Circle of Nations
What Circle of Nations Is
Circle of Nations is KMKK’s brand for cross-cultural events, workshops, presentations, demonstrations, and exchange. It brings Native Hawaiian, Native American, Pacific, and allied communities into shared space to teach, to present, and to build relationship — with the emphasis on learning and exchange rather than on spectacle.
The programming is deliberately varied. A Circle of Nations occasion may be a public event, a classroom or community workshop, a presentation by a visiting practitioner, a demonstration of a craft or a practice, a panel, or a hosted exchange between delegations. What holds it together is not a single format but a single purpose: communities presenting themselves, in their own terms, to one another and to the public.
Events are frequently treated as marketing. In this portfolio they are curriculum. Circle of Nations is where learners from both organizations present, produce, host, and take responsibility in front of a real audience — the assessment that no classroom can replicate.
The Historic Presence It Honors
Native Americans have been present in Hawaiʻi since the time of the Kingdom. That presence is long-standing, continuous, and comparatively little known — and one of Circle of Nations’ purposes is to make it visible, on the terms of the people whose history it is.
This framing shapes the programming. Circle of Nations is not a visiting cultural showcase brought in from elsewhere; it is an occasion at which communities with a genuine and enduring place in Hawaiʻi’s history present themselves alongside Native Hawaiian and Pacific communities as neighbors of long standing.
The 49th Annual Circle of Nations Intertribal Experience
In September 2025, Circle of Nations hosted the 49th Annual Circle of Nations Intertribal Experience at the Waikīkī Shell, attended by approximately 3,000 people.
The programme- Performances by Native
- American tribes and cultural practitioners
- Japanese taiko
- Igorot dancers
- Hula
Two features of that line-up carry the argument of this whole section. It is genuinely cross-cultural rather than a single culture presented to an audience — Native American, Japanese, Igorot, and Native Hawaiian traditions sharing one stage. And it is in its forty-ninth year, meaning the gathering long predates both organizations described in this guide.
Stewardship, not authorship An event approaching its fiftieth year was built by many hands across five decades. KMKK’s role is to carry it forward, and materials should reflect that — crediting the communities and predecessors whose work created it rather than presenting it as a KMKK production.
The Circle of Nations Princess
This is not a powwow princess role, and materials should never describe it as one. The two are different in origin, in purpose, and in what they represent. Circle of Nations is not a powwow, and the Princess role is representational and historical rather than a competition or arena title.
The role in practice
- Represents the historic and continuing presence of Native Americans in Hawaiʻi, from Kingdom times to the present
- Represents her own tribal affiliations in that capacity, and speaks to them accurately
- Serves as an educational and ambassadorial presence at events, workshops, presentations, and community occasions
- Welcomes visiting delegations, practitioners, and communities on behalf of Circle of Nations
- Provides younger learners with a visible model of cultural representation carried with dignity
Documentation still required
The role’s standing is clear; its administration should be written down so that it is carried consistently from one holder to the next.
- A written role description stating the representational purpose and the explicit distinction from a powwow title.
- Selection process, eligibility, term length, and succession.
- Protocol guidance — how the Princess is introduced, seated, and credited, and what she is and is not asked to do.
- Regalia and presentation standards, developed with her tribal community rather than imposed.
- Support arrangements: travel, scheduling, and a named staff contact.
- Safeguarding provisions where the holder is a minor, consistent with §18.
Formats
| Format | Typical Shape | Learner Involvement |
|---|---|---|
|
Public event |
Multi-community gathering with presentations and exchange |
Hosting, logistics, media, booths, technical crew |
|
Workshop |
Hands-on instruction by a practitioner, small group |
Assisting, materials, documentation |
|
Presentation |
Talk or demonstration to a school, library, or community audience |
Setup, AV, introductions, follow-up |
|
Demonstration |
A craft, practice, or skill shown and explained |
Preparation, support, recording under permission |
|
Panel or dialogue |
Multiple communities in conversation |
Moderation support, notes, streaming |
|
Delegation exchange |
Hosted visit between communities |
Hoʻokipa, transport, interpretation, hospitality |
Cultural Protocol
- Ask before photographing any person in regalia or cultural dress; a refusal is complete and requires no explanation
- The correct term is regalia — never “costume”
- These are cultural and educational occasions, not commercial tourist shows, and are described that way in all materials
- Use correct terms for peoples, nations, and tribal affiliations, and follow the preferences of the communities present
- Each community or practitioner directs their own presentation; event staff support it and do not shape it
- Recording, streaming, and broadcast require explicit permission, granted separately from general attendance
- Sacred or restricted material is not presented publicly, and is not recorded even where it is shared
Learner Roles at Circle of Nations
| Role | Learner Comes From | Skill Demonstrated |
|---|---|---|
|
Cultural Host and Greeter |
Mākua Hoʻokipa |
Hoʻokipa, protocol, public engagement |
|
Workshop Assistant |
Panagadal Hoʻoulu · Nā Mea Hoʻohui |
Teaching, demonstration, materials management |
|
Vendor and Artisan Booth |
ʻŌe Entrepreneurship |
Pricing, inventory, sales, customer service |
|
Broadcast and Livestream Crew |
K4 E-Sports Lab |
Camera, audio, streaming, direction |
|
Event Photography and Media |
K4 E-Sports Lab · Rainbow Circle |
Media production under protocol constraints |
|
Stage and Technical Crew |
K4 BreX · E-Sports Lab |
Rigging, power, staging, safety |
|
Games and Family Activity Area |
K4 INdigenous Games Design |
Facilitation, playtesting original games with the public |
|
Logistics and Operations |
Nā Koa Hawaiʻi formations |
Setup, marshalling, crowd flow, teardown |
|
Delegation Liaison |
Mākua Hoʻokipa · Nā Koa Hawaiʻi |
Hospitality, scheduling, interpretation support |
|
Event Leadership |
Advanced learners, both organizations |
Planning, delegation, problem-solving under pressure |
Circle of Nations as Capstone Venue
Where a program’s capstone can reasonably be delivered in public, Circle of Nations is the preferred venue. A game playtested with strangers, a broadcast watched by an audience that did not have to be polite, a workshop that had to actually teach someone — these produce assessment evidence that a classroom showcase cannot.
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Produce — Build the artifact, rehearse the role, prepare the workshop
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Present in public — Circle of Nations — real audience, real accountability
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Reflect and document — Portfolio evidence, critique, credential progression
Community Benefit
- Visibility for the long-standing Native American presence in Hawaiʻi, presented by those whose history it is
- Relationship-building between Native Hawaiian, Native American, Pacific, and allied communities
- Public education delivered by practitioners rather than about them
- Economic opportunity for Indigenous artisans, vendors, and presenters
- A dignified setting in which young people see their cultures honored seriously
- A recurring civic occasion that anchors both organizations’ programs in the community’s own calendar