Kananinohea “Kanani” Mākaʻimoku is a graduate of the first class of Pūnana Leo language nest preschool and of the Hawaiian language immersion program, completing her K–12 education through Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. She was educated primarily through Hawaiian across a preschool-to-doctorate pathway and is currently a doctoral candidate in Indigenous language and culture revitalization.

  She brings over 25 years of experience in Hawaiian-medium education, beginning as an elementary teacher at Nāwahī and now serving as coordinator of the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program and associate professor at Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

  Grounded in the Hawaiian language revitalization movement, her work is also the language of her home and her family. She is committed to preparing the next generation of teachers and supporting the continued revitalization of Indigenous languages.