Cultivating The Native Hawaiian Culture and Values Across Oregon & SW Washington
Ka ʻAha Lāhui O ʻOlekona Hawaiian Civic Club
Established in 2019, Ka ʻAha Lāhui O ʻOlekona Hawaiian Civic Club of Oregon & SW Washington, or KALO HCC, is a 501(c)3 organization that works to bring awareness to the importance of kalo (taro) and Hāloa (first Hawaiian) in remembrance of our Native Hawaiian communities back home and on the continent – thus, creating an opportunity to reindigenize and reconnect our lāhui (people) to the ʻāina (land) and moʻomēheu (cultural identity and values).
Cultivating the Next Generation
Prince Kūhiō valued education and believed it was fundamental to building a strong lahui. In Oregon, though opportunities are limited, we have a unique chance to provide educational resources to PI-youth.
Striving for a Thriving Community
KALO works to bring practitioners to the continent to reconnect us with knowledge passed down through generations. Reclaiming our identity in spaces where we are not the majority deepens our understanding of being Native Hawaiian in the diaspora.
Building a Resilient Community
KALO focuses on uplifting cultural identity and addressing the needs of our community. Many feel a lack of belonging because we don’t see ourselves reflected, but culture provides a foundation for daily practices from our kupuna.
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
ʻAʻole! No Military Take Over!
As a Hawaiian Civic Club rooted in the values of aloha ʻāina (love for the land and its people), mālama (care, stewardship), and kuleana (responsibility), we affirm that militarization is not the answer to community needs. History shows us, from Hawaiʻi to Oregon, that the use of military force against civilians erodes trust, strips away rights, and inflicts lasting harm on the very communities it claims to protect. We believe that the strength of our lāhui, our people, lies not in force, but in aloha, resilience, and unity.
KOKO Podcast Ep. 6 is Live!
In this episode, we kūkākūkā with Kumu Hula Mokihana Melendez of Hālau Hula Ka Lei Mokihana I Ka Ua Noe. In 1996, Kumu Mokihana founded her Hālau in Seattle, Washington, to carry forward the ʻike, manaʻo, and traditions of her hula lineage from Kauaʻi. She is joined in conversation by Kumu Leialoha Kaʻula of Ka Lei Haliʻa O Ka Lokelani, where together they reflect on their hula journeys, the challenges of establishing a Hālau on the continent, shared experiences among their haumāna, the rise of cultural appropriation by dance instructors, and the ways hula continues to strengthen and uplift our lāhui from afar.
Community Partners & Sponsors
