Heather Leilani Kekahuna at Halemaʻumaʻu crater
An anthropology student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, who came to Hawaiʻi from California to learn more about her Kānaka Maoli heritage, has developed a passion for history and preserving culture.
Heather Leilani Kekahuna grew up in Orange County, far away from her Hawaiian roots.
“My grandfather is originally from Olowalu, Maui, but grew up in Papakōlea on Oʻahu,” she said. “When he joined the military, my grandparents moved to the continent. It was there that my father met my mother…I wasn’t raised much around the Hawaiian culture.”