep into my culture and connect with who I am and who my family is.”

And that is the biggest victory of all. As part of Hālau ʻO Kapikohānaiāmālama, summer school classes like this aim to provide a safe, nurturing space that grows ʻōiwi leaders for the future.