New leaders at UH Hilo welcomed with kīpaepae
A kīpaepae ceremony was held on Tuesday to welcome five new members of the UH Hilo ʻohana.
By Susan Enright.
A kīpaepae ceremony was held on Tuesday to welcome five new leaders and administrators to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo ʻohana. Kīpaepae translates to “stepping stones,” and the traditional Native Hawaiian ceremony celebrates each person entering into their new positions.
Honorees were Pelehonuamea Harman, director of Native Hawaiian engagement, a new position on campus; Chris Matz, director of Mookini Library; Matt Buhler and Siena Mizuno, who both serve as associate directors of development for UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College; and Annemarie Aweau Paikai, Hawaiian collection librarian.
- Watch this space for upcoming profile stories on each of the newcomers.
Tuesday’s kīpaepae ceremony, held on Mookini Library’s lanai, was hosted by the Office of the Chancellor and organized by the university’s Kīpaepae Executive Committee.
Ceremonies were co-led by Malu Dudoit, a lecturer in Hawaiian studies and facilitator for UH Hilo’s Uluākea, an Indigenous-based program housed at the university’s Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center. Also heading the event was Taupōuri Tangarō, a professor of Hawaiian studies at Hawaiʻi Community College who serves as director of Hawaiian culture and protocols at both the college and UH Hilo.
The welcoming protocols group participating in the kīpaepae with the sounding of pahu (drums) and pū (conch shells) along with welcoming oli (chants) included staff, faculty, students and member of the community.
The importance of kīpaepae
Kīpaepae ceremonies of welcome contribute to transforming UH Hilo into a Hawaiian place of learning as defined by Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao, the UH System’s strategic commitment to transforming into a leader in Indigenous higher education.
Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
