Kūnihi Keahiakahoe

Kilakila i ka ua ʻĀpuakea

Hanahano lua ‘ole o Kaneohe

Haku ‘ia e Kalani Kuloloia

The 27th Annual Native Hawaiian Education Association (NHEA) Convention invites educators, practitioners, leaders, and community members to gather in deep relationships with ʻāina, ʻike, and one another through an immersive, hands-on learning experience.

This year’s convention centers hana noʻeau — the practice of skillful, intentional work rooted in knowledge, responsibility, and relationship to place. Participants will be fully immersed in Hana Noʻeau workshops, engaging both mind and hands through experiences that include weaving, woodworking, music, medicinal practices, and more. These workshops are designed not only to teach techniques, but to transmit ʻike, values, and ways of being that strengthen our lāhui.

Our 2026 theme, Hoʻolaʻa ʻia i ka ʻĀina, Hoʻohanohano i ka Hana Noʻeau — Dedicated to the Land, Honored by Skillful Work — honors those within our lāhui who draw upon the gifts of the ʻāina not for extraction, but for elevation. It celebrates the careful gathering, growing, crafting, and creating that uplifts our people and sustains collective well-being.

At the same time, the theme calls us to reflect on the wisdom of our kūpuna, who prepared with foresight in times of uncertainty. Through cultivation, craftsmanship, and stewardship, they ensured not only survival, but continuity. In this spirit, hana noʻeau becomes both an act of creation and an act of readiness — weaving knowledge, resources, and community into resilience for whatever lies ahead.

Join us as we learn, create, and prepare together — rooted in ʻāina, guided by ʻike, and strengthened through the work of our hands and hearts. Stay tuned for forthcoming announcements on our keynote speakers, Educators of the Year honorees, and immersive workshops.

This design tells a story of collective responsibility—one rooted in our relationship to ʻāina and guided by the ancestral wisdom that continues to shape how we innovate and prepare for the future. Every element is intentionally composed to reflect hana noʻeau: skillful work carried out with purpose, care, and deep understanding.

At its foundation is the ʻUpena, the diamond form that frames the design. Inspired by netting found throughout Hawaiian cultural practice—from royal ʻahu ʻula and the koko that cradle gourds to fishing nets cast into the sea—the ʻupena symbolizes the essential skills that sustained life in Hawaiʻi. It reflects connection: to one another, to our ancestors, and to the ʻāina that provides for us.

At the center rests the makau, representing stewardship, conservation, and kuleana. The fishhook speaks to our ancestors’ sophisticated understanding of resource management and their attentiveness to the health of both land and sea. Oriented upward, the makau signifies readiness—preparedness grounded in knowledge and responsibility.

Interwoven throughout the design is the kalo pattern, honoring kalo as our ancestor and affirming our genealogical connection to Hāloa. This element represents cultivation, innovation, and sustainability—systems of care that have nourished our people for generations and continue to inform how we build for the future.

The interplay of wai and ʻāina, expressed through blue and green fields, reflects the inseparable relationship between water and land. This movement traces the journey of wai from the mountains, through the aquifers, and into the sea, underscoring a water-conscious worldview that is central to Hawaiian identity and survival.

This contemporary mark is more than a visual identity—it is a declaration of continuity. It affirms that by remaining grounded in ʻike kupuna and connected to our traditions, we move forward with the same intention, purpose, and thoughtfulness that have guided our people across generations.

Designed by U‘i Naho‘olewa

Convention Details

Dates: March 17–18, 2026
Location: Windward Community College, Hale ʻĀkoakoa
Registration:

• General – $600
• Student – $200
• Kupuna, 60+ years – $200

Interested in presenting at this year’s convention?  Please submit your proposal through our Workshop Proposal Form. The priority deadline to submit proposals will be February 20, 2026.