June Events: Hono'uli'uli Ahupua'a

In Hawaiian culture, the term "ahupuaʻa" refers to a traditional land division that covers a stretch of island from mountain to sea that Native Hawaiians used to distribute natural resources amongst the island residents. Hono'uli'uli is the name of the ahupuaʻa in the ‘Ewa moku where Honouliuli internment camp was located. Honoʻuliʻuli means dark bay in Hawaiian, a reference to the dark and plentiful water of what is now known as Pearl Harbor where many Native Hawaiians fished and caught oysters for sustenance. It is the largest ahupuaʻa on Oʻahu. To learn more about the ahupua'a, visit the Hono‘uli‘uli Ahupua‘a page.

This month will highlight the work of our partners in the ahupuaʻa with two speakers and a tour. Additionally, there will be a movie screening.

Please Note:

Nearly all of our Speaker Series events will be virtual.

Event details will be posted closer to the month in which they take place. Please check back for updates to the calendar and event pages.

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Speaker: Pauline Sato

Malama Learning Center

Date and Time: June 3, 2025, 5:00-6:00 PM (HST). Please register for the talk using this link. This talk will be paired with Kawika Lauriano's.

Discussion Summary: Caring for Honouliuli Through Partnerships

Mālama Learning Center (MLC) is a small non-profit organization founded in 2004 focused on environmental education based in the ahupuaʻa of Honouliuli. Pauline Sato, co-founder and Executive Director of MLC, will share stories about their programs and impact on communities, all made possible through forming partnerships with area schools and many types of organizations, agencies, businesses, and individuals. Their collective work is healing the land and sea through community engagement and education.

Biography: Pauline Sato, Co-founder and Executive Director of Mālama Learning Center, is a driving force in 'āina-based education. With nearly 40 years of experience, she empowers Hawaiʻi communities through environmental education, fostering deep connections to land and culture. Her leadership, grounded in her public school education, and supported by degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Hawaiʻi, has empowered countless individuals to become advocates for the environment.

 

Speaker: Kawika Lauriano

Kalaeloa Heritage Park

Date and Time: June 3, 2025, 5:00-6:00 PM (HST). Please register for the talk using this link. This talk will be paired with Pauline Sato's.

Discussion Summary: Kalaeloa Heritage Park

Kawika will speak about Kalaeloa Heritage Park and its ancient landscape, focusing on the park's efforts to preserve its history and land for the community and future generations to come. He will be talking about the evolution of ‘Ewa/Hono‘uli‘uli from ancient times to the modern day and the significance of wai (water) in Hono‘uli‘uli ahupua’a.

Biography: Kawika Lauriano is the Park Manager for Kalaeloa Heritage Park.

 

Movie Screening: "Untold Story" with Panelists

Doris Duke Theater; Kinetic Productions

Date and Location: June 22, 2025, Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art, 900 S Beretania St, Honolulu, HI 96814, movie followed by panel 2:00-4:00 PM.



Click here for free tickets to the movie

Parking information can be found here

About the Event: Local Hawaiʻi resident and Director Ryan Kawamoto has created multiple documentaries about internment and incarceration in Hawaiʻi with his production company Kinetic Productions. "Untold Story" originally aired on PBS Hawaiʻi to critical acclaim. Thanks to Pacific Historic Parks, the community will be able to watch the one hour film for free at the Doris Duke Theater at the Honolulu Museum of Art. This special film screening will be followed by a discussion of Honouliuli and Hawaii's internment experience with panel members, including Ryan Kawamoto himself, Carole Hayashino, the former President/Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, and Sandi Chang, whose grandfather was held at Honouliuli Internment Camp.

The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans In Hawai‘i, produced by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, written/directed by Ryan Kawamoto, is the first full-length documentary to chronicle the internment experience of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i.

Acknowledgments
The film was made possible through a lead grant from the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program National Park Service and matching funds provided by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Island Insurance Foundation, The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, and the Japanese American Citizens League - Honolulu Chapter.

Courtesy of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i, The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i

Two more of Ryan Kawamoto's films will be screened at Doris Duke Theater as a part of Honouliuli's 10th Anniversary Celebrations:

Voices Behind Barbed Wire (August 17)
Removed by Force (October 19)

 

Mālama Learning Center Work Day

Pālehua Dryland Forest

Date and Location: June 14, 2025, Pālehua Dryland Forest, exact address will be given upon registration, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Please register using this link. Spots are limited and will be decided on a first come, first serve basis.

About the Event: Join the Mālama Learning Center on their Laulima monthly work day at Pālehua, a dryland forest located in the mountains above Makakilo, Kapolei. Volunteers will help remove invasive grasses and care for native plants to restore the ecosystem. While they do not plant during the dry summer months, there will be opportunities for weeding, seed collection, and lighter tasks in the native plant nursery nearby. Volunteers will also spend a portion of the workday focusing on education; they will talk about the natural resources and cultural significance and history of the space.

Note: June is a very hot month in Hawai‘i. This event may not be suitable for children or the elderly if they are sensitive to dehydration and intense heat. Please take necessary precautions to stay well hydrated if you choose to attend.

 

Honouliuli Traveling Pop-Up Exhibit: American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honolulu Office

AIA Honolulu

Date: All of June, American Institute of Architects Honolulu, 828 Fort St Mall Ste 100, Honolulu, HI 96813

About the Event: For the entire month of June, the American Institute of Architects Honolulu will be the home of Honouliuli National Historic Site's traveling exhibit. Visit them to read up on the history of Honouliuli and what work has been done on the site since its discovery.

 

Honouliuli Monthly Bookstore Educational Item

Pearl Harbor National Memorial Gift Shop

Date and Location: June 2025, 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI, 96818

About the Event: The Honouliuli National Historic Site bookstore is located in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial bookstore. The bookstore, which carries items beyond just books, provides visitors with a range of interpretive and educational materials about Honouliuli. The income generated from these items supports important historic preservation, ongoing research, visitor interpretation, natural and cultural resources management, and educational programs at the park.

To find other ways to help support the park, explore the drop down menu under the Get Involved section of the navigation banner.