San Diego Hawaiian Cultural Advisory & Consultation

05/19/2026

Aloha Mai Kākou, I have been extremely busy. Completed my doctorates degree, my research dissertation is published, and I managed to finish a few other writing projects that I put off for years to finish my doctoral studies. I am not ready and able to share my work with the world.

Mahalo Nui Loa, He Lā Maika‘i,

Na‘u

Dr. Kuahiwi

05/09/2026

Aloha Craft Sale is On! Hele Mai… Support Native Hawaiian Artist and Cultural Nā Mea Hawaiʻi.

05/04/2026

This Saturday (May 9th)... I am excited to host my first Aloha Craft fair... Here are a few things on sale, much more will be featured... Hope to see you there. Motherʻs Day items will be available too.

10/04/2023

San Diego... Show Up and Support our 3 time Grammy awardee... Tickets are still available... Donʻt wait until last minute... Never mind be Milimili...

Iʻm so excited to be heading back on the road this fall! Will we be seeing you at one of these shows? Donʻt miss it!

Kalani Pe’a Fall Tour 2023

OCTOBER 14 • 7:30 PM
ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA
California Center for the Arts
With special guest
Hālau O Heali'i - Heali'i's Polynesian R***e

Mahalo to our sponsors

ALASKA AIRLINES & MAUNA LOA

TICKETS & INFO AT
KALANIPEAMUSIC.COM

10/18/2022

Lei #37, Named Lei Kaʻahumanu.
Why? I dunno I kept thinking of her while doing this Ka Moe style of hulu work. From the first feather to the securing of the ribbon I kept thinking of her and visioning her using this lei hulu as a lei poʻo.
Black- ʻeleʻele is not a color to be afraid of. Western influence and colonization taught our grandparents that black represented death… For Native Hawaiians, pō is darkness… this is the time period our waliwali was born, crawlers, fish, birds and everything in their duo counterpart relationship…
Yellow- melemele for ʻIke and enlightenment, knowledge and ao (light).
Red- ʻulaʻula for the blood/ koko that runs through our veins and connects us to our ancestors/kūpuna.
Used in this fashion and combination represents our Native birds/manu and our aliʻi.

08/29/2022

We lost another old time Kumu Hula, My mother.... Kaleika'apuni Maunakea Brighter. She was known for graceful hula with the eyes and letting your expressions dance with you... and speak through your emotions... She was known for that.

She was known for her high hair clusters and flowers. No one was as quick as her. Uncle Prince Hanalei taught her well.

There were a few hula dancers that could simply kāholo and let their hands and eyes do the rest... She was one of the few that could simply stand in one place but her hands and expressions would just take you away...

She passed yesterday at 9:08am. May my mom rest peacefully, dancing for everyone in heaven, joining her brother, Uncle Kanani Brighter. I can imagine the hula between the two.

Until we meet again mom. Moe Malie. Aloha au iā`oe.

08/20/2022

158 years ago today Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuāiwa writes a new constitution for the Hawaiian Monarchy to strengthen his rule.

His full name was Lot Kapuāiwa Kalanimakua Aliʻiolani Kalani Kapuapaikalaninui, born on Dec 11 1830. He had three brothers and a sister, they were, David Kamehameha, Moses Kekūāiwa, Alexander Liholiho (Kamehameha IV) and Victoria Kamāmalu.

Hawai`i has it’s history of constitutions…

The 1840 constitution (during rein of Kamehameha III), was the first written constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom and was heavily influenced by Europeans, Americans and missionaries.

The Constitution of 1852 served as the Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom from 1852 through 1864. It heavily liberalized the structure of the Hawaiian government introducing new elements of democracy into the government and reducing the monarchs power. This constitution lasted through the reign of King Kamehameha III and Kamehameha IV. When Kamehameha IV died in 1863, His brother, Kamehameha V refused to support the constitution of 1852 and decided to write his own.

Kamehameha V wanted to restore power to the monarchy. He gathered a group of delegates (chiefs from the House of Nobles, common citizens, and a few missionaries) to gather and re-write the constitution.

These select delegates refused to support a new constitution, so Kamehameha V dismissed them all and wrote the new constitution himself.

The constitution of 1864 gave power back to the monarch, created a single legislature, restricted freedom of the press, reduced the power of the judicial.

Lot Kapuāiwa was a very intelligent Hawaiian.

This constitution will serve the Hawaiian Kingdom until his death. With the first elected Kingʻs (William Lunalilo) short reign, the next major constitutional change will be the 1887 Bayonet Constitution during the reign of Kalākaua, and Lili`uokalaniʻs 1893 constitution days before the overthrow.

08/17/2022

222 years ago today a great prince of Kaua`i was born. His name Aarona Keali`iahonui, the son of Kaua`i Chief Kaumuali`i and his mother was Kaʻapuwai Kapuaʻamohu.

Unfortunately our Kaua`i ali`i would not have that fortune of serving the Kaua`i people as mō’ī due to the yielding of power that Kaumuali`i presented to Kamehameha Nui to prevent bloodshed of the Kaua`i people (and with the advise of the ali`i wāhine at the time).

In 1821 his father Kaumuali`i was forced into exile, and serve as a lower ranked ali`i to Ka`ahumanu, the Kuhina Nui at this time.

After his father died in 1824, and his half-brother Humehume led a failed rebellion to gain Kaua`i rulership back. Queen Kaʻahumanu forced Kealiʻiahonui into a relationship making Kealiʻiahonui gave up his first wife, Deborah Kapule, and married Kaʻahumanu. This union would insure no more rebellions from Kauaʻi.

Kealiʻiahonui was described as tall, standing 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall. He was considered to be the handsome and physically fit.

On December 5, 1825, he baptized (due to the influence of Ka`ahumanu) and took the Christian name Aaron (Aarona in Hawaiian).

After Kaʻahumanu died in 1832, he married for a third time, to Kekauōnohi, a granddaughter of Kamehameha I. Unfortunately no children lived to adulthood.

He served in the House of Nobles and served as royal chamberlain and privy council before his death. His third wife Kekauōnohi, served as governor of Kaua`i for several years.

In later years he was cared for by his niece Kapule (who was named after his first wife) until his death. Kapule and her husband had a Christian funeral service but buried him in the Hawaiian traditions. They hid his coffin somewhere in a cave within Pu`uloa, Pearl Harbor area.

08/15/2022

146 years ago today the Reciprocity Treaty was ratified. This Treaty would allowed all sugar being exported out of Hawai`i to enter the U.S. tax free…

This was an ultimate deal for the sugar owners but did it benefit the Native Hawaiians? Absolutely NOT! To be granted such deal would stimulate hundreds of thousands of dollars of profits that would have normally be taxed to these sugar owners. The trade off that would secure such economic benefit? Pu`u Loa, PEARL HARBOR!

A few sugar plantation owners who benefited from this treaty…

Henry A. P. Carter of C. Brewer & Co.
William Lowthian Green
Claus and his son John D. Spreckels
Cookes, Castles, and Bonds
G. N. Wilcox and A. H. Smith
Hackfeld 8c Company
Hoffschlaeger & Company
Hermann Widemann
E. Bailey & Son
Chun Afong, (the only Chinese plantation owner)
Rice, Alexander, Baldwin, Chamberlain, Judd.

Some of these names would become part of the infamous Big 5.
(The Big 5 became a thing after the Annexation of Hawai`i.)

Hawai`i legislator at the time Joseph Nāwahī predicted this treaty would be "a nation snatching treaty”.

Why was such trade allowed? These business owners and silent investors to their plantations put heavy pressure on King Kalākaua. The Bayonet Constitution will follow this Reciprocity Treaty ordeal. Imperialism at its best!

07/31/2022

Something I did a few years ago when I worked at Kualoa. Happy to share with everyone.