Details

Dates: December 1-2, 2023
Location: Virtual & In-Person Activities
Planning Committee Chair(s): Carina Chernisky
Theme: Identity: Nurturing Growth and Connections

Keynote Speakers

Puni Jackson
Hoʻoulu ‘Āina Director

Puni is a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and accomplished kanaka maoli artist who has led Hawaiian health and ‘āina-based educational programming for over 20 years. She helped to establish Hoʻoulu ʻĀina a 100-acre nature preserve in Kalihi, supporting youth, families, and individuals including Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander healers and cultural practitioners sustain their connection to land. As part of Kōkua Kalihi Valley's leadership, Puni is a co-designer of the indigenous health framework Pilinahā: The Four Connections which has been used across the nation to demonstrate connectedness as health and wellbeing.

Kim Coco Iwamoto
​Attorney & Activist

Kim Coco Iwamoto is a civil rights attorney, small business owner, and social change philanthropist. Kim Coco went to law school with the goal of expanding civil rights laws to protect more people, including LGBT persons. She began her career coordinating free legal clinics in homeless shelters and community centers across the state.

Kim Coco has served on the State Board of Education and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission. She is a founding funder of Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) and the Chamber of Sustainable Commerce. Kim Coco is a proud mother of a Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School student. 

Nyla Fujii-Babb
Native Hawaiian Artist, Illustrator, and Visionary

Nyla retired from the Hawaii State Public Library System with over 30 years of service as a Children’s Librarian, Young Adult Librarian, Bookmobile Librarian, Branch Manager, Administrator in Materials Selection and Program Development. She has been Adjunct Faculty for the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science Program for over 25 years.  Nyla has served as researcher and cultural advisor for a number of projects, including the 2009 publication of “Pig-Boy; A Trickster Tale from Hawaii” by the late Caldecott Award winning author, Gerald McDermott. 

Documentation

Website

Schedule

Presentation Recordings