Author | Lightnews

Meet Rocket Ahuna, the Kānaka Maoli Designer Marrying Hula With Fashion

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Sep 12

"You can say so many things about the things you want to do or achieve, but it isn't until the action is there that anything will really happen, and I just encourage young designers...to not feed into the thinking that there's one way to do anything."

Ahuna’s designs, inspired by the history of Hawai’i, are going global.

www.teenvogue.com

Chief of War: A Turning Point for Native Hawaiian Storytelling - Ka Wai Ola

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Sep 8

This is the first time that a story written by Hawaiians about Hawaiians has been financed and produced on such an epic scale. It is a moment that was decades in the making and that required years of hard work and the building of pilina within the industry kawaiola.news/cover/chief-...

Years ago, Thomas Paʻakaiokahonua “Paʻa” Sibbett was working at Kualoa Ranch when he read in a newspaper article that discussions were in the works about making a film about Kamehameha.

kawaiola.news

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Sep 8

I can't imagine why someone would feel inclined to punch down about "Chief of War." But, hey, congrats to this writer for churning all those deafening open mics into quite a lucrative career in AI prompting. #MissionAccomplished

Jason Momoa Praised For Historical Accuracy Of ‘Chief Of War’ Ass

HONOLULU—Calling his portrayal of a Native Hawaiʻian chief “straight out of the 1700s,” critics, scholars, and fans alike praised Chief Of War star Jason Momoa this week for the historical accuracy of...

theonion.com

Kamehameha Schools’ Admission Policies May Face Legal Challenge

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Sep 5

“These attacks are not new — but they are escalating,” OHA trustees said in a written statement. “They aim to dismantle the hard-won protections that enable our people to heal, rise, and chart our future.”

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Sep 5

An anti-affirmative action group wants Kamehameha Schools to end its policy of giving preference to Native Hawaiians. The school promises a vigorous defense.

An anti-affirmative action group wants the school to end its policy of giving preference to Native Hawaiians. The school promises a vigorous defense.

www.civilbeat.org

Nearly 1 In 5 Warning Sirens On Oʻahu Broken During Tsunami Scare

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Aug 20

Nearly 1 in 5 warning sirens on Oʻahu were broken during tsunami scare. Hawaiʻi could end up paying a bigger share of the upkeep of sirens in coming years. Maintenance was paid in part by FEMA grants, funding targeted for cuts by the Trump administration.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency says two dozen new sirens will be installed by the end of the year.

www.civilbeat.org

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Aug 7

Between kumu hula, community organizers, educators, and families now living in diaspora, many Hawaiians are doing important work to ensure proper representation of our culture in distant places while creating safe spaces for our communities abroad to remain connected to their cultural heritage.

Reframing Histories of Kānaka Diaspora - Ka Wai Ola

Narratives of diaspora are nothing new to our community and culture. Growing up in Hawaiʻi, it is commonplace to learn about the first migrations that brought our kūpuna into Polynesia, to Tahiti, and...

kawaiola.news

From villain to hero: Meet Marvel’s new Hawaii-born Spider-Girl

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 29

“That’s literally the reason I signed on to do the project in the first place. They told me, Spider-Girl, she’s Hawaiian. I’m like, Yes, you got me. I’m in,” David Nakayama, a veteran cover artist, said.

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Look out New York — and Hawaii. There’s a new Spider-Hero in town. Just released this week, Marvel Comic’s latest character. Her name? Spider-Girl. And sh…

www.khon2.com

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 18

"Our kupuna is definitely still here": Hawaiian kiʻi pōhaku (petroglyphs) covered for years are unearthed again at Pōkaʻī Bay. Cultural experts believe they are more than 1,000 years old. www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/07/18/h...

Huge petroglyphs covered for years unearthed again at Pokai Bay

The petroglyphs were exposed over the weekend and cultural experts believe they are more than 1,000 years old.

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Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 17

“They just see this as empty space,” Kyle Kajihiro, a UH professor, told the Guardian. “But what Native Hawaiians have helped us to understand, and what other Pacific Island peoples in their history have understood, is that the ocean is really a fabric of connection."

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 17

President Trump issued executive orders fast tracking deep sea mining in EEZs and opening the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. His admin. appears poised to shrink or even eliminate Papahānaumokuākea Marine Monument. www.naleihilo.com/blog-archive...

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 17

Once SpaceX ramps up launches, bird and sea life could face hazardous material spills, falling objects, and sonic booms, according to thousands of pages of government documents reviewed by the Guardian and interviews with oceanographers, aerospace engineers, former government employees, and others.

Inside Elon Musk’s plan to rain SpaceX’s rocket debris over Hawaii’s pristine waters

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 17

The agency acknowledged the potential threats, but said they would be infrequent and the risk was low. The FAA assessment bears a major caveat, though: it was in effect prepared by SpaceX itself.

Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victim

www.theguardian.com

Public input sought for Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to splash down in Hawaii waters

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 17

UPDATE: In May, the FAA approved SpaceX's Starship proposal, despite "federal agencies' foreboding assessments" and more than 12,000 public comments on the matter. bsky.app/profile/jess...

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jan 15

SpaceX asking FAA for a landing zone about 20 times larger than its current zone, and seeks to increase the number of landings from 5 to 25 a year. The new zone would include significant areas in Hawaiʻi, like Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/01/14/p...

The space exploration company is asking the FAA for a landing zone about 20 times larger than its current zone.

Hawaii ranked number 1 on concerning list: More than 172,500 Ibs of trash collected

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jul 16

Last year more than 172,500lbs of trash were collected off Hawaii coastlines, the most of any region in the country, report finds.

The numbers come from the new Surfrider annual beach cleanup report.

Report reveals Hawaii beaches among most polluted nationwide

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jun 17

Hawaii beaches are among the most polluted in the nation, report finds. Federal funding cuts could threaten future water quality testing.

A recent report reveals beaches in Hawaii are among the most polluted in the nation.

Federal agents conduct immigration raids across LA. Trump orders National Guard response

Reposted by Jessica Hilo

Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · Jun 8

Law enforcement is violently targeting press at protests around Los Angeles, from easily recognizable "mainstream" outlets to freelancers and independents. ALL press have explicit legal protections in California. #JournalismIsNotACrime.

This evidence thread may get graphic. 🧵👇

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Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · Jun 8

Over 2,500 California National Guard members were activated in response to devastating wildfires that ripped through LA in January 2025.

Gov. Gavin Newsom called the plan to take over deployment from the state "purposefully inflammatory" adding that it "will only escalate tensions."

laist.com

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · May 27

Commercial fishing is no longer prohibited from 50–200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll, pursuant to a recent presidential proclamation.

Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific

Commercial fishing is no longer prohibited from 50–200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll and Wake and Jarvis islands, pursuant to a new Presidential Proclamation.

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · May 27

Johnston has served several purposes for the military, including as a nuclear test site from 1958-1963. According to NOAA, the atoll was seriously contaminated by several failed nuclear weapon launches.

Proposed military rocket test site in remote Pacific wildlife refuge alarms scientists

The U.S. Air Force issued a notice this month proposing the construction of two landing pads on Johnston Atoll to test the viability of using rockets to deliver military cargo loads. HPR's Savannah Ha...

www.hawaiipublicradio.org

Military’s plan for rocket testing on Johnston Atoll raises alarm

Jessica Hilo @jessicahilo.bsky.social · May 27

The U.S. Air Force wants to build two commercial rocket landing pads at Johnston Atoll for its Rocket Cargo Vanguard program. The proposal doesn’t name SpaceX, but it’s the only company capable of manufacturing rockets designed for landing and reuse.

The U.S. Air Force wants to build two commercial rocket landing pads at Johnston Atoll, which is a crucial breeding ground for seabirds and wildlife.