The museum welcomes Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo (School of the Living Voice of the Descendants), a hula school from the island of Hawaiʻi for a full-length performance that includes the entire hālau (school) and features hula (dances) and mele (songs) celebrating Ke Aukahi Hoʻōla ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian Language Revitalization Movement. Location: Level 1, Potomac Atrium
The students grew up in Pūnana Leo nests and are either current students or alumni of immersion schools. Kumu hula (teachers) Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Kekoa Harman have dedicated their lives to the Hawaiian revitalization movement. Uniquely, Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo teaches hula exclusively through ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. The hālau embraces Kumu Honua Mauli Ola, a core philosophy to cultivate mauli Hawaiʻi, the unique life force of each Hawaiian person, through ʻōlelo (language), pili ʻuhane (spirituality), lawena (behavior, mannerisms), and ʻike kuʻuna (traditional knowledge). Pele is the great-granddaughter of the late Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui, who was honored with a $1 coin through the U.S. Mint in 2025. Pukui’s legacy continues to inform the development of resources and materials for Hawaiian immersion classrooms.
At the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival (July 2-7), Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo will offer a variety of hula demonstrations on the main stage celebrating some of Pukui’s original compositions. Hālau I Ka Leo Ola O Nā Mamo will also hold introductory workshops on various traditional instruments and ukulele playing. Catch some of the youth cooking easy Hawaiian delicacies in the Foodways kitchen. festival.si.edu
Image: Members of Hãlau I Ka Leo Ola O Nã Mamo perform at the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo by Kat Wade, courtesy of Helumoa
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