July 2, 2026

Hoʻomaikaʻi to Kaʻiwahoʻokelewaʻa KSH ʻ25 alumnus Kamahaʻo Halemanu who won third place in a National Native Youth Essay Contest!

The contest was part of Native News Online’s ongoing “America 250: A Republic Built on Native Land” initiative, a yearlong editorial project designed to center Indigenous perspectives as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Open to indigenous youth ages 18–24 from across the country, the contest challenged participants to reflect on the meaning of 1776, tribal sovereignty, Indigenous identity, and what Americans have yet to learn about Native history.

Read his essay "Stand Tall My Hawaiʻi" here: https://nativenewsonline.net/opinion/stand-tall-my-hawaii/