To advance the long-term vision of perpetuating Indigenous knowledge and culture by expanding access to Native Hawaiian cultural experiences, the Huaka‘i Travel Grants awarded up to $5,000 to Hawai‘i-based organizations to bring participants to meaningful opportunities to connect with Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, or important locations within the state.

Learn more about the Huakaʻi Travel Grant recipients and activities below:

Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i - $5,000
Inter-Island Youth Leadership & Cultural Exchange, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu
Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i serves more than 3,500 youth on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i each year. The grant will support two inter-island exchanges during the 2026–2027 school year for 20 middle and high school students from the Nānākuli and Kapa‘a Clubhouses. Through activities with Mālama Learning Center, Kūkulu Kumuhana O Anahola, and their peers, the participants will expand their cultural knowledge, Native Hawaiian identity, leadership skills, and connection to ‘āina. After the exchanges, students will share their learning through reflection sessions, leadership activities, and presentations for peers and families. Funds will support inter-island travel, transportation and program expenses.

Hale Kua - $5,000
Indigenous Business Incubator - Continuing Support, Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and O‘ahu
Hale Kua offers cultural workshops, hālau hula, and an Indigenous Business Incubator program to share Indigenous values and traditions. 14–18 Incubator participants will travel from Hawai‘i Island and Maui to O‘ahu for the Maoli Arts Movement Wearable Art Show in September 2026, where they will showcase the Indigenous cultural art they created as part of the program. Works include ‘ohe kāpala on pāʻū, styling these pieces to reflect ‘āina, moʻokūʻauhau, and moʻolelo, as well as additional accessories such as lei and kaula (cordage work). Participants will engage with fellow artists and cultural practitioners to share experiences and ʻike while expanding professional and cultural networks. Hale Kua will document the huakaʻi to share with the broader community. Funds will support inter-island travel, lodging, and food.

Hāmākua Youth Center - $5,000
Hāmākua Youth Center - Summer Program Huaka‘i, Hawai‘i Island
Hāmākua Youth Center (HYC) has served youth in the Hāmākua region of Hawai‘i Island since 2009. HYC will expand its 2026 Cultural Connections Summer Program with additional visits to culturally significant sites across Hawai‘i Island. 20–25 youth will learn mo‘olelo, oli, protocol, and ‘ike Hawai‘i from cultural practitioners and kūpuna, strengthening their cultural knowledge and leadership skills. Participants will share their learning through art and narrative reflections at a community ‘Ohana Day event and in a “Youth Voices” newsletter series. Funds will support van rentals and related expenses.

Hānai Kaiāulu - $5,000
Kai to Paʻakai: Protecting Indigenous Practices and Ocean Health, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi
Hānai Kaiāulu is a youth-centered organization that fosters cultural connection and environmental stewardship through mālama ʻāina-based community engagement. 10 youth and 2 kumu will travel from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i for the Hawai‘i Zero Waste Youth Alliance Convergence for sustainability-focused activities, including learning from cultural practitioners at traditional paʻakai ponds about Hawaiian salt-harvesting practices, the cultural significance of paʻakai, and challenges facing ocean health. The huakaʻi will deepen participants’ understanding of the relationship between Indigenous knowledge and ocean stewardship while strengthening the next generation of Native Hawaiian environmental and cultural leaders. Participants will share their experience through community presentations, Sustainable Saturday events, and social media storytelling. Funds will support inter-island travel, lodging, food, and ground transportation.

Hawai‘i Science and Technology Museum - $5,000
Na Kama o Kālai Wa'a, Hawai‘i Island, Moloka‘i, O‘ahu
Hawaiʻi Science and Technology Museum serves more than 20,000 people annually through science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and cultural education. Alika Bumatay, kālai wa‘a (master canoe carver), will travel across Hawai‘i Island, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu to perpetuate Native Hawaiian wa‘a traditions, including canoe carving and repair, oli, moʻolelo, and cultural protocols. Bumatay will work with 30 direct participants and reach an additional 150 people through community events, strengthening cultural identity, intergenerational relationships, and practitioner networks for this specialized skill. Participants will share their learning through demonstrations, talk-story sessions, and media documentation. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel.

Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society, Inc. - $5,000
Hot Kūpuna Nights, O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, Maui
Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society (HMPS) is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and perpetuating mele Hawai‘i through education, community engagement, and culturally grounded programming. In partnership with acclaimed singer, songwriter, and cultural practitioner Ku‘uipo Kumukahi, HMPS will bring “Hot Kūpuna Nights” to communities on Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island and provide buses for kūpuna in rural O‘ahu to attend local performances. The interactive program invites kūpuna and other participants to share mele and mo‘olelo, strengthening relationships, reducing social isolation, and perpetuating Indigenous knowledge. Participants will share their learning informally with family and community members, while HMPS will document and share program highlights online. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel.

Hōkūlani Children's Theater of Molokaʻi - $5,000
Huaka'i Mo'olelo: Developing Molokai's Next Generation of Cultural Storytellers, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu
Hōkūlani Children's Theater of Molokaʻi (Hōkūlani) provides free performing arts, creative media, cultural enrichment, and educational opportunities that inspire artistic expression, leadership, workforce skills, and community engagement for the youth of Molokaʻi. Cultural practitioner Kamalu Poepoe will lead a cohort of youth in exploring moʻolelo, ʻāina-based practices, mele, and oli of Molokaʻi and begin storytelling projects with all. Three students will be selected to travel to Oʻahu to deepen their learning through work with ʻŌlelo Community Media, Kumu Kahua Theater, and cultural practitioners. The program aims to deepen participants’ understanding of Molokaʻi’s cultural stories and the complexities of sharing Indigenous stories in a contemporary context, while developing the next generation of Native Hawaiian storytellers and storykeepers. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel, lodging, food, fees, and the community sharing event.

Hoʻōla Music and Cultural Arts - $5,000
Hōʻihi Hawaiʻi Loa Youth Initiative, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, and Molokaʻi
Hoʻōla Music and Cultural Arts is dedicated to empowering keiki and ʻōpio through culturally grounded arts education, music, storytelling, and intergenerational mentorship. Through the Hōʻihi Hawaiʻi Loa program, 250 youth, 25 mentors, and 20 cultural practitioners and teaching artists from Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, and Molokaʻi will participate in intensive huakaʻi and place-based learning experiences that include Hawaiian music, storytelling, cultural practices, mentorship, and mālama kūpuna. The group will also visit culturally significant sites, including Waipiʻo Valley, Kealakekua Bay, Papahana Kuaola, traditional loko iʻa, and loʻi kalo. The program is designed to strengthen participants’ cultural identity, increase access to Native Hawaiian cultural places and knowledge, and perpetuate Indigenous culture through direct learning with cultural practitioners, kūpuna, and community stewards. Learning and reflections will be shared with the broader community through a culminating hō‘ike attended by more than 500 family and community members, featuring original mele written by youth participants about their experiences. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel and transporting program materials.

Ho‘ōla ‘Ōiwi Foundation - $4,750
Huakaʻi Hoʻomālamalama: Cultural Learning at Puʻuhonua o Waimānalo, Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu
Ho‘ōla ‘Ōiwi Foundation (HOF) is a new nonprofit based on Hawai‘i Island that uplifts mothers, protects keiki, and rebuilds intergenerational wellness grounded in ʻŌiwi values, language, and aloha. Two HOF leaders will travel to Oʻahu to engage in three monthly events with Puʻuhonua O Waimānalo, taking part in mālama ʻāina activities and learning from organizers and cultural leaders about cultural stewardship, food sustainability, place-based education, and organizational leadership. The huakaʻi will strengthen HOF’s capacity to serve its community by building pilina and deepening knowledge of ʻāina-based cultural practices through mentorship with an established Native Hawaiian organization. HOF will share lessons learned with its Board of Directors after each visit and will further extend the impact through a written learning summary and a community sharing session in West Hawaiʻi following the final visit. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel, meals, ho‘okupu, and culminating community activities.

Hui Mālama O Ke Kai Foundation - $5,000
Hoʻoulu: Strengthening ʻĀina-based Education through Indigenous Knowledge, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island
Hui Mālama O Ke Kai Foundation (HMK) connects youth, families, and the broader community to ʻike Hawaiʻi through place-based education, mālama ʻāina, and mālama kai. Five staff members will travel to the Global Breadfruit Summit in Kona to participate in presentations, workshops, demonstrations, and peer exchange focused on Indigenous agroforestry, cultural practices, food systems, and community education. Knowledge gained will support stewardship of HMK’s 13 mature ʻulu trees and inform the development of its planned 1.5-acre agroforestry and ʻāina-based education area, strengthening access to Indigenous food and agriculture knowledge within the organization and community. HMK will share its learning through internal trainings, updated curriculum and program activities, interpretive materials, and community workshops, extending the benefits of the experience to youth, families, and the broader Waimānalo community. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel, lodging, and fees.

Hui o Kuapā - $4,980
Hui o Kuapā - Alakaʻi Academy Program Support, Moloka‘i
Hui o Kuapā educates the local and global community about Native Hawaiian resource management and innovations through hands on experience in loko iʻa (fishponds) as well as through advocacy of Native rights and issues. 15–20 Hawaiʻi school principals and educational leaders will travel to Molokaʻi to participate in the Alakaʻi Academy Program, a three-day cultural immersion experience. Cultural practitioners will lead huakaʻi, mālama ʻāina, moʻolelo, mele, and leadership reflection. Centered on Native Hawaiian practices and ʻāina-based learning, the program will deepen participants’ understanding of ʻike Hawaiʻi and strengthen culturally-grounded leadership in their schools and communities. Participants will share their learning through faculty presentations, school-based sessions, and community talk story gatherings. Funds will support inter-island travel and van rental.

Hula Preservation Society - $4,335
Hula Kiʻi For the Queen, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi
Hula Preservation Society (HPS) was founded to mālama knowledge and materials grounded in ʻike kūpuna and hula. It is one of the foremost organizations dedicated to perpetuating hula kiʻi — dancing with an image or as an image. Hula kiʻi practitioners from Oʻahu will join two Kauaʻi-based groups at the November 2026 Queen Emma Festival in Kōke‘e, where approximately 50 participants from three hālau will perform and have cultural exchanges led by master kumu. The project will strengthen the practice and visibility of this unique hula tradition by bringing hula kiʻi to an audience of 1,000 festival attendees. HPS will extend the impact by documenting performances in the Hula Kiʻi Collection on its Digital ʻUmeke archive site as well as sharing participant reflections through its website and social media. Funds will support inter-island travel, lodging, food, and ground transportation.

Humanity Hale - $5,000
Humanity Hale Youth Cultural Huakaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu
Humanity Hale provides free, trauma-informed support programs that are rooted in culture, healing, and community for Hawaiʻi Island keiki and ‘ōpio. 6 youth and 2 group leaders will travel to Oʻahu for a one-day huakaʻi to significant Native Hawaiian cultural and historical sites including ʻIolani Palace, Mauna ʻAla, Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, and Bishop Museum, as well as to the State Capitol and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Participants will connect with aliʻi leadership, Hawaiian governance, cultural pride, and pathways to higher education, then share their learnings through creative expression activities such as art, journaling, or storytelling, and a community sharing event with peers and ʻohana. Funds will support inter-island travel, ground transportation, cultural site admission fees, meals, and program materials related to the huaka‘i.

Kalauokekahuli - $5,000
Ka ʻĀmana Koʻokua Mentorship Program, Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi
Kalauokekahuli supports Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families by providing culturally-based prenatal, birth, and postpartum education and services. The grant will support aspiring and active Koʻokua (doulas) in the two-year Ka ʻĀmana Koʻokua Mentorship Program. The program includes training in lāʻau hoʻohānau keiki (child-birthing medicine), oli, pule, mental health support, birthing positions, and ʻohana wellbeing, with travel enabling Koʻokua from multiple islands to attend in-person trainings and events. The program will expand access to Indigenous birthing and family support practices while strengthening the next generation of cultural practitioners throughout the pae ʻāina. Funds will support inter-island travel and lodging.

Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy - $5,000
‘Aha Hoa Mau, O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi Island
Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy (KVA) is dedicated to perpetuating traditional Hawaiian navigation and creating pathways for Native Hawaiian students to pursue ocean-based careers. 10 members of KVA’s Hoa Mau Adult Training Program and 4 KVA staff will travel to Hawai‘i Island for cultural learnings, community engagement, and the ‘Ahā Hoa Mau recognition ceremony, which marks the participants’ completion of training and transition to becoming ‘aukai (crew) of Kānehūnāmoku. Huaka‘i members will learn from KVA’s partner organization Nā Kālai Waʻa o Moku o Keawe, wa‘a Mākaliʻi and crew, and cultural practitioners including Captain and Master Navigator Chadd Paishon, as well as visit Koʻa Heiau Holomoana, which is dedicated to long-distance ocean voyaging. Participants will carry their learnings forward through programs aboard Kānehūnāmoku that reach 1,000 haumana and community members annually. Funds will support inter-island travel, ground transportation, and lodging.

Keahiakahoe Canoe Club - $5,000
Keahiakhoe Distance Takes On Molokai, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu
Keahiakahoe Canoe Club’s women’s, men’s, and junior boys’ crews will engage in cultural learning experiences on Molokaʻi ahead of the annual races from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu. Led by cultural practitioner and Samuel Kamakau School Kumu Whitney Peapealalo, participants will visit and learn the history and moʻolelo of sites such as Kalaupapa, Kaunakakai, and Hale O Lono Harbor, while deepening their understanding of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian canoe paddling traditions, and the cultural significance of the racecourse and surrounding locations. The program aims to enhance a cultural and athletic event by expanding participants’ knowledge of Indigenous places and practices. Participants will share stories and cultural learnings with families and fellow KCC members upon returning home. Funds will support inter-island travel.

Keanokapulani Foundation - $5,000
Huakaʻi Hula ʻOni E , Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu
Keanokapulani Foundation is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Hawaiian traditions and practices and is associated with Hālau Nā Mamo O Ka Liko Maile O Kohala, an intergenerational hālau hula on Hawaiʻi Island. 17 hālau members will travel to the 2026 Hula ʻOni E Festival in Waikīkī, where they will perform, engage in formal and informal cultural exchange with hālau from across Hawaiʻi and Japan, and visit culturally significant places on Oʻahu to deepen their understanding of the history, traditions, and ʻike connected to their mele and hula. Participants will share their learnings with their community formally through performances and demonstrations, and informally through mentorship of younger haumāna in the hālau. Funds will support inter-island travel, lodging, ground transportation, and baggage fees for cultural materials and equipment.

Kīpuka Kuleana - $5,000
Huakaʻi i Ka ʻĀina Kūpuna, Kauaʻi
Kīpuka Kuleana is dedicated to perpetuating kuleana, ahupuaʻa-based natural resource management, and connection to place through stewardship of cultural landscapes and family lands on Kauaʻi. Descendant ʻohana members from neighbor islands will return to their ancestral ʻāina at Waiʻoli, Wanini, and Hā‘ena for quarterly gatherings featuring stewardship workdays, talk story sessions, family meetings, and the sharing of ʻike and moʻolelo across generations. The gatherings strengthen connections between families, ʻāina, ʻike kūpuna, and stewardship responsibilities, while creating opportunities for participants to plan for the future of their family lands. Funds will support inter-island and within-island travel.

Pihana ka ‘Ikena - $5,000
Cultivating Health, Knowledge and Relationships, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu
Pihana ka ‘Ikena is dedicated to revitalizing traditional Hawaiian healing arts through education, practice, and ‘āina-based stewardship. 11 students and practitioners will travel from Kauaʻi to Oʻahu for lāʻau lapaʻau activities, ʻike exchange, archival research, and place-based learning at Bishop Museum, ʻIolani Palace, Kōkua Kalihi Valley, Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Pōhaku Ola, and Keaʻiwa Heiau. The huakaʻi will strengthen practitioner networks and capacity to perpetuate ʻike kūpuna, with participants sharing their learning through training, mentorship, workshops, and community programming at the organization’s cultural learning site, Hihiakalahau. Funds will support inter-island travel, lodging, and van rental.

Prince Dance Company - $5,000
He Waʻa He Honua Transportation Support, Hawaiʻi Island
Prince Dance Company (PDC) has created interactive educational performances and arts education opportunities for local students for more than 20 years. 850 kindergarten to 12th grade students from North and East Hawaiʻi Island will be transported to experience PDC’s new “He Waʻa He Honua” performance and educational activities. The performance was developed in collaboration with cultural practitioners Chadd ʻOnohi Paishon, Makana, and Kumu Hula Pua Case, as well as with the Hawaiʻi Island School Garden Network. Through the story of the voyaging canoe Mākaliʻi, students will explore Native Hawaiian navigation, food systems, canoe plants, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. The program and interactive post-performance activities will increase access to Native Hawaiian cultural learning and inspire deeper connections to Hawaiian voyaging, food, and agricultural practices. Funds will support within-island travel.

Puʻuhonua Society - $5,000
NiU NOW! ʻIke Niu Huakaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui
Young of Heart Workshop, dba Pu‘uhonua Society, is the home for NiU NOW!, a grassroots, community-based cultural agroforestry movement. Four cultural practitioners from Oʻahu will travel to Kona to participate in the 2026 Breadfruit Celebration and share knowledge about niu as a companion plant to ʻulu. Later in the grant year, 20 practitioners from Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island will gather at the Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge on Maui to assess and mālama an uluniu (coconut grove) planted one year ago, the first uluniu planted on Maui in more than 100 years. Through cultural exchange and learning centered on niu, ʻulu, and traditional agricultural practices, the program aims to revitalize Indigenous knowledge, strengthen practitioner networks, and perpetuate Native Hawaiian cultural and ecological practices. Knowledge gained will be shared through presentations at the Breadfruit Celebration and hands-on practitioner training that expands stewardship and cultural learning opportunities across Hawaiʻi. Funds will support inter-island travel and food.

The Queens Court - $5,000
ʻOnipaʻa Peace March 2027 - Cultural Practitioners, Community Leaders, Hawaiian Performers & Honorary Guest Travel, O‘ahu
The Queens Court is dedicated to continuing the legacy of Queen Lili‘uokalani through cultural preservation, advocacy, and the unification of the Lāhui. Cultural practitioners, Hawaiian performers, and honorary kūpuna from neighbor islands will travel to Oʻahu for the January 17, 2027, ‘Onipa‘a Peace March from Mauna ‘Ala to ‘Iolani Palace. These practitioners will ensure neighbor-island voices are represented through protocol, mele Lāhui, and culturally-grounded oratory for thousands of attendees, including community members and haumāna from more than 30 schools. The program will strengthen Lāhui relationships, connect neighbor-island kūpuna with urban O‘ahu youth, and model ʻonipaʻa (steadfast) resilience. Funds will support inter-island travel, lodging, and ground transportation.

Wahine Wellness Resilient Hawaiʻi - $5,000
Kū Mai Puna, Hawaiʻi Island
Wahine Wellness Resilient Hawaiʻi (WWRH) strengthens women, youth, and families through cultural connection and community-based wellness programs. The grant will support participants traveling across the state to attend WWRH’s two-day “Kū Mai Puna” event in August 2026. 75-100 participants will engage in place-based learning, huakaʻi across Hawaiʻi Island, aloha ʻāina stewardship, and knowledge sharing. The gathering builds on previous hoʻoponopono events held on Oʻahu and Maui and will strengthen Indigenous knowledge and cultural connections statewide. Participants will share lessons learned and reflections with their home communities after the event. Funds will support inter-island and ground transportation.

Waihapakai - $5,000
Paʻa ke Kalo i Āhole ka Wai, Oʻahu
Waihapakai is a Kāneʻohe-based nonprofit led by cultural practitioner Kanaloa Bishop. Through cultural programming and six mauka-to-makai huakaʻi, all 100 students at Waiāhole Elementary School will participate in hands-on learning experiences focused on native ecosystems, mālama ʻāina, food systems, Hawaiian resource management, and culturally significant sites including Waiāhole Valley, Heʻeia State Park, Punaluʻu, and loko iʻa. The program will provide equitable access to Native Hawaiian cultural knowledge and place-based learning, helping students deepen their understanding of the places and cultural practices that shape their community. Students will share their learning with the broader community through exhibitions, classroom documentation, family talk story events, and schoolwide presentations, extending the impact of the huakaʻi beyond participating students. Funds will support within-island transportation, fees, and supplies for the huaka‘i.