05/28/2026
Ilei Beniamina was a woman of deep mana, born of the sands and salt winds of Niʻihau, where ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi was not something set apart from life. It lived in the home, in the work of the hands, in the sound of mele, in the prayers of the morning, and in the way people cared for one another. Ilei carried that language in her breath, her teaching, her music, and her everyday way of being.
She knew where she came from. She knew the ʻāina, the ʻohana, and the kūpuna who shaped her path. Her grandmother was a respected elder — a teacher, midwife, healer, artisan, herbalist, community mediator, and keeper of Niʻihau genealogies. From her mother and grandmother, Ilei learned to live with humility, discipline, rest, faith, and respect. From her grandfather, she learned responsibility in the garden rows: to plant, to water, to observe the moon, the winds, the seasons, the sun, and the quiet protocols of dawn.
So when ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi was fighting to rise again, Ilei stood ready. She helped bring the language back into the mouths of keiki through ʻAha Pūnana Leo and the movement for Hawaiian immersion education. She reminded us that language is memory. Language is genealogy. Language is ea.
Her brilliance also lived in mele. One treasured example is the song, Pua ʻAla Aumoe, “Night Blooming Jasmine.” When reminded the morning she was to present at E Kanikapila Kākou, Ilei composed the mele in only a few hours and offered it that same day. Later, Jerry Santos of Olomana and the Mākaha Sons of Niʻihau made the song popular with Ilei winning Best Composer of the year award at the Nā Hōkū awards.
To honor Ilei Beniamina is to honor a woman who helped ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi live again — in schools, songs, homes, and hearts.
Mele: Pua 'Ala Aumoe by The Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau.
