Native Stories, Waimanalo, HI (2026)

10/18/2024

Meet our Staff— Nanea Lo, our Executive Director at Native Stories! 🫶🏽

Proud Kanaka Maoli from Papakōlea, Oʻahu, Nanea now resides in Mōʻiliʻili. She’s been with Native Stories since 2019, contributing as communications manager, podcast host, and independent contractor. Now, she’s leading as Executive Director, using her expertise in community and urban planning to further our mission. 🎙️ She’s also the voice behind Naughty + Native ( ), a podcast on all kine mea + aloha ʻāina.

Beyond Native Stories, Nanea serves on the boards of the , , and Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, championing Hawaiian sovereignty, Aloha ʻĀina, and feminism. ✊🏽✨

Nanea leads with abundance, joy, and a deep love for her community. 💛

Learn more about our work at Native Stories and visit— link in bio: www.nativestories.org

10/18/2024

Meet our Staff— Nanea Lo, our Executive Director at Native Stories! 🌺

Proud Kanaka Maoli from Papakōlea, Oʻahu, Nanea now resides in Mōʻiliʻili. She’s been with Native Stories since 2019, contributing as communications manager, podcast host, and independent contractor. Now, she’s leading as Executive Director, using her expertise in community and urban planning to further our mission. 🎙️ She’s also the voice behind Naughty + Native ( ), a podcast on all kine mea + aloha ʻāina.

Beyond Native Stories, Nanea serves on the boards of the , , and Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, championing Hawaiian sovereignty, Aloha ʻĀina, and feminism. ✊🏽✨

Nanea leads with abundance, joy, and a deep love for her community. 💛

Learn more about our work at Native Stories and visit— link in bio: www.nativestories.org

10/17/2024

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau e Princess Kaʻiulani! 🎂✨ Today, we honor the legacy of Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani, a symbol of strength, grace, and resilience for the Hawaiian Kingdom and her people. As the heir to the throne, Princess Kaʻiulani traveled far and wide, advocating for the rights of her people during a time of great political turmoil. Her story of dedication and love for her homeland continues to inspire generations.

At Native Stories, we are committed to preserving and sharing the stories of our aliʻi, kūpuna, and lāhui. Through Princess Kaʻiulani’s legacy, we remember the power of aloha ʻāina and the importance of standing for our people and culture. 🌺

10/16/2024

🫶🏽Meet the Native Stories Board! ✊🏽

We are excited to introduce the amazing individuals who make up our Board of Directors! Each member brings their unique talents, perspectives, and deep commitment to native/indigenous communities from across the globe. Together, they help steer Native Stories in our mission to perpetuate and advance Indigenous wisdom through the oral tradition of storytelling.

Board Members:
Nohealani Frizzell – President
Kahealani Wahinekapu Wi******er – Vice President
Kaʻuluponoʻokaleilehua Luʻuwai
Ikaika Bishop
Philamer Felicitas
ʻAʻaliʻi Dukelow
Victor Limon
Kencho Gurung
Regina Lepping

🌍 These diverse board members come from the Hawaiian Kingdom, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, the Himalayas, and beyond. Together, we strive to honor and uplift Indigenous wisdom, culture, and stories for generations to come.

Mahalo nui for your continued support of Native Stories as we work to connect and share the rich traditions of Indigenous peoples globally. Let’s keep the stories alive! 🌿

10/15/2024

Celebrated a Manafull Indigenous People’s Day with the Nation of Hawaiʻi in Waimānalo was a powerful experience yesterday, especially watching the screening of “Ka Whawhai Tonu: Struggle With No End” with Māori Director Michael Jonathan. 🎥 Set in 1864 Aotearoa, the film tells the story of a pivotal battle during the NZ land wars in Waikato, reflecting the ongoing struggles for Indigenous land and sovereignty across the Pacific.

This resonates deeply with our mission at Native Stories—to uplift Indigenous voices and stories of resistance, resilience, and liberation. It was incredible to see the lāhui come together to celebrate Indigenous/native narratives. We also spotted many of the talented artists from our “Life After Occupation Liberation Art Show for Mākua” in the crowd. ✊🏽🌿✨

Mahalo to the Nation of Hawaiʻi for hosting and all the organizers and vendors who came out. Mahalo nui to everyone who continues to support the fight for justice, culture, and land. We are a force together! Ola!

10/13/2024

Meet our new board member, Regina Lepping! 🌟

Regina is a powerhouse writer, filmmaker, photographer, and advocate for youth and community development. With expertise in Peacebuilding and Youth Development, she’s facilitated Social Entrepreneurship Bootcamps for rural youths in the Solomon Islands and helped host the Youth Peacebuilding Innovation Forums with the UNDP Peacebuilding Fund.

As co-founder of the NATIVE LENS Film Festival, she’s dedicated to uplifting indigenous filmmakers and amplifying the voices of her community. We’re honored to have her on board as she continues to create impact through storytelling and social change! 🎥✨

10/11/2024

🌏 Meet Victor Limon, one of our new board member at Native Stories!

Born and raised in Manila, Victor is proud of his Ilokano and Igorot ancestry. As a cartographer and GIS analyst, he completed his master’s in Urban Planning at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2023. Now, he works as a data analyst at the City & County of Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency, where he brings his skills to support sustainability efforts.

We’re excited to have Victor on board, contributing his knowledge and passion for mapping our future! 📍

10/10/2024

Meet ʻAʻaliʻi Dukelow, our newest board member at Native Stories!

Born and raised on Maui, ʻAʻaliʻi has always cherished being part of a diverse, tight-knit community. After earning his degree, he returned home to serve as a reporter for Maui Now, the island’s online news hub. He now continues his storytelling as a reporter for KITV.

ʻAʻaliʻi is a proud graduate of Kula Kaiapuni, the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. We’re excited to have him bring his passion for storytelling and community to Native Stories! 🌿

10/09/2024

🌊 Meet Philamer ‘Phil’ Felicitas, one of our new board member at Native Stories!

A Hawaiʻi-born digital media expert, Phil’s passion for storytelling led her to sail aboard Hikianalia in 2021, voyaging to Maui and later from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi. She documented these journeys, sharing stories that bridge oceans and generations. Through her experiences, she’s dedicated to empowering Filipina and Indigenous women in the diaspora to reconnect with their roots.

For Phil, the waʻa Hōkūleʻa stands as a powerful symbol of cultural resurgence and community strength. She is committed to preserving the knowledge she gathers and passing it on to future generations, including her son. To Phil, storytelling is essential to cultural survival, fostering unity and pride among Indigenous peoples. 🌺

10/08/2024

🌿 Meet Ikaika Bishop, one of our new board member at Native Stories!

Ikaika is passionate about elevating our communities by strengthening relationships with each other and our beloved home, Hawaiʻi. Born and raised sovereign in the valley of Kaʻalaea, you’ll often find loʻi mud under his fingernails and sea salt in his hair, as he lives his connection to the land and sea every day.

He loves teaching about the Ahupuaʻa system and Indigenous technologies, and grows food to feed not just the body, but the soul. For Ikaika, the most special part of his work is creating regenerative connections with people while fostering cultural values that honor our place.

He does what he loves, loves what he does, and feels like he’s never worked a day in his life. Mahalo for your leadership, Ikaika! 🌱

10/08/2024

🌱 Meet Kauuluponookaleilehua Luʻuwai, our dedicated Treasurer at Native Stories Board!

Raised in Waiohuli, Maui, Kaulu’s ʻohana has deep generational ties to Kīpahulu and Makena in the moku of Honuaʻula. She currently serves as a Post-Juris Doctor Legal Fellow with Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, where she provides crucial legal assistance to rural Neighbor Island communities.

Kaulu’s impressive academic background includes certificates in Native Hawaiian Law and Environmental Law from the William S. Richardson School of Law, along with bachelor’s degrees in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Finance, and International Business from UH Mānoa.

In 2021, she completed her ʻailolo and ʻūniki rites as a Manalima in lomilomi, under Kumu Keola Chan of Ka Pā o Lonopūhā, honoring traditional Hawaiian healing practices. Kaʻulu also serves on the boards of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and Hui o Nā Wai ʻEhā, supporting grassroots efforts to restore Maui’s streamflow.

We are so grateful for Kaulu’s leadership and her dedication to our community. 🌊

10/05/2024

Native Stories Statement of Solidarity for Peace: In solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon, who face ongoing genocide and displacement. For over 75 years, Palestinians have endured brutal occupation, and this past year has forced the world to no longer look away. Now, as Zionist violence once again extends to Lebanon, we condemn the U.S. for its role in funding and arming these attacks.

As Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), we understand the pain of colonization and military occupation. Free Hawaiʻi and Free Palestine are part of the same fight for liberation. Together, we resist, heal, and fight for a decolonized world.

Native Stories

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