Honolulu Community College Celebrates Culture and Sustainability

More than 320 students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered at Honolulu Community College on April 23, 2025, for the annual Hoʻolauleʻa celebration, which honors the campus's cultural garden, Ka Māla o Niuhelewai. Held in the campus courtyard and Hale Kawelohea, the event featured live music, Hawaiian food, and hands-on cultural and sustainability activities such as poi pounding, native plant giveaways, genki ball making, and a recycled art contest. A resource fair with 32 vendors also offered information on education, health, and community programs.

The celebration emphasized place-based learning and the campus’s responsibility (kuleana) to Native Hawaiian culture and land. Professor Alapaki Luke, who helped establish Ka Māla o Niuhelewai in 2010, thanked the community for its continued support and highlighted the garden’s role in restoring traditional practices and values, including the cultivation of kalo (taro).

The event concluded with a traditional Hawaiian lunch, serving over 300 meals featuring dishes like kalua pig, poi, and lūʻau. With support from over 100 volunteers, Honolulu CC’s Hoʻolauleʻa brought the campus community together to celebrate Hawaiian identity, sustainability, and shared stewardship of the land.