{"id":231663,"date":"2026-04-02T09:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=231663"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:11:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:11:52","slug":"hawaii-cc-hawaiian-studies-hula-concentration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/02\/hawaii-cc-hawaiian-studies-hula-concentration\/","title":{"rendered":"Edith Kanakaʻole\u2019s hula legacy thrives at Hawaiʻi CC<\/abbr>"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> students ask permission to enter their kīhei<\/span> ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Hilo prepares for Merrie Monarch, Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College is highlighting its associates in arts degree in Hawaiian studies<\/a> with a hula concentration, rooted in the legacy of revered kumu hula Edith Kanakaʻole<\/span>. Her philosophy: “Teach all who come to learn.”<\/p>\n

Kanakaʻole<\/span> established Hawaiian studies at Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> in 1973. Her daughter, Pualani Kanahele, expanded this vision to revive hula rituals.<\/p>\n

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Kekoa Gabriel graduated in 2025 with AA<\/abbr> degrees in Hawaiian studies, hula and Kapuahi foundations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program has strengthened students’ cultural identity and connection to ʻohana<\/span> (family). Kekoa Gabriel, a 2025 honors graduate with multiple AA<\/abbr> degrees, found the program clarified his kuleana (responsibility).<\/p>\n

“Because of this program I feel a lot more connected to my ancestors, my ʻohana<\/span>, my Hawaiian-ness, who I am as a Hawaiian,” Gabriel said. “I have a better look at where I want to go as a Hawaiian, who I want to be as a Hawaiian.”<\/p>\n

Kamryn Kanoe Bosque, pursuing her degree with a hula focus, added, “I expanded my knowledge more than I ever could have, and I\u2019m deeply grateful to be able to come here and learn more about my Hawaiian culture.”<\/p>\n

The program includes unique hands-on practices, such as learning hula Pele (the Hawaiian goddess whose home is Kīlauea<\/span> on the island of Hawaiʻi<\/span>) where the volcano is active.<\/p>\n

Hula, a ‘living practice’<\/h2>\n
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Kamryn Kanoe Bosque performs at last year\u2019s Hōʻike.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Studying hula here at Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College goes beyond choreography,” Kumu Hula Pele Kaʻio<\/span>. “It exposes the learner to protocol, ceremony, traditional regalia, discipline and leadership.”<\/p>\n

The program\u2019s impact is evident during Merrie Monarch, where participation in the annual festival\u2019s opening ceremony has grown from about 30 individuals to more than 400 ritual practitioners, including Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> students, alumni and community members.<\/p>\n

Taup\u014duri Tangar\u014d, founder and advisor of the college\u2019s hālau<\/span> hula, Unukupukupu, said the Kanakaʻole<\/span> ʻohana\u2019s<\/span> mission remains central.<\/p>\n

“Hula becomes the doorway through which learners come to know their purpose,” Tangar\u014d said. “Students come to Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr> not simply to learn hula as performance, but to experience hula as a living practice grounded in ritual.”<\/p>\n

Read more at Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr>.<\/a><\/p>\n

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