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Moku'āina A Wakinekona
About MIKA
Funded by the Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa trust, Mālama i Ka ʻĀina (MIKA) is a new program in Mokuʻāina a Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club started in 2024. MIKA is committed to developmental and cultural programming focused on families who are Kānaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian and have young kids (0-5 years old). Our programming and resources aim to help ʻohana in their journey in reclaiming or sustaining our culture and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in order to strengthen our keiki, ʻohana, and lāhui.
Mahalo nui loa (a huge thank you) to the Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa trust and our community partners!
MIKA Goals
With the MIKA program, we hope to achieve the following four goals:
Building Pilina Among Kānaka Maoli ‘Ohana: To help other Kānaka Maoli ‘Ohana with young keiki connect to each other to build up our lāhui.
Supporting Our Cultural Sustainability: Support our Kānaka Maoli cultural sustainability, despite not being on our ‘āina, by starting with our youngest keiki and their ʻohana.
Helping ‘Ohana Reclaim Our ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i Together: To provide resources and practice to help ʻohana reclaim our language.
Supporting Our Lāhuiʻs Keiki Development: Increase each keikiʻs development with culturally-centered activities that work on their physical, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and cultural skills.
Connection to MAWHCC’s Strategic Plan
As a program in Mokuʻāina a Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club, we are helping the organization achieve the following goals of their 2025 Strategic Plan:
Raise a Resilient Lāhui: Provide resources for housing, employment, economic opportunity, health and wellness, and education to at least 50 individuals by the end of the year through partnerships, workshops, or direct support services.
Raise a Resilient Lāhui: Engage with at least five lāhui-serving programs and initiatives by the end of the year to ensure equitable access to culturally-appropriate services through collaboration, advocacy, and feedback processes.
MIKA Staff
Kamalei Brandon, MIKA Program Manager & Kumu Kamaliʻi
Kamalei Brandon is the Pilimakua Family Connections Director at Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services as well as a Kanaka Maoli Doula and Indigenous Lactation Counselor. As a Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian makuahine (mother), she has a strong passion for early childhood education and perinatal mental health rooted in culture/language reclamation and sustainability work for our Indigenous communities. Kamalei works at the Native Family Learning Lodge as a Teaching Aunty, specifically working on supporting Indigenous families in integrating our Indigenous languages into a classroom setting. She has been working diligently for over 2 years to reclaim ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in her own ʻohana after a two-generation removal of the language. She is still building her own fluency, but loves supporting other Kānaka Maoli ʻohana in their journeys while practicing herself. Kamalei hopes to help other Indigenous parents preserve their language/culture despite being disconnected from their 'āina (land).
Henrylyn Kau’i Auwae, Kumu ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Aloha mai kākou, ‘O Henrylyn Kauʻi Auwae ko’u inoa. He keiki o ka ʻĀina o Moku ʻO Keawe, Hawai’i. Hello everyone, my name is Henrylyn Kau’i Auwae. I am a child of the island of Keawe, Hawai’i. I am a Kanaka Maoli, Native Hawaiian, Cultural Practitioner and Educator, owner of a Kanaka Maoli healing and wellness business, Ola Mai I Loko Mai here in Seattle. I am a mother of five amazing young adults, an intuitive Kanaka Maoli Lomi practitioner (massage therapist), facilitator of healing through my ancestors, devoted hula teacher for my Hula Grannies, and hula student of Halau Hula Ka Lei Mokihana I Ka Ua Noe. I am passionate about sharing my traditional culture and beliefs with our communities and greater global community. I am currently serving as an Elder and Cultural Advisor for Pacific Community Health Board and Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services. As well as a Co-Chair for Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group at BECU. It is truly an honor to be here with all of you.
UPDATES
September MIKA Update
Title: Our Mālama i Ka ʻĀina Program Celebrates Hawaiian History!
By: Kamalei Brandon, Kumu Kamaliʻi & Program Manager of MIKA
This mahina (month) of Kepakemapa (September), our MAWHCCʻs Mālama i Ka ʻĀina Program had the theme of Ka Moʻolelo o Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian History)! We chose this theme because Kepakemapa is Hawaiian History Month and so our babies and ʻohana can always know our beautiful history as Kānaka Maoli.
What is Hawaiian History Month?
Started in 2020 by the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, September is now being recognized as Hawaiian History Month. This is a month to celebrate and strengthen everyone’s knowledge of Hawaiian history in classrooms, homes, and communities. While celebrated in September, it should be continued throughout the year.
What Did We Do At MIKA?
During our Kula Pōʻaono o MIKA (MIKAʻs Saturday School), we held our school outside since the weather is nice and ʻohana got to bring their little ones and engage them in our activities. I planned three activities centered around exposing our keiki to foundational parts of our history while being developmentally appropriate and having entry-points for ages 0-5 years old (our youngest is 20 months old right now). My favorite activity I made was Ke Kūkulu ʻAna i Nā Hale Kaulana me Kekahi Mau Palaka Lego (Building Famous Buildings with Legos). I even infused our Hakalama (Hawaiian Syllabary) to start priming them for more reading skills.
What is Ke Kula Pōʻaono o MIKA (MIKA’s Saturday School)?
E komo mai (come) and join us our Ke Kula Pōʻaono o MIKA (MIKA’s Saturday School) - a twice/month program for families with children 0-5 years old to play together, hear a story, and do developmentally-appropriate cultural activities in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i (the Hawaiian language). Together, as a community of Native Hawaiian families, we will learn together and practice our language and culture while helping our keiki (kids) with their early literacy. Ke Kula Pōʻaono o MIKA is a free, enrollment-based program for the rest of this calendar year from June 2025 - December 2025 within South Seattle, WA (Skyway or Rainer Beach area).
Activities are geared towards 0-5 years old but the whole ‘ohana is welcome. No ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi experience needed; Kumu Kamalei is only 2+ years into her own journey and we will be supporting each other. Parents MUST stay with their keiki (children) the whole time. Learn more at our MAWHCC website: https://www.mawhcc.org/programs/mika.
How Do I Join?
Please fill out this form to the best of your ability to register for the rest of 2025. We only have spots for 9-10 ʻohana per year currently. We only have about 1-2 spots available as of September 20th so register soon! We will contact you if you are accepted in.
MIKA Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchlb1X47z-Xp0jqXUE55rwf1xKEbBQ6HkVvPdXuX2IbNPz6Q/viewform
Mahalo nui, e MAWHCC, from the whole MIKA Program and the ʻohana!
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