{"id":223680,"date":"2025-10-28T16:10:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T02:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=223680"},"modified":"2025-10-29T08:52:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:52:26","slug":"1st-makuakane-phd-scholar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/28\/1st-makuakane-phd-scholar\/","title":{"rendered":"Mele Hawai\u02bbi Reimagined: <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo Makuak\u0101ne scholar bridges past and present"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_43004\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z4Nzx25h0b8?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Mele Hawai\u02bbi Reimagined: 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo Makuak\u0101ne scholar bridges past and present\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>At the University of <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at Hilo, the spirit of mele <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> (Hawaiian music) and language revitalization are finding new life through the work of Nicholas <span lang=\"haw\">Keali&#699;i<\/span> Lum, a <abbr>PhD<\/abbr> candidate at <a href=\"http:\/\/olelo.hawaii.edu\/en\/\">Ka Haka &#699;Ula O <span lang=\"haw\">Ke&#699;elik\u014dlani<\/span> College of Hawaiian Language<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 0 15px;\"><figure id=\"attachment_223792\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-223792\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-n-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Lum standing outside a house\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-223792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-n-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-n-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-n.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-223792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nicholas <span lang=\"haw\">Keali&#699;i<\/span> Lum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<div style=\"float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 0 15px;\"><figure id=\"attachment_223789\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-223789\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-pewa.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white album cover\" width=\"214\" height=\"214\" class=\"size-full wp-image-223789\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-pewa.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-pewa-130x130.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-223789\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lum\u2019s debut album, &ldquo;Pewa&rdquo;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Lum has been named the first doctoral recipient of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.olelo.hawaii.edu\/haawinakala\/makuakane\">Daniel and Lydia Makuak\u0101ne Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship<\/a>. Established by the daughters of Daniel and Lydia Makuak\u0101ne, the fellowship honors the Makuak\u0101nes\u2019 lifelong advocacy of <span lang=\"haw\">&#699;\u014dlelo<\/span> <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> and Native Hawaiian cultural education.<\/p>\n<p>Lum is weaving tradition and innovation into his in-depth studies of mele (songs) of old and new. His dissertation, &ldquo;Pewa: I Ola ke Mele <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> i kona Mele &#699;ia&rdquo; (&ldquo;Pewa: The Life of Hawaiian Music in Its Song&rdquo;), braids traditional Hawaiian mele to modern soundscapes, creating bridges between younger audiences and <span lang=\"haw\">&#699;\u014dlelo<\/span> <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> (Hawaiian language) through experimental musical expression.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In my dissertation, I define mele as being &lsquo;logogenic,&rsquo; which means that words in a genre of music are more important than the musical treatment,&rdquo; Lum explained. &ldquo;And I believe that represents mele <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>; it\u2019s always the language within the text that is more important.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>With the fellowship, Lum will also have the opportunity to build on his 2023 debut album &ldquo;Pewa,&rdquo; using experimental approaches to mele <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> that promote both cultural resilience and linguistic vitality.<\/p>\n<h2>Uplifting future generations<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_223790\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-223790\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-makuakane-drechsel-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Makuak\u0101ne-Drechsel smiling\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-223790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-makuakane-drechsel-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-makuakane-drechsel-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-makuakane-drechsel.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-223790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teresa Makuak\u0101ne-Drechsel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Our parents did not have formal educational opportunities beyond the ninth grade in Puna,&rdquo; said Teresa Makuak\u0101ne-Drechsel, a kanaka &#699;\u014diwi (Native Hawaiian) linguist and <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumna. &ldquo;Therefore, seeing this fellowship support <span lang=\"haw\">Keali&#699;i<\/span>\u2019s doctoral journey is a powerful reminder that their legacy continues to uplift future generations of <span lang=\"haw\">&#699;\u014dlelo<\/span> <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> leaders.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo\u2019s College of Hawaiian Language is uniquely positioned as the only institution worldwide offering a <abbr>PhD<\/abbr> in Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization. In 2023, it was also designated as the first National Native American Language Resource Center, further expanding its role in advancing language revitalization across the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Makuak\u0101ne family has been longstanding supporters of our college, ever since their mother (Lydia) played a big role in the movement that started the Hawaiian language revitalization,&rdquo; said <span lang=\"haw\">Ka&#699;iu<\/span> Kimura, director of Ka Haka &#699;Ula O <span lang=\"haw\">Ke&#699;elik\u014dlani<\/span>. &ldquo;It\u2019s such an honor that the family continues to work with us to forward our purpose.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Keeping <span lang=\"haw\">&#699;\u014dlelo<\/span> <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> alive<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_172711\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-172711\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/hilo-hawaiian-ka-haka-ula-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior of building with a rainbow in the sky\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-172711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/hilo-hawaiian-ka-haka-ula-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/hilo-hawaiian-ka-haka-ula-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/hilo-hawaiian-ka-haka-ula.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-172711\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ka Haka <span aria-label=\"Ula\">&#699;Ula<\/span> O <span aria-label=\"Keelikolani\">Ke&#699;elik&#333;lani<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Makuak\u0101ne Fellowship ensures that students, such as Lum, have the resources to complete their research, while also carrying forward the cultural knowledge and values that make the College of Hawaiian Language a global leader in Indigenous language revitalization.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Keeping Hawaiian language alive for future generations has always been important to our family,&rdquo; said Makuak\u0101ne-Drechsel. &ldquo;This endowment is our way of honoring our parents\u2019 values while giving others the opportunity to carry on this important work.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For more information about the Daniel and Lydia Makuak\u0101ne Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship or to support Hawaiian language initiatives at <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo, contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uhfoundation.org\/\"><abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nicholas <span lang=\"haw\">Keali&#699;i<\/span> Lum braids traditional Hawaiian mele to modern soundscapes, creating bridges between younger audiences and <span lang=\"haw\">&#699;\u014dlelo<\/span> <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":223792,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,12],"tags":[33,1057,316,133,572,660,14,56],"class_list":["post-223680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","category-video","tag-hawaiian","tag-hawaiian-language","tag-ka-haka-ula-o-keelikolani","tag-music","tag-scholarship","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-hilo","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hilo-music-education-lum-n.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223680"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224569,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223680\/revisions\/224569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}