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Ka ʻAha Hoʻolauna Aloha
Hulu Kupuna 2025 Honoree
Loea Hula Leimomi Ho
This year’s KAHĀ Hulu Kupuna is Loea Hula Aunty Leimomi Ho. Affectionately called “Aunty Mo,” she has many accolades to her credit. Leimomi has a long history of performing hula through the years with the Hauʻoli Hula Girls, Kodak Hula Show, and as a hula instructor at Kapiʻolani Community College. In 2024, she joined the Kilohana Hula Show, which harkens back to the Kodak Hula Show days featuring hula in Waikiki.
Her hula school, Keali’ika’apunihonua Ke’ena A’o Hula, true to its name, has performed and competed throughout Hawaii, Japan, the U.S. Mainland, Rome, Belgium, and Tahiti. They have brought home top honors and awards from competitions such as the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, King Kamehameha Hula & Chant Competition, Hula ‘Oni E, and Iā ‘Oe E Ka La Hula Festivals. Leimomi continues to share her manaʻo and wealth of knowledge as a judge at hula competitions and workshops.
Leimomi instills within her haumāna that although we live in a Christian world, we must still respect the traditions and culture of our Kupuna, honor God, love our family, and know that the art of hula embodies life itself in everything we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
Hulu Kupuna
Hulu - feathers, quill, and plumage, oftentimes from birds. In old Hawaiʻi, feathers from rare native Hawaiian birds were captured and their few desired colored feathers plucked. After their feathers were plucked, these birds were released safely back into the forest. Our Hawaiian kūpuna clearly understood that bird feathers symbolized the ranks and titles of the gods, as birds soared in spaces above, inaccessible to humans. This elevated space is known as lani, or the heavens. Thus, royal emblems crafted from feathers were regarded as sacred and often considered kapu (forbidden).
Kupuna - a grandparent, ancestor, relative or close friend of the grandparentʻs generation, grandaunt, granduncle.
Hulu Kupuna - hulu kupuna can be defined as esteemed, choice, or precious. This endearing term also refers to the precious few living blood relatives of the parentʻs and grandparentʻs generation, such as an esteemed older relative.