24/04/2026
EAlaEHawaii.org - In recognition of World Earth Day (April 22), we invite you to join us for E Ala E for Earth Day (“Arise”), a community sunrise ceremony honoring World Earth Day, this Saturday, April 25.
Two locations:
O’ahu - gather 5-5:45a Inlet
Maui - 5:45a Beach, Kalama Park in Kihei, Maui (on the water) map links on website
E Ala E draws its name and spirit from the oli (chant) composed by kumu hula Pualani Kanakaole Kanahele, daughter of the late Edith Kanakaole, as part of the cultural protocols developed by the Kanakaole family for the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO). The oli, meaning “arise” or “awaken,” was created during the movement to transition Kahoʻolawe from decades of military use back into the hands of Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners — a call to rise in deeper relationship with our ʻāina rather than its abuse and mistreatment.
The E Ala E for Earth Day gatherings are held in honor of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and the cultural traditions of the Kanakaole family, carrying forward that same spirit: awakening at dawn to honor our connection to the land, the ocean, and each other.
This year holds special significance as the PKO marks its 50th anniversary, commemorating the January 4, 1976 landing of the Kahoʻolawe Nine, the activists whose occupation of the island sparked the movement that ultimately ended military bombing and returned Kahoʻolawe to the people of Hawaiʻi.
For the first time, we’ve moved E Ala E for Earth Day to a Saturday to make it easier for more people to join. Whether you’re an early riser or need a reason to become one, there’s no better way to honor the planet than greeting the sun with your community.
