Island of Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Rooted: Cliff Kapono

A young Hawaiian leaves home to further his education and returns with the ability to use chemistry as a platform to share ancestral wisdom with the modern world.

Hawaiʻi Rooted: Keoni Kaholoʻaʻā

A park ranger once disconnected from his culture embraces his identity as a descendent of Pele, the volcano goddess.

Hawaiʻi Rooted: Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole

Battling stereotype and cliche, a hula luminary expresses the meaning and power of hula from her Native Hawaiian perspective.

Hawaiʻi Rooted: Sheldon Simeon and Brandon Lee

Two Hilo natives buck industry convention to create a more holistic, sustainable farm-to-table experience that can only be created here.

Discover the Island of Hawaiʻi

See some of the exciting places and activities around the island.

Hear a Hawaiian Chant

This traveling mele (chant) takes us around the island of Hawaiʻi to certain places that are special to composer, Kamaka Kūkona and his kumu hula’s (hula teacher) ʻohana (family). The uahi a ka wahine (smoky ash hued sky of Pele) in the first verse takes us up to Kīlauea, a spot they frequent for hula, while the second verse onward speaks of the birth places of Kukonaʻs kumu hula’s family members from Waimea all the way back to Hilo.