Hālau Unuokeahi is made up of members from various communities. Students who arrived at the hālau come to learn cultural stewardship through language, mo‘olelo, ritual and environmental sustainability. Learners who arrive at hālau Unuokeahi have no monetary fees as it has been the mission of our hālau to make the learning manuwahi for all our Hawaiʻi members. The uku or payment is servitude, partaking in community service or various cultural engagements.

On the winter solstice of 2017, Unuokeahi opened its doors under the tutelage of Ka‘au‘a, affectionately known as Kumu ‘Au‘a, who underwent the ‘ūniki rites in December 2014,  It is with this that she was bestowed the title of kumu hula. The Unuokeahi traditions stems from the Unukupukupu and Edith Kanaka‘ole hula ‘ai ha‘a traditions of Hilo.

From Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Kapua was raised in the district of Kalaoa mauka on the steep cliffs of Hilo Pali Kū.  She has been in the hair and beauty industry for 25 years in Hawai’i and a salon owner for 15 years. But  her true passion is serving her Hawai’i community with 25 years of life-long learning through traditional pathways. Kapuaʻs hula journey was sparked in 1997 which led her to her formal training to kumu hula under the tutelage of her kumu, Dr. Taupōuri Tangarō, of Unukupukupu, who bestowed upon her Unuolehua cohort the rites of passage into the guild of hula. Kapua is a graduate of Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani School Of Hawaiian Language at the University Of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

Her cultural stewardship spans globally with in Japan and Hawaiʻi. Her East Hawaiʻi-based hālau Unuokeahi, serves as the catalyst space for all her learners, near and far. Nestled in the bosom of Hāʻena at Keaʻau, the hālau has an extended hālau unit on Oʻahu which was created as a safe space for our māhū learner community to reconnect to traditional Hawaiian dance and protocols. Her cultural stewardship also extends into Keaukaha at Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo Public Hawaiian Immersion Charter School where she is the kumu hula for Papahana Unuiti, an academic hula program taught through the Hawaiian language medium from pre-K to grade 12.

Unuokeahi perpetuates the ʻai haʻa traditions and legacy of her kumu, Taupōuri Tangarō and the Edith Kanakaʻole traditions of hula.

Welcome to our hālau space, e hoʻonanea.