Kikilo Ke Kapu: Looking to the Past and Future of Kapu

KIKILO KE KAPU: “Look to the Past and Future of Kapu” A Night of Mele, Oli and Hula HONOLULU, HI (March 31, 2026) – The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (HMH) invites the community to experience Kikilo Ke Kapu: “Looking to the Past and Future of Kapu”, the next installment of HMH’s acclaimed Mele Program. Kikilo means to look deeply, to observe with focused and careful attention. It is both an ancient Hawaiian practice and an urgent contemporary responsibility. This evening invites guests to look closely at the sacred places and history of Hawaiʻi — the kapu that maintain the genealogies, histories, and mana of generations of kānaka — and to honor the communities whose kuleana it is to protect them. Expressed through mele (song), oli (chant), and hula (dance), Kikilo Ke Kapu embodies the enduring principle of Mālama ʻĀina, Mālama Kānaka: that caring for the land and caring for the people are one and the same. Support provided by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority through the Kūkulu Ola program. THE LOSS AND RECLAMATION OF KAPU The kapu of Hawaiʻi are not merely ascribed to geographic locations. They are living repositories of mana, moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy), and aloha ʻāina whose significance is carried forward through the mele and oli composed in their honor. Yet many of these places and practices have been altered, obscured, or lost entirely: heiau leveled, fishponds filled, forests cleared, and the natural elements that inspired some of Hawaiʻi’s most celebrated mele reshaped beyond recognition or lost entirely. How can kapu be maintained through that? The program this evening holds both the grief of that loss and the determination to reclaim it. Ancient oli kahea — calling chants — will be raised for kapu that no longer exist in their original form, their words an act of restoration in themselves. Mele koʻihonua, the genealogical chants that bind people to place across generations, remind us that the connection between kānaka Hawaiʻi and kapu Hawaiʻi cannot be erased even when the lands, seas, living elements, and practices are altered. Sacred pule, once performed at heiau that have since vanished, will be given voice again — ensuring that what was known is not forgotten. Mele hula praising natural features that no longer exist bear witness to what has been lost, even as they call us to protect what remains. Alongside these historical treasures, contemporary voices answer the call. New mele composed for lost wahi pana carry the tradition of place-honoring poetry into the present. Hīmeni speak to the urgent work of protecting remaining kapu sites and natural resources, while songs celebrating successful restoration efforts — from the revitalization of loko iʻa to the replanting of native forests — affirm that stewardship is not only mourning; it is also action and hope. Compositions addressing sustainable care for the ʻāina draw a direct line from the wisdom of the ancestors to the responsibilities of today. Together, these mele and oli form a profound conversation across time — between those who composed these chants in the deep past, those who preserved and transmitted them, and those who carry them forward today through performance, scholarship, and community action. WORLD-CLASS CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS Kikilo Ke Kapu will be brought to life by the renowned musicians and dancers of Hālau Hula Kamamolikolehua under the skilled leadership of Kumu Pōhai Souza, and Hālau Mele under the direction of Kumu Sam ʻOhu Gon III and Kumu Māhealani Wong. Together, these celebrated cultural practitioners will weave historical and contemporary expressions of wahi kapu through performances that illuminate the enduring responsibility of every generation to kikilo — to look closely, to care deeply, and to protect what is sacred. EVENT DETAILS Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026 Time: Seating opens at 5:30 p.m. | Performance begins at 6:30 p.m. Location: Kahua Hoʻokipa Stage at Hawaiian Mission Houses | 553 S. King St. Tickets: $45 https://missionhouses.org/events/kikilokekapu/ Culinary Experience: Gourmet charcuterie options available for purchase from Daʻcuterie by Oahu Premier Picnics Beverages: Cash bar featuring beer, wine, water, and soft drinks (available from 5:30 p.m. through intermission) Parking: Available at Civic Center Municipal Parking (346 Alapaʻi Street) or metered street parking on KawaiahaʻO St., Mission Lane, or South Street Weather Contingency: In case of inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances, please check missionhouses.org for updates.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3564063-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3564063-2

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