UH Hilo Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani holds 2026 ʻAha Hoʻomoloa ceremonies for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral candidates
This year marked a historic milestone with the college’s first cohort of Jemez Pueblo students from New Mexico in the graduate degree program.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
The Hawaiian language college at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo celebrated its 2026 spring graduates during annual ʻAha Hoʻomoloa ceremonies.
Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language held two separate ceremonies — one for undergraduates on May 6 and one for graduate and doctoral candidates on May 15 — honoring the dedication, perseverance, and accomplishments of its newest cohort of Hawaiian and Indigenous language and studies scholars.
“More than a celebration of academic achievement, the ʻAha Hoʻomoloa ceremonies reaffirm the college’s enduring role in advancing Hawaiian language revitalization, strengthening Indigenous education, and preparing future generations of leaders committed to the vitality of their languages, cultures, and communities,” says Kaʻiu Kimura, director of the college.
Kimura explains the ʻAha Hoʻomoloa is a distinctive completion ceremony, rooted in Hawaiian tradition, where graduates are draped with a kīhei, a ceremonial cloth symbolizing achievement and responsibility, and adorned with lei handmade by those who supported them throughout their educational journey.
“Receiving the kīhei during the ʻAha Hoʻomoloa represents the successful culmination of students’ academic journeys and their continued commitment to carrying forward our Hawaiian and Indigenous languages and cultures,” she says.
Kimura says ʻohana, faculty, staff, UH Hilo leadership, and supporters gathered at Haleʻōlelo, where the college is housed, to celebrate each cohort and honor these important milestones in the graduates’ educational journeys.
The ceremony on May 6 recognized university students earning bachelor’s degrees and minors in Hawaiian studies and linguistics, as well as certificates in Hawaiian studies. The event included graduating high school seniors from Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Iki Lab Public Charter School, which is Ka Haka ʻUla’s laboratory school located in Keaʻau.
On May 15, Ka Haka ʻUla celebrated cadidates from its doctoral program in Hawaiian and Indigenous language and culture revitalization, the master’s program in Indigenous language and culture education, and the Kahuawaiola Indigenous teacher education graduate certificate program.
This year additionally marked a historic milestone with the graduation of the college’s first cohort of Jemez Pueblo students from New Mexico in the Indigenous language and culture education graduate degree program.
“The Jemez Pueblo cohort represents an important new chapter for the college, reflecting its expanding work with Indigenous communities beyond Hawaiʻi to prepare and support Native educators who will serve and strengthen their own communities through native language medium education,” says Kimura.
By Susan Enright, 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.
