S2 | EP 6: Kilo, Culture, and the Wisdom of Kaulana Mahina

"...it wasn't till I actually started taking Hawaiian language classes that I learned a lot. And you know with language comes culture right. They're intertwined. You can't separate one from the other. So that's when I really learned my culture too." ~ Haunani Miyasato, Educator and Founder of Kaulana MahinaThe Inspired by Aloha crew welcomes Hawaiʻi island educator, entrepreneur, and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi advocate Haunani Miyasato, the visionary behind Kaulana Mahina, a cultural learning platform rooted in ʻike kūpuna, lived practices, and a deep commitment to giving our keiki the tools to kilo (observe) and connect with the ʻāina.What begins as a talk story about learning ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi to support her immersion-school children unfolds into a moving journey of persistence, identity, and purpose. Haunani shares how a rigorous college course on the mahina (moon) cracked her world open, revealing how lunar cycles shape fishing, planting, harvesting, and even our own energy. Using what she learned, she transformed her knowledge into a Hawaiian moon calendar, created entirely in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi to preserve the cultural meaning and mana embedded in the language.The crew explore how aloha is perpetuated through intentional, high-quality work, such as research grounded in Hawaiian scholarship to collaboration with cultural practitioners and correcting inaccuracies in resources such as ahupuaʻa maps. Haunani also shares the practice of kilo, explaining how careful observation can support sustainability, mindfulness, and deeper connection to place. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt called back to language, culture, or ʻike and wondered if it’s “too late” to begin. Haunani reminds us that you don’t have to be an expert to start. You just have to take the time to learn and find a way to pass it on.Mahalo nui to Haunani Miyasato for bringing the moon, the maps, the moʻolelo, and the mana to Inspired by Aloha. Your efforts keep Hawaiian culture alive for the lāhui and our future generations!Follow Kaulana Mahina: @kaulana.mahina on Instagram and visit kaulanamahina.com.Connect with your Inspired by Aloha (IBA) crew! We look forward to hearing from you!Instagram: @inspiredbyaloha808Email: [email protected]