ABOUT US

Hui O Waʻa Kaulua (“Assembly of the Double Hull Canoes”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 1975 on the island of Maui to practice, perpetuate and educate the community on Hawaiian canoe building, wayfinding, and voyaging arts. The Hui (assembly or organization) is the only non-profit on the island of Maui that uses a traditional sailing waʻa kaulua (double hull canoe) for educational purposes, offering hands on experience and a traditional system of mentoring utilizing knowledge that has been passed down through Pwo (master navigator) Mau Piailug from the tiny island of Satawal, Micronesia.

The building and birth of these waʻa exemplifies the many hours of labor and love from not only the Hui, but the whole Maui community. Hui O Waʻa Kaulua works closely with The Polynesian Voyaging Society in education, exploration, and preservation of voyaging arts. As ʻohana (family), the Hui gratefully receives mentoring and supports the endeavors of all of Hawaiʻi’s great voyaging canoes.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President – Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom

Amy Hānaialiʻi’s success as a recording artist speaks for itself and is evidenced by a multitude of awards and acknowledgements, including 6 GRAMMY® nominations for Best Hawaiian Music Album & Best Native Roots Music Album.

Hānaialiʻi’s talent emerges from a disciplined classical training, fused powerhouse vocals, and honoring her family’s worldly heritage and rooted ancestral responsibility.

Amy’s albums have garnered 18 Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards – Hawaiʻi’s equivalent to the GRAMMY® awards.

Amy has played for the Dalai Lama, two inaugural balls in D.C. for President Obama and the first entertainer ever to perform in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, China. Amy has played for sold-out crowds in Europe, Japan and all across America and French Polynesia. Hānaialiʻi’s Friends and Family album showcased a stunning duet with country music legend Willie Nelson. Alongside and recording with the best, Amy also has performed live and opened for renowned artists like Earth, Wind and Fire, Carlos Santana, Boz Scaggs, Diana Krall, Joe Cocker, Michael McDonald and many more.

She has played to sold-out shows at the following world-renowned venues: Blue Note Jazz Club New York and Japan, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Stern Grove, The Cutting Room, and numerous performances with orchestras in opera Houses worldwide.

Her diverse success and cultural responsibility, provide clear recognition by Hawaiʻi’s music community and fans with universal acceptance. All of Amy’s albums have validated commercial success by consistently placing her at the top of the World Album Billboard charts.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from United States International University- School of Performing and Visual Arts in San Diego, Amy spent time with her paternal grandmother, International Hawaiian superstar – Jennie Nāpua Woodd.

Undoubtedly her world-famous falsetto training and strict pronunciation lessons gave Amy beloved respect of Hawaiian Culture and Music, making her grandmother Nāpua one of her most influential people in her life.

Woodd, one of the original Royal Hawaiian girls in Waikīkī or Tūtū (grandmother) as Amy affectionately calls her, helped shape the entertainment scene of Hawaiʻi as a Kumu Hula/Choreographer in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and NYC.

Woodd worked on every Pacific-themed motion picture in the 1940ʻs and 1950ʻs and her choreography defines that cinematic genre. Also, Woodd while performing on Broadway and the Lexington Hotel in New York City, Tūtū met Amy’s grandfather Lloyd B. Gilliom. He himself a musician who played trumpet and steel guitar with the likes of Sammy Kaye, Tommy Dorsey and other notable bands of that era—joined Woodd to build a rich tradition of Hawaiian Culture on both coasts of America.

Amy sits on 3 Native Boards, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts and Hui O Waʻa Kaulua.

Aside from the music community, Amy has garnered accolades from the Pacific Business News as their “40 under 40 Businessperson of the Year” award, recognizing not only her talent but also her business acumen needed to market her talent.

Recently, she has launched 3 vintages of wine under her wine company Hānaialiʻi Wines with her 2013 Merlot earning a 90 from Wine Spectator, The LA Wine Festival and 5 Gold medals.

Amy has been a director with Hui O Waʻa Kaulua since 2014 and the acting President since 2019. She often shares about the Moʻokiha O Piʻilani with her audiences during performances all over the world..

Vice President – Brad Scott

Brad Scott is from the North Shore of Oahu. He was raised in Kahuku and graduated from Kahuku High School in 1993. In 1994, he started working in Kaneohe Bay as a deckhand and later as a captain aboard various sailing vessels. He attained a USCG (US Coast Guard) Masters Certificates from Pacific Maritime Academy. He expanded his maritime career into larger vessels in Honolulu Harbor by operating work vessels and tugs. He was certified as a Pilot for submarines with Voyager Atlantis Submarines and as Ship Boarding Agent (Inchcape Marine) responsible for logistics of arriving ships & security boarding with the USCG, US Customs, and US Immigration.

In 2004, he joined the International Longshore and Warehouse Union as a laborer for Hawaii Stevedores Inc, where he became a Steward for 6 months and then was elected to the Executive Board and Chairmen of the Safety Committee. In 2016, he was promoted to Foreman and transferred to Maui where he was elected as Vice Chairmen of the Maui Longshore (ILWU).

In his personal life, he loves spending time with his keiki (children), Kamaehu, Tahiata and Temana and sailing around Hawaii and the South Pacific. He has been involved in grappling Martial Arts his entire life rising to the rank of Judo Belt, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Wrestling Coach at Kamehameha Kapalama (2006-2017).

He joined Hui O Waʻa Kaulua in 2019 after participating in the Hui’s crew training program. He then became a crew member and is now a Board member currently serving as Vice President. He is passionate about the ocean has always been involved in the Maritime Industry and interest in Polynesian Navigation. He is so honored to be a part of the Hui and for the opportunity to share Polynesian Navigation with Maui Nui.

Director – Cole Slater

· Maui Divers of Hawai'i started in 1958 as an adventurous diving company in Lāhainā, Maui.Maui Divers Jewelry was founded in 1959 and began designing, manufacturing, and selling Hawaiian black coral jewelry. In 1962, the company expanded operations and relocated to Honolulu. Over 60 years later, Maui Divers Jewelry has become Hawaiʻi's favorite and most trusted jewelry.

· Avid Sailor for over 30 yrs

· Member Waikiki Yacht Club

· Maui Divers Jewelry - Chief Executive Officer/Creative Director

· Executive Vice President 2019-2021

· Vice President; Design/Manufacturing 2012-2019

· Director of Research and Development 2009-2012

Cole donated 21,000.00 to the Hui during the Wild Fires. His entire Lāhainā team stepped in and was full time at our Hub.

Maui Divers Jewelry is Hawaiʻi's most charitable local jeweler,

donating $1.4 million in 2023. Supporting our community is one

of our core values and we believe that by supporting the

communities we live in helps us all flourish together.

· 7th GEN Culture

· Shriners Hospital

· Keiki O Ka Aina

· Habilitat

· Hawaii Red Cross

· Honolulu Firefighters Foundation 11th Annual Signature Chefs Food Festival Silent Auction

· Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society Silent Auction

· Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America 53rd Annual Tee-Up

for Scouting Golf Tournament Raffle Prize

· American Cancer Society Relay for Life of the Big Island

· Arthritis Foundation Hawaiʻi Annual Taste of the Town Gala

· Boys and Girls Club of Hawaiʻi 26th Annual Walk

· 13th Annual Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) Golf Tournament

· 25th Annual Daniel Robert Sayre Memorial Foundation

· Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Maui Silent Auction

· Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi 28th Annual Links to Literacy Online Auction

· Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi 2023 Women of Distinction Dinner

· Gregory House Program Kahu Malama Award Reception and Silent Auction

· Haiku School PTA 29th Annual Haʻiku Hoʻolauleʻa and Flower Festival Silent Auction

· Haleakalā Waldorf School Spring Benefit Silent Auction

· 25th Annual Murphy's Pigskin Pig-Out Live Auction

· Hawaiʻi Heart Walk

· Hawaiʻi Life Charitable Fund (HLCF) Ohana Gala Event

· Hawaiʻi Public Radio

· Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony "Make Music A Right" Silent Auction

· Honolulu Police Community Foundation 2023 Annual Fundraiser Dinner Silent Auction

· Honolulu Theatre for Youth

· Hui Makaala of Hawaiʻi 51st Annual Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show

· Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center Annual Art Affair 2023 Silent Auction

· INPEACE 2nd Annual Jubilee Silent Auction

· Iolani School "Ships Ahoy" Fair Silent Auction

· Island Pacific Academy Night Voyaging Benefit Gala Silent Auction

· Island School's Fire & Ice 43rd Annual Gala Auction

· Japan-America Society of Hawaiʻi Annual Bridge Awards Dinner and Silent Auction

· Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi Sharing the Spirit of

· Aloha Annual Gala Silent Auction

· JTB Goodwill Foundation Gold Tournament

· Kamehameha Schools Maui Campus PTSO Hoʻolauleʻa Silent Auction

· Kuakini Foundation 17th Annual Holiday Trees and Treasures Fundraising Event Silent Auction

· Lawai International Center 32nd Anniversary Online Auction

· Manoa Valley Theatre Manoa Marquée Gala Event Auction

· March of Dimes 15th Annual Tadd Fujikawa Invitational Golf Tournament

· Navian Hawaiʻi Na Hoa Malama Annual Fundraising Gala Silent Auction

· Navy Hale Keiki School 29th Annual Dinner and Auction Event, Stars & Stripes

· Parents and Children Together There's No Place Like Home Auction Event

· Parker School 17th Annual Kahiau Silent Auction

· Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi's 22nd Annual Golf Tourney Door Prize

· Roots School Choose Love Online Auction

· Rotary Club of Waikiki the Waikiki Rotary Extravaganza Silent Auction

· Sacred Hearts Academy Uncorked Fundraiser

· 5th Annual St. Francis of Assisi Spirit Award Wine Gala Silent Auction

· Saint Louis School's 23rd Annual Gallery of Distinguished Achievers Award Program and Silent Auction

· Sex Abuse Treatment Center of Hawaiʻi

· The SHOPO Union Annual General Membership Meeting and Honolulu Appreciation Dinner Door Prize

· Special Olympics Hawaiʻi Annual In-Person Cheer for Champions Fundraiser

· TIM AA Online Auction Scholarship Fundraiser

· 7th Touchdowns for Tatas Silent Auction

· Waianae Coast Comprehensive health Center Silent Auction

· Women's Fund of Hawaiʻi Tea & Champagne Virtual Fundraiser

· 29th Annual Links to Literacy Tournament

· American Cancer Society Relay for Life Big Island

· American Cancer Society Relay For Life of the Silent Auction

· Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hawaiʻi - 60th Anniversary Milestone Celebration

· Boys and Girls Club Of Hawaiʻi 27th Annual Walk in the Country Auction

· Annual Domestic Violence Action Center Gala Event "Be a Torch for Change"

· Hale Keki School 30th Annual Dinner and Auction Event- Stars & Stripes

· Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation Kamaʻāina of the Year Benefit Annual Fundraising Gala

· Honolulu Zoological Society 2023 Zoofari Fundraising Gala

· HUGS for Hawaiʻi's Seriously Ill Children and Their Families

· Annual HUGS Gala "Groovin with HUGS"

· Annual ʻIolani Fair "70'S SENSATION!' Silent Auction

· Kaiser High School Athletic Foundation 2023 Bi-Annual Luau Banquet Fundraiser

· Kamehameha Schools Kapālama 98th Annual KSK ATP Annual Hoʻolauleʻa

· 2023 Kapiʻolani Medical Center Invitational Tournament

· Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi

· Mānoa Valley Theatre Signature Gala Event the Mānoa Marquee Auction

· Maryknoll School 23rd Annual Noblesse Oblige Award & Scholarship Dinner

· Moanalua high School PTSA 17th Annual Kinaʻole Awards Banquet & Online Auction

· Punahou Carnival 2023! Pun Prix '23: Pedal to the Metal Online Auction

· Read To Me International Foundation's 2023 Feed Me A Story Benefit Silent Auction

· Special Olympics Hawaiʻi Annual In-Person Cheer for Champions Fundraiser

· Surfer Foundation Oahu Chapter Annual Silent Auction

· The Oncology Nursing Society Hawaiʻi Oʻahu Chapter

· 2nd Annual University of Hawaii Baseball "For the Love of the Game" Celebration Auction

· Whale Trust 17th Annual Whale Tales Silent Auction

· YWCA Oʻahu 46th Annual Leader Luncheon

Director/Cultural Advisor - Makalapua Kanuha

Makalapua Kanuha is the youngest child of Robert M. Kanuha of Kaupo, (Naopu’u) Maui and Doris P. (Nakoa) Kanuha of Kahakuloa, Maui. She was born and raised on Oahu with her 6 older siblings, 3 sisters and 3 brothers.

In 1990, Makalapua moved to Maui to Emcee the Royal Lahaina Resort Luau Show. She worked under the direction of Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett. In the day, Makalapua worked at Maui Pineapple Co. Honolua Division as a truck driver, dispatcher and the Maui Pineapple Plantation Tour guide. Her career took her to the waterfront where she worked for McCabe, Hamilton and Renny Co. as a Stevedore. She also worked for Pacific radio group, as a DJ for KNUI Hawaiian radio station in the pauhana drive home from 3p.-7p.

Family time is very important to Makalapua. She looks forward to her family time with her husband, retired MFD Fire Captain, Cornelio Bancaco, 8 children, 18 grandchildren and their first great-grandchild, Manaia Storer.

Makalapua Kanuha is an exceptionally accomplished Hawaiian cultural practitioner and community leader on Maui. With over 15 years of experience, she has been the go-to guide for all things Hawaiian in West Maui. Her expertise is highly sought after by several Kaanapali resorts, where she has worked as a cultural specialist, including the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, and currently, the Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows, where she serves as the Executive Director of Culture.

Makalapua’s exceptional leadership skills and her dedication to preserving and promoting Hawaiian culture have earned her recognition from various organizations, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, and Pacific Business News. Her passion for educating both locals and newcomers on Native Hawaiian values, the importance of hospitality, and the concept of a "sense-of-place" is unparalleled.

Despite being an executive-level resort manager, Makalapua has always been involved in serving her community, sitting on several public and private boards and commissions, including the Maui County Fire & Public Safety Commission, President, Kaupō Community Association Inc, President, Friends of Pu’u Kukui Watershed. Makalapua also sat on past boards and commissions, board member of Cultural Resource Commission, board member of Hui o Wa’a Kaulua, board member of the Friends of Moku‘ula, and board member of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

Makalapua has always been a strong advocate for the community and the Hawaiian people. She is the Cultural Advisor to the EPA, Incident Commander Steve Canalog, and has been actively involved in the recent Lahaina fires. Her unwavering commitment to her work has made her a highly respected figure in the Hawaiian community, and she continues to inspire and lead with her exceptional talent and dedication.

Director - MArvin Moniz

Treasurer – Clifford R Libed

Clifford’s initial contact with the Hui came at a request from our Kapena Timmy Gapero and Collie Boy Eldredge. It was when their only sailing canoe in existence was the Moʻolele. He stayed on until the Moʻokiha O Piʻilani was on the drawing board for construction and they were able to get a grant for the construction of the canoe.

Throughout the years, he kept tabs on the Hui and rejoined them as a board member in 2018. He then was elected treasurer in 2019.

His current community board experience includes the following:

Commission of Children and Youth County of Maui: Commissioner
Maui Redevelopment Agency: Commissioner and Elected Chairman
Commission of Culture and Arts Maui County: Commissioner
Iao Theater: President of the Board of Directors
Maui High School: Head Coach Outrigger Canoe Padding
Kihei Canoe Club: Head Coach
Na Kai Ewalu Canoe Club: Head Coach

His has work experience with At Risk Youth and communities through his position as State Public Housing Manager for Maui County. The communities he served included Kahekili Terrace, Makani Kai Hale, Piʻilani Elderly, Ka Hale Mua (Molokaʻi) and David Malo Circle.

He received a NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials) National Award for the “Sport Fest” project he founded. The project included all public housing residents throughout Hawaii. The project theme was "Succeed and Believe" which received a commendation from Governor Cayetano.

Cultural Advisor – Clifford J. Naeole

Born on Maui, Clifford presently serves as The Hawaiian Cultural Advisor to The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. He has held this position for 24 of his 29 years of employment at that location. He is also the chairperson for the annual “Celebration of the Arts”, which has existed for over 25 years.

As a former council member on The Maui/Lanaʻi Islands Burial Council, he is well aware of the kuleana (responsibility) associated with The Honokahua Preservation Site located in Honokahua.

Clifford was a past president of The Native Hawaiian Hospitality Assn (NaHHA) with its mission being to re-connect the “hosted to the host.”

He is the owner of Hoʻohaliʻa Consulting and has studied hula and protocol with the late Kumu Hula Charles Kaʻupu of Halau Hula Maui Nui A Kauhi A Kama and Kumu Keliʻi Tauʻa.

He was has been honored by “Meeting Professionals Intl. Aloha Chapter” (MPI) as the Cultural Person of the Year and by Hui O Waʻa Kaulua (Maui’s Polynesian Voyaging Club) with their Legacy Award.

Clifford has been a Cultural Advisor and Director for Hui O Waʻa Kaulua since 2018.

Cultural Advisor/secretary – Kumu Micah Kamohoaliʻi

Kumu Micah Kamohoaliʻi descends from a Native Hawaiian family deeply rooted in their culture and traditions. He was born and raised in Puʻukapu, Waimea on the slopes of Mauna Kea of Hawaiʻi Island. He is an accomplished and a renowned Kumu Hula, a Hawaiian expert and historian. His traditional dance school, Hālau Nā Kīpuʻupuʻu is celebrated for being a powerhouse of energy, truly one the most authentic in Hawaiʻi. They have received highly acclaimed honors for their presentations that have toured in many countries around the world.

Kumu Micah Kamohoaliʻi holds university degrees in Performing Arts, Hawaiian Studies and Language, Anthropology & Archaeology in Cultural Heritage Management. He is the owner and creator of Dezigns By Kamohoalii, a Hawaiʻi based clothing company inspired by his family’s extensive ties to the art of bark cloth kapa making. In addition, he is well-regarded in Hawaiʻi for being a native Hawaiian scholar, archaeologist, teacher, historian, genealogist, cultural expert, artist, and famed storyteller. He has worked in many mediums such as lei making, feather work, photography, printing, painting, film production, Hawaiian music, and most famously his work in reviving old customary practices of the Hawaiian kapa bark cloth. His works of art have been featured around the world, notably in Vogue magazine, the New York Times, The New York Botanical Gardens and The British Museum of London.

He is a well-known cultural leader and practitioner and continues to lead ceremonies, educational excursions, and conducts native Hawaiian practices and protocols throughout Hawaiʻi, as his family has done for many generations. His extensive knowledge and creativity is what makes him so sought-after. He has worked with many native non-profit organizations and has sat on community and county boards for culture, arts, education, medical, and energy & community development. He continues to teach around the world sharing the native stories, fashion, and the dance of his people.

Kumu Micah Kamohoaliʻi has been a crew member of the voyaging canoe Makaliʻi for many years, where he started sailing at the age of 13 under the tutelage of his uncle Clayton Bertelmann. This developed his love for voyaging, ocean education and has been his solid canoe foundation. Although he doesn’t sail as much these days, he continues to teach Waʻa curriculum at crew training for different canoes of Hawaiʻi.

Micah has been a Cultural Advisor and Director for Hui O Waʻa Kaulua since 2021.