By: Kayla Jones
She does it all. From graduate school to the Merrie Monarch Festival. You may know her as Nohi in the classroom, but to Hawai‘i, she is Miss Aloha Hula 2024. Ka’ōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes is a second-year student in the Master’s in Communication program who is set to graduate in Spring 2025 and change the world.
Miss Aloha Hula 2024 shared that she started dancing at a very young age. “My parents believe that my sisters and I started dancing hula in my mother’s womb as she was dancing all the time while pregnant,” said Lopes.
Post-womb, Lopes started dancing in competitions around 8 years old. “It was just something that we did and it was very beneficial in training and taught me the importance of focus,” Lopes added. Her love for hula began with her parents. “Without them, I would not be where I am today and have the relationship that I have with hula; that not many people have,” Lopes admitted.
Although preparation for Miss Aloha Hula starts a year out from opening day, Lopes noted that she has been preparing her whole life for this. Lopes shared that her parents always said, “Your training for Miss Aloha Hula started when you were a child.” Lopes added, “And man were they right, I mahalo both my parents for their love and dedication to me not only as their child, but as a student, in preparing me for this journey.”
Lopes balanced graduate school and preparations for Miss Aloha Hula 2024 by planning in advance. Lopes knew she would be competing during her second semester in graduate school, so she was able to make her schedule as light as possible to put more time into her training. Lopes said, “I ultimately want to mahalo my professors for their constant understanding and support in my journey to the competition. Although they did not help me directly with my hula, their academic and emotional support was vital to my success.”
Lopes’ favorite part of the Communication program is meeting new people and making new connections. Lopes shared why she chose the Communication program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa: “Communication is something we do every day. As a graduate of the Hawaiian Language Department here at UH Mānoa, the value of communicating in our native tongue presents a larger goal of incorporating it more into our social lives and careers.”
Incorporating it more into her social life and career is exactly what Lopes did. A portion of Miss Aloha Hula requires an oli or chant to be performed and Lopes explained how important it is in Hawaiian culture, hula, and mele to first acknowledge the kupa (natives) of the land. Lopes added,“The oli that I presented for my hula ‘ōlapa sets the landscape of my mele where it honors the people that lived on the land but also took care of it as well.”
Lopes emphasized the importance of the relationship between student and teacher. Lopes shared that in hula, the relationship between student and teacher is not only one with respect but a shared understanding and passion for the practice. “I feel that I apply this same concept with my professors in the program. I am also working on my MA thesis, which will bridge my love for hula and education in the COM program. I am excited to bring both of them together in one project.”
During her time in the MA in Communication program, the most helpful thing that Lopes has learned is the importance of adapting communication strategies to diverse audiences and contexts. Whether it’s intercultural communication, organizational communication, or ICTs, she has gained a deeper understanding of how to craft messages that resonate effectively. This education has also supported Lopes in her hula as well.
Leaving a legacy not only in the Communication program but also on the island, Lopes said that she will continue to learn whether she is back in school or out in the real world and will still be dancing hula with plans to use her degree for change: “I want to give back to the people and the communities that have given me so much.”
Lopes hopes to keep growing as a dancer and to support the next generation of children in their journey of loving hula. “I hope to follow in my parent’s footsteps in inspiring the next generation to love hula and speak Hawaiian. “Although I hope that in the next 5 to 10 years, I will be doing these things with a family of my own,” said Lopes.
Maybe one day we will feature one of Nohi’s children.