2025 Featured artist

Traditional Kakau Uhi Practitioner

Kawika Au is a kama'āina o ka 'ehu kai o Pua'ena who lives in Māeaea, Waialua. He is the kahu of Kahakaakāneika'ehukai and has been practicing kākau uhi for over a decade. As an uhi practitioner, Kawika's kuleana is to serve Kāne, and the lāhui. He uses his pā as a place of healing and growth for our people, land, and culture. His practice is grounded in the teachings and 'ike of his kūpuna, who include Aunty Betty and Uncle Jack Jenkins, Aunty Kanani 'Awai, and Uncle Jimmy 'Awai. He is a makuakane, a kupuna, an artist, a poet, and an aloha ʻāina advocate. It is his goal to uplift the practice of kākau uhi, and to serve the gods, ancestors, land, and kaiāulu.

Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher

Aruho’ia has been dancing since she could walk. Her primary role for nearly twenty years has been co-choreographer for the dance troupe MANAHAU TAHITI, with whom she has participated in Heiva I Tahiti (Hura Tau) in 2010, 2011, and 2014 and Hura Tapairu in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2018. They were awarded 2nd prize TAPAIRU, 1st prize (Aparima category) and 2nd prize (Ote'a category). The professional troupe has traveled to France, Taiwan several times, Samoa and Nouméa as well.

In 2010 Heiva I Tahiti, a festival showcasing local talent and cultural tradition for decades, Aruho’ia was crowned “Best Dancer”. This is an achievement awarded to only two very talented individuals each year.

Aruho’ia is passionate about her Tahitian culture and Ori Tahiti. As the director and lead instructor for her dance school MANAHAU, she enjoys sharing her knowledge and professional experience. Her focus in working with her students is to uplift and instill self-confidence in the younger generation of dancers.

Some of her other achievements include: Ambassador of Culture during Miss Polynesia 2009 and Miss National Tourism in Fiji during the Miss South Pacific election, and participation in the Marae Arahurahu Show with the group Ori I Tahiti (Terau Piritua). She was a member of the Jury at Hura Tapairu 2011, at Heiva de Nouméa in 2010, and at Heiva Internationale of Ori Tahiti (Matani Kainuku).

Dancer/Choreographer, Cultural Practitioner, Educator

Born, raised, and based in Coast Salish Territory, Dakota Camacho is a Matao/CHamoru multi-disciplinary artist / researcher working in spaces of indigenous life ways, performance, musical composition, community engagement, and education.

Camacho weaves knowing from both yo’-ña (their) bloodlines and the diverse lineages that inform yo’-ña indigenizing journey. Creating opportunities for inter-indigenous exchange as a method for indigenous knowledge development is central to Camacho’s creative philosophy.

Camacho’s artistic training and practices reflects commitment to building community with a diversity of creative lineages spanning from Hip Hop, Danza Mexica, Capoeira Angola Palmares, and traditional/contemporary indigenous dance.

Camacho co-founded I Moving Lab, an inter-national, inter-cultural, inter-tribal, and inter-disciplinary arts collective that creates community and self-funded arts initiatives to engage and bring together rural & urban communities, Universities, Museums, & performing arts institutions.

Camacho is a chanter, adjunct instructor, and core researcher for I Fanlalai'an Oral History Project based at the University of Guåhan.

Through writing, recording, producing, and releasing digital media coordinated with flashpoint organizing moments, Camacho uses yo’ña art as a platform to amplify the voice of the CHamoru Liberation movement and mobilize support for their struggle to de-militarize. Camacho also produces community events in the homeland and abroad that highlight the creative genius of Matao/CHamoru people by showcasing artists who use their practice to decry ongoing militarization, environmental racism, and human rights abuses.

Camacho has worked for Atamira Dance Company and Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations as both a composer, dancer, and poetic lyricist.

Camacho holds a Masters of Arts in Performance Studies from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender & Women's Studies as a First Wave Urban Arts and Hip Hop Scholar.

Camacho has presented work in festivals, universities, and communities as a public speaker, facilitator, composer and performer throughout Turtle Island (The Americas), Oceania, Australia, Europe, and Africa.

Artists, Carver, Cultural Practitioner

Tecumseh Ceaser is a indigenous artist, cultural consultant, and Wampum Carver. He is of Matinecock Turkey clan, Montaukett, and Unkechaug descent. his ancestors are quahog peoples, ocean peoples, and that is what calls him to carve shells in a traditional way.

 He has been making Art & jewelry for 15 years, carving quahog shells since 2016. In doing so, he continues this ancient tradition of creating wampum carvings and beads historically used in ceremonies, regalia, gifts, trade agreements, and treaty belts.

Tecumseh currently serves as the North American Advisor for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus at the United Nations, where he advocates for Indigenous Americans' rights to member states, NGOs, and other indigenous nations. A big part of his current community work has been working on cultural revitalization, and  preservation, He is currently in residence at Flushing Town Hall, AND THE Queens Museum of Art. Tecumseh is based in New York.City.

Director, Hitireva, and Arato’a School of Ori Tahiti

Kehaulani Chanquy is a celebrated leader, choreographer, and cultural ambassador, widely respected for her commitment to both preserving and evolving the art of ‘Ori Tahiti.  She leads the award-winning dance troupe Hitireva and directs the dance school Arato’a - two pillars of Tahitian dance culture.

Chanquy began dancing in childhood and went on to receive formal training at the Artistic Conservatory of French Polynesia.  When she was just 19 years old, she took over the Arato’a school, and in 2006, she founded Hitireva.  Under her guidance the troupe has earned top honors, winning the Heiva i Tahiti grand prize in the amateur division in 2009, and in the professional category in 2016 and 2024.  

In 2018, she collaborated with the Artistic Conservatory to present E Parauparau Te Ôfa’i, a piece narrating the history of the sacred marae Arahurahu. Beyond the stage, Kehaulani is also a passionate mantor, shaping the next generation of dancers and strengthening the global voice of Tahitian culture. 

Photographer

"Mahina" K-Cee Mahinahokukauikamoana Choy-Ellis was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and moved to New York City in 2013 to pursue her B.A in Advertising and International Studies- becoming the first to attend college in her family. Mahina Choy-Ellis specializes in event, portrait, fashion, and wedding photography with 3 years of professional experience in the Ad-Tech industry.

Directrice, Ia Ora Te Hura, Dancer, Choreographer

Passionate about ‘Ori Tahiti since she was a child, Poerani Germain is an experienced, professional dancer. She is a former choreographer of Tamariki Poerani and the current director of IA ORA TE HURA. Her work with Tamariki Poerani in 2017 led the group to winning the 1st prize at the Heiva i Tahiti and the Hura Tapairu.

In 2022, with her own group, she won the 1st prize for Best Group - Hura Ava Tau, an Award for Best Music Composition and the Best Orchestra Award at the Heiva I Tahiti. Again at Heiva I Tahiti in 2024, in the Hura Tau category, her group won third place in addition to Best Costume (Hura Nui and Vegetal) and Best Tāne Dancer.

She considers ‘Ori Tahiti as both an art, rooted in her culture, and a way to stimulate creativity, express ourselves and feel the mana.

Dancer/Singer/Actor, Hula Practitioner

bio coming soon

Composer, Violist

Leilehua Lanzilotti (b. 1983) is a Kanaka Maoli composer, artist, and curator. By world-building through multimedia installation works, nontraditional concert experiences, and sound interventions, Lanzilotti’s works activate imagination around new paths forward in language sovereignty, water sovereignty, land stewardship, and respect. Lanzilotti crafts projects that uplift native knowledge and intuition, imagine indigenous futures, and encourage courageous and active listening.

Lanzilotti was honored to be a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music for with eyes the color of time (string orchestra), which the Pulitzer committee called, “a vibrant composition . . . that distinctly combines experimental string textures and episodes of melting lyricism.”

Other prestigious honors include Creative Capital, 2025 USA Fellow, and Native Arts & Cultures Foundation’s SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts Awards. Lanzilotti has received additional distinguished fellowships & residencies through The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, Casa Wabi, the Merwin Conservancy, the McKnight Visiting Composer Residency Program, and the MacGeorge Fellowship at the University of Melbourne among others.

Carver, Culture Bearer

Eriki, who is of Tahitian, Marquesan, and French ancestry, grew up in Papeete, taught himself art in those early years, started to learn English from the American missionaries, and served his own church mission in his home islands in the late 1970s. Then he married Patricia Teatareva, whose ancestry traces back to Tahiti’s Tuamotu islands, and he used his self-taught artistic talents to establish and successfully run a tee shirt silk-screening business in Papeete.

In school, Eriki focused on three-dimensional art under the late Professor Jan Fisher, with whom he worked on the famous Duke Kahanamoku statue on Waikiki Beach. He also quickly secured a student job in the Polynesian Cultural Center’s graphics department, working with the late Wilma Fonoimoana and Chuck Rivers.

As a BYUH student, Eriki was named full-time Marquesas village manager, and with his artistic skills and cultural heritage with those islands, began making dramatic changes, “bringing new life not only in the compound but to the Tahitian Village as well.

After graduating, Eriki moved back to Tahiti, and began teaching art and wood carving in high school. He still lives in Papeete in the nearby district of Toahutu, but retired from teaching.

Currently Marchand is a freelance artist in demand. He is a specialist in creating unu — a type of tall Tahitian totem pole having carved three of monuments out of mahogany for the anti-nuclear tests in Tahiti, and the most recent one for the big wave at Teahupoo, where the 2024 Olympics surfing competition was held.

Filmmaker, Weaver, Organizer

Sancia Miala Shiba Nash is a filmmaker, weaver, and organizer from Kīhei, Maui, Hawai‘i, with ancestral roots in the Japanese archipelago. She works collaboratively through time-based media to amplify intersectional stories of place. Her interdisciplinary creative practice is guided by oral histories, archives, and acts of translation. Her individual and collective work has been presented at community-venues, museum theatres, film festivals, and biennials/triennials including: Aupuni Space, Arts & Letters Nuʻuanu, Honolulu Museum of Art, Doris Duke Theatre, MoMA’s Doc Fortnight, Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, and Singapore Biennale.

In 2020, Sancia Miala co-founded with her partner, artist Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick, kekahi wahi, a grassroots film initiative committed to documenting transformations across Hawaiʻi and sharing stories of Moananui. kekahi wahi’s most recent project, i nā kiʻi ma mua, nā kiʻi ma hope, is an eight part screening series, presenting over 40 documentary and experimental films made between 1977 and 2024. Encouraging unexpected connections across media formats, practices, movements, and generations, the screening series challenges mainstream cinema’s treatment of Hawaiʻi and calls for increased support of artist-filmmakers across the archipelago. 

Sancia Miala’s past films include: Ka moʻopuna i ke alo, The grandchild in the presence (2021), a short film honoring the life of Native Hawaiian scholar, educator, and composer Mary Kawena Pukui, produced by the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities; and bakufuu hinoumi: bomb wind ocean fire (2020), a short film documenting her maternal grandfather’s experience as a survivor of the Tokyo air raids of 1945. 

Her projects in development include: Honuaʻula whose shoulders are pummelled by the Moaʻe wind, a short film weaving together generational stories and huakaʻi in Honuaʻula, a moku bordering her hometown on the island of Maui; Sovereign, a feature length documentary in collaboration with filmmaker and educator Noah Keone Viernes about Keʻeaumoku Kapu, a Kanaka ʻŌiwi community leader and activist who reclaimed his kuleana lands in Kauaʻula Valley, Maui; and Kuroshio, a series of short vignettes tracing relationships between the Japanese and Hawaiian archipelagos through ocean currents, oral traditions, and international relations.

Singer, Songwriter, Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner, Kia’i Mauna

Hāwane Rios is a Mauna Kea Protector and Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winning singer/songwriter from Puʻukapu, Waimea on the Island of Hawaiʻi. She was raised from an early age in the traditional art forms of chant and dance of her people which created a strong foundation for her passion of music and songwriting. Rios believes that music is a powerful catalyst for change and is moved to write and sing songs with a healing and unifying message that she hopes will carry on to the generations to come. 

Being of Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Chamorro, Taino, Portuguese, and English decent, she knows her lineages, cultural traditions, music, advocacy work, and commitment to aloha ʻāina (love for the land), connects her to the world and to the collective responsibility we have to care for and protect Mother Earth. Rios has stood on the frontlines of the Protect Mauna Kea Movement and alongside her family as a petitioner in the court system in resistance to the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope for the past 14 years. Her outreach work has taken her to many places and has connected her to many different justice movements rooted in standing up and speaking up for the rights of the land and water. She continues to support the efforts of the movement through her educational outreach work with the non-profit organization, Mauna Kea Education and Awareness and through her artistry as a musician, dancer, and chanter.

She is the founder of Hale Haumea, a women led collective of cultural and language bearers reclaiming ancestral ways of healing through the traditional oratory art form of chant.  Her purpose and intention is to revitalize the traditional Hale o Papa (House of Women) and rites of passage ceremonies for young women and queer people so that their foundation can be grounded in the ways of their people and so that they will be strongly affirmed in who they are.

Kumu Olelo Hawaii

Jonah Kahanuola Solatorio, a native of Kewalo Uka, Kona, O'ahu, is an educator that has a passion for the perpetuation and education of the Hawaiian language. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in both Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian Studies and a Master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Hawaii at Mãnoa. Kahanuola is currently a Hawaiian Language teacher at the Kamehameha High School Kapālama campus and is also a member of the Hawaiian musical group, Keauhou.

Kumu Kahanuola began his @ehoopilimai social media journey in 2020 for Mahina 'Olelo Hawaii, posting videos to his story teaching the Hawaiian language to his mom, "Student Cousin Cappy", and his page took off with followers from around the world. Since then, he has built a community of learners across the pae 'āina and around the world who participates in his free weekly classes hosted on Zoom and continues to collaborate with our businesses and organizations to normalize the daily use of the Hawaiian language in all places possible.

Composer, Pianist, Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner, Drag Artist

T.J. Keanu Tario/Laritza Labouche is a multifaceted composer, pianist, and Hawaiian cultural practitioner by day, and ballroom vogue drag artist by night. They are the first Kanaka Maoli graduate of The Juilliard School, in the classical piano division, and The California Institute of the Arts. Their compositions have been performed by ensembles including the New York Youth Symphony, the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra and the Attacca String Quartet. Performances for the concert stage include ‘Capriccio’ for One Piano/Four Hands commissioned by the Aloha International Piano Festival and premiered by Lisa Nakamichi and Jon Nakamatsu. The score to short film, A Fish Out of Water, was the Official 2017 Winner of Boundless in Brooklyn: A 48 Hour Dance Film Contest and premiered at the Cinéma Majestic Passy/Écrans de Paris.

Tario’s film credits include The Jimmy Kimmel Show, HBO Max’s Generations, national commercials for ULTA Beauty and Nintendo Switch, and ‘Crimson’s Cabaret’ short film (featured winner at the Cannes World Film Festival). In combating the stress and performance anxiety in the “serious arts” world, she has been able to freely express herself through the persona of Lady Laritza. By creating art in a nonconventional way, it gives a special voice to the marginalized BIPOC LGBT+ community. Being Māhū is an entity that lives within the trans/nonbinary community. Through her continued work within the arts, she strives to inspire others to live and create freely in their truths.

Artist, Poet

Dan Taulapapa McMullin is an artist and poet from Sāmoa i Sasa'e (American Samoa). Their artist book The Healer's Wound: A Queer Theirstory of Polynesia (2022, 2nd edition 2024) was published by Pu'uhonua Society and Tropic Editions of Honolulu at HT22 the Hawai'i Triennial. Their book of poems Coconut Milk (2013) was on the American Library Association Rainbow List Top Ten Books of the Year. The Bat and other early works received a 1997 Poets&Writers Award from The Writers Loft. They co-edited Samoan Queer Lives (2018) published by Little Island Press of Aotearoa. Their work was shown at the Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Contemporary Native Art, Metropolitan Museum, De Young Museum, Musée du quai Branly, Auckland Art Gallery, Bishop Museum, and Honolulu Museum of Art. Their film Sinalela (2001) won the 2002 Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival Best Short Film Award. Their film 100 Tikis was the opening night film selection of the 2016 Présence Autochtone in Montreal and was an Official Selection in the Fifo Tahiti Film Festival. Taulapapa's art studio and writing practice is based in Muhheaconneock lands / Hudson, NY, where they live with their husband.

Artist, Cultural Practitioner

Shane Weeks is a proud member of the Shinnecock Nation. His upbringing on the Shinnecock Reservation has encouraged him to take on the responsibility of making our world better for future generations. Shane grew up understanding the importance of his culture and his connection to the natural world. His father taught him to hunt and fish at just 7 years old and he carries that tradition on today. Since the age of 1, Shane has continuously represented his culture through traditional dance at his tribe's pow wow and others. He occupies many capacities sitting as a member of several boards and committees. Shane is a founding member of the Southampton Town Arts and Culture Committee, the Watermill Center Community Fellowship, , the Graves Protection Warrior Society, a former member the Slow Food East End Board and several more. In 2023 Shane was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Award by HRM Queen Angique Monet of the Eti-Oni Lands of Nigeria and founder of the New Generation In Action organization. He actively hosts presentations, workshops and curates various events. As an artist, culture bearer, and unofficial ambassador, Shane is committed to his effort to bridge the gap between his community and the rest of the world. 

Kumu Hula, Filmmaker, Activist, Community Leader, Cultural Icon

Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu,also known as Kumu Hina, is a native Hawaiian mahu – a traditional third gender person who occupies "a place in the middle" between male and female,as well as a modern transgender woman. She is known for her work as a Kumu Hula, as a filmmaker, artist, activist, and as a community leader in the field of Ole lo Hawaii and cultural preservation. She teaches Kanaka Maoli philosophy and traditions that promote cross-cultural alliances throughout the Pacific Islands. Kumu Hina is known as a "powerful performer with a clear, strong voice"; she has been hailed as "a cultural icon".

Entrepreneur, Indigenous Historian, Cultural Practitioner

Chenae Bullock is an enrolled Shinnecock Indian Nation Tribal Member and descendant of the Montauk Tribe in Long Island New York. She is also African American. Chenae is an entrepreneur, pioneer, Indigenous perspective historian, and cultural practitioner. Following her ancestors footsteps as whalers and business leaders, the foundation of her work has been based on the resurgence of the traditional canoe culture of the northeast coastal Algonquin communities.She has organized historically sacred paddles in the ancient waterways of the northeastern seaboard. Some of her most recent work has led her to assess for signs of submerged cultural history for the Atlantic Shores Cultural Core Analysis. She successfully served as a Tribal Alternate on behalf of the Shinnecock Nation for the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean, which facilitates coordination and collaboration among governmental entities and stakeholders to enhance the vitality of our region’s ocean ecosystem.

‘Ori Tahiti teacher, Author, Composer, Choreographer

Immersed in the cultural world since the age of 10, Tehiva Francky has become a leading figure in contemporary Polynesian dance. A ‘ori Tahiti teacher at the Artistic Conservatory of French Polynesia and leader of the group Ho Mai, he represents a new generation of committed artists who both preserve tradition and drive creative innovation.

Twice awarded the prestigious Grand Prize for Best Ra’atira Ti’ati’a at the Heiva i Tahiti, he is recognized for his artistic precision, powerful storytelling through dance, and his deep dedication to cultural transmission. With multiple victories in both local and international competitions, his work resonates far beyond Polynesian shores.

As an author, composer, and director of performances that travel across the globe, Tehiva Francky is also a guardian of heritage—deeply passionate about Marquesan culture, which he explores with sensitivity and boldness. A true cultural ambassador, he keeps his culture alive through movement, memory, and emotion, inspiring audiences around the world.

Actor, Performer

Johnny Valenz is a NYC-based actor, voice actor, and certified funny person repped by DDO Agency — yes, they saw the talent and the cheekbones. A proud Pacific Islander (Samoan/Tongan) serving big laughs and even bigger vibes. He’s also a stand-up comedian and emcee lighting up stages all over the city (and occasionally aunties’ birthday parties — by popular demand).

Whether he’s voicing a cartoon, cracking jokes at a comedy club, the voice of AMC theater telling you to silence your phones, or hosting events with more energy than your cousin’s wedding DJ, this Islander soul brings charisma, humor, and that special Pasifika spice to everything he does.

And if you think you love Beyoncé… sit down. He loves her more than everyone in his life. Yes, even you. Especially you.

Dancer, Choreographer, Instructor

Bio Coming Soon!

Hawaiian language Instructor

A Kalamaʻula, Molokai homesteader since 1992, Manuwai’s professional background is in public education with a focus on indigenous educational issues and programs.

Manuwai taught Hawaiian language in New York City from 2009 to 2011 and initiated the first online Hawaiian language classes in 2009 to students in New York City and Washington DC.  From 2020 to present, Manuwai has been teaching online Hawaiian language to German speaking students across Europe.

Manuwai currently works in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi