Hawaii Kupuna Council

Get to Know Our Tribunal Members

These three are very wise in cultural decisions and the education as well as morals within the cultural aspects and its divine powers of "Pono" [Balance]
A Hawaiian Elderly woman smiling

Kupuna Eleanor Waine'e

She hails from Moku 'O Keawe as well, and she is the right hand to Kupuna Kahilihiwa. She is the other Chief Justice Vice-Chair for the Tribunal.

Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa

Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa

The Tribunal's Chief Justice from Moku 'O Keawe {Hawaii Island}. She is also the President for the Hawaii Kupuna Council.

Old Hawaiian Man in a suit

Kupuna Lionel Waihahakamanu

Kupuna Waihahakamanu from Pu'ukukui, Maui is a very knowledgeable Kupuna in Ahupua'a living, he lives in the depths of Pu'ukukui, Maui. He makes decisions when a consensus is needed of an answer that would break the tie.

Hawai‘i Kupuna Council – Moku o Keawe Kupuna

Hawai‘i Kupuna Council

Moku o Keawe — Hawai‘i Island

The Kupuna Council of Moku o Keawe serves as one of the highest expressions of cultural authority within the Hawaiian Kingdom’s governance in continuity. Here we honor Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa and Kupuna Eleanor Waineʻe, whose wisdom and aloha guide the humanitarian and cultural work of the Hawai‘i Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal (HKHT).

Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa seated in a formal chair with an open book before her

Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa

Senior Kupuna — Hawai‘i Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal

Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa stands as one of the most respected kūpuna within the Hawaiian Kingdom’s cultural and humanitarian governance. Her presence carries the dignity of generations, and her voice provides clarity grounded in ancestral values.

Known for her steadfast guidance, Kupuna Ida represents integrity in judgment (naʻau pono), cultural grounding in kānāwai (traditional law), leadership through compassion and strength, and an unwavering kuleana to protect Hawaiian Subjects.

Kuleana within the Tribunal

  • Cultural determinations: reviewing cases for cultural harm, spiritual impact, and alignment with Hawaiian values.
  • Humanitarian findings: assessing the well-being, dignity, and treatment of Hawaiian Subjects facing harm or confinement.
  • Kupuna guidance: advising the Kupuna Panel and Tribunal officers on culturally accurate process and pono decision-making.
  • Preservation of ancestral knowledge: bringing historical context and spiritual depth to all proceedings.
“Pono begins with standing firm in truth, even when truth is difficult.”
Kupuna Eleanor Waineʻe wearing a leafy lei and smiling gently

Kupuna Eleanor Waineʻe

Kupuna — Hawai‘i Kupuna Council, Moku o Keawe

Tūtū Eleanor Waineʻe is honored for her gentle grace and deep ‘ike Hawai‘i. Her guidance flows from the traditions of her ancestors, reflecting ho‘omanawanui (patience), haʻahaʻa (humility), mālama i ke kanaka (care for the people), and ‘ike kupuna (ancestral knowledge).

As a member of the Hawai‘i Kupuna Council and contributor to the Tribunal, she helps ensure that each Hawaiian Subject’s mauli (life-force) is acknowledged and protected, and that every matter is approached with compassion and dignity.

Kuleana within the Tribunal

  • Cultural interpretation: helping translate Hawaiian worldview into tribunal evaluations and findings.
  • Humanitarian review: ensuring that conditions and impacts on Hawaiian Subjects are seen through an Indigenous, care centered lens.
  • Ho‘oponopono perspective: framing conflict and harm through restorative, healing approaches.
  • Preservation of dignity: upholding respect and aloha for all individuals brought before the Tribunal.
“In every decision, we remember the ancestors who walked before us.”

Their Role in the Hawai‘i Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal

Together, Kupuna Ida Kahilihiwa and Kupuna Eleanor Waineʻe serve as core kupuna authorities of the Hawai‘i Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal (HKHT). Their combined wisdom ensures that all reviews honor Hawaiian law, cultural protocol, and pono governance.

  • Reviewing claims of harm and confinement affecting Hawaiian Subjects.
  • Providing cultural determinations rooted in kānāwai and kupuna ethics.
  • Guiding the Tribunal Panel toward decisions that maintain balance, dignity, and aloha.
  • Safeguarding the mauli, identity, and cultural rights of Hawaiian Subjects, especially under occupation conditions.
  • Upholding ancestral wisdom as the living foundation of Hawaiian Kingdom governance in continuity.
Hawai‘i Kupuna Council · Moku o Keawe · Hawai‘i Kupuna Humanitarian Tribunal (HKHT)