Help Pua Kahihikolo Represent ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in D.C.

Aloha kākou,

He haumāna kula kiʻekiʻe au ma Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo (Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Keaukaha). Ua hoʻohanohano ʻia ma ka Lā Mōʻaukala Pae Mokuʻāina (State History Day) no kaʻu pāhana mōʻaukala no Makua a laila ua kono ʻia au e holomua i ka 2025 National History Day ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Showcase ma Maryland me Washington D.C. ma Iune!

I, Pua Kahihikolo, am a Hawaiian Immersion Student from Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo. I have the honor of advancing to the 2025 National History Day ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Showcase to share my project on Makua. The National History Day Contest this June 6-14, 2025 is hosted in College Park and Washington D.C., and hosted by the University of Maryland in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities.

MY PROJECT: KE KULEANA E MĀLAMA IĀ MĀKUA Guided by this year's National History Day theme, "Rights and Responsibilities," my project, in the form of a website, explores the ongoing effort to care for Mākua. Inspired by my experience on Mauna Kea, I looked to another place of Hawaiʻi, Mākua Valley, that faced controversy over who had rights and responsibilities to that ʻāina. Connection to 'āina also connects us to cultural preservation, sovereignty, and environmental stewardship.

From Keaukaha to the National Stage: Honoring 'Ōlelo Hawai‘i

After advancing at the Hawaii District Fair and placing second at the State History Day Fair at Windward Community College, I was invited to take my 'Ōlelo Hawai'i project about Mākua Valley to the national stage to present at both the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and the University of Maryland's Stamp Union Hall.

This weeklong academic event held annually brings together nearly 3,000 students, teachers, and family’s from across the nation to celebrate outstanding historical research and achievement and I am humbled to carry my culture, language, and voice to this national platform. Beyond the competition and Showcase, NHD participants have the opportunity to explore Washington, D.C.’s rich historical and cultural sites such as:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Air and Space Museum

Museum of Natural History

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

American History Museum

National Museum of the American Indian

Library of Congress

National Art Gallery

Hirshhorn Art Museum & Sculpture Garden

Ford Theater

National Portrait Gallery

Planet Word

Washington Monument

U.S. Capitol

This journey is bigger than me presenting my project. It’s about upholding the responsibility to care for and stand up for ʻāina, for ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and for the rights of indigenous people. As an ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi immersion student, I carry the voice of our lāhui and the dreams of our kūpuna into national spaces where we have long been silenced. Presenting entirely in Hawaiian, the language is not just represented - I breathe life into it, showing that it is thriving and deserving of recognition. A ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi presence at the Smithsonian and the University of Maryland is a declaration: Hawaiian voices belong here. Our moʻolelo matters. And through this journey, we help build a future where ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi stands tall, equal, honored, and heard.

While 'Ōlelo Hawai‘i projects currently do not compete beyond a state level, I am honored to present at the national showcase as 1 of only 4 'ōlelo Hawai'i projects chosen to represent Hawai'i.

Hopefully one day, Hawaiian language will be recognized and evaluated equally alongside dominant languages, not as an an exception, but as a rightful participant in academic spaces. By attending and presenting, we are helping build that future. We represent more than ourselves. We carry generations of resilience, pride, and aloha.

WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT: The cost per attendee is $2,500, covering round-trip airfare, lodging accommodations, meals, ground transportation, program registration, and incidental expenses for the entire week.

TRAVEL COSTS

HCH Travel Package $1,450

Round trip airfare (Hawaiian Airlines), Honolulu to Maryland

Charter bus to and from airport to UMD

Monuments bus tour

1 article of check in luggage, both ways

Additional Travel from Hilo to Honolulu

NHD Lodging & Meal Package: $786

Program Registration $165

Check in June 7

Check out June 14

Meals: 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, & 5 dinners

Approximate Total: $2,371

A service fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 will be deducted from EACH donation. For example: A $50 donation would have a $1.75 fee, so we would receive $48.25. Therefore, the goal will be set at $2,500.. Any additional funds raised will help cover incidental expenses during the trip and provide spending money as needed.

YOUR KŌKUA MAKES THIS POSSIBLE Your support helps alleviate the financial burden on and reinforces the importance of our voices and our language. Every contribution, whether monetary or through words of encouragement, enables haumāna to represent Hawaii history, values, and language with pride on a national stage.

HOW TO HELP

1. Donate via this GoFundMe

2. Share this campaign with friends, family, and community networks

3. Sponsor Pua Kahihikolo (full or partial)

4. Repost on social media

5. Offer kōkua in the form of fundraising support

6. Send words of encouragement to uplift Pua as she prepares for this journey

7. Contact fundraiser organizer on GOFUNDME to donate via cash or check.

MAHALO NUI LOA Your generosity shapes the future of 'ōiwi leadership. Pua travels with the voices of our kūpuna and the dreams of our lāhui. This journey is not just about going to D.C., it's about declaring that Hawaiian stories, language, and ‘ike have a rightful place on every stage.

Naʻu nō me ka mahalo nui,

Na Puaokekoʻolau Kahihikolo