More than 70 practitioners and advocates of Native Hawaiian healing traditions gathered on Kaua‘i recently, committed to maintain the integrity of Hawaiian healing knowledge. Chairs of five Kupuna Councils of Hawaiian Healing Practitioners signed Ke Kuahaua, A Declaration of Practice, on Kaua'i at high noon on the Summer Solstice

Aloha mai kākou! Say hello to Mahinalani Cavalieri – or Mahina for short. She was born and raised between ʻAiea and ʻEwa, but currently lives in Pālolo. Her heart lies in the ocean and the waʻa. She's had the privilege to be a volunteer crew member onboard Hōkūke’a and Hikianalia since 2020. The ‘ohana wa’a is a community that teaches, challenges, and provides her with transformative experiences. She is very grateful for the privilege and opportunity to work for Papa Ola Lōkahi. During her free time, she enjoys being in the ocean, in her garden, or at a yoga studio. If time permits, she'll go fishing. Her nieces and nephews love to clean and cut fish with her. As a creative outlet, she also loves creating floral arrangements.

#MeetUsMonday #NativeHawaiianHealth

Hōkū Chong grew up between Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, primarily in Wailuku Town and Waiheʻe. She attended Maui public schools and later pursued college in the Midwest before settling in Honolulu. Throughout her life, she has worked in various roles in maternal and child health, early childhood education, community education, and culture and arts.

Her inspiration to work in health stems from her passion for the well-being of infants. She envisions a future where all aspects of well-being, including spiritual, mental, and physical health, are easily accessible to Native Hawaiians and all people alike.

At Papa Ola Lōkahi, she finds fulfillment in supporting Kānaka Maoli to explore diverse approaches to optimal health. Beyond her work, Hōkū is deeply engaged in cultural activities such as kapa making, weaving and practicing various bodywork modalities. Hōkū enjoys utilizing cultural lifeways such as hoʻoponopono within families while also being a lifelong student of hula, oli, and pule. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, crafting, world music and dance, and spending time outdoors – especially in her garden with her grandchildren.

Dayna Pa lives in Makiki but her ʻohana is from Molokai. While growing up in Hoʻolehua, Dayna attended Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi Pacific University. Before working at Papa Ola Lōkahi, she worked at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for almost 19 years. Dayna worked for Trustee Colette Machado for 17 years as her secretary, Trustee Aide, and Board Secretary. She also worked for Trustee Brendan Kaleiʻāina Lee as his Trustee Aide for two years.

Dayna loves working at Papa Ola Lōkahi. In the short time she has been at POL, she has seen how POL has impacted the health of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Dayna Pa enjoys getting to know her coworkers and seeing the wonderful work they do in the community.

On the birthday of Dr. Alexander Ka‘ōnohi, we honor Hawaiian naturopathic physicians