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Hawaiʻi History Day
Student Documentary Video Showcase
Hawaiʻi History Day provides students with opportunities to become historians themselves—asking questions, conducting research, examining primary and secondary sources, considering multiple perspectives, and sharing what they discover through documentaries, exhibits, performances, papers and websites.
The Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities began running Hawaiʻi History Day in 1990. Through the program, young scholars develop skills in research, critical thinking and communication while engaging deeply with the histories that shape their communities.
2026 Featured Student Documentaries
 Ke Kelepona ma Hawaiʻi na Uluae Kealliikanakaoleohaililani |  Ka Lāʻau Lapaʻau na Pūnua Gomes |  To provide in Perpetuity: Kenneth Brown and the Queen's Health Systems na Ren Aragaki |
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 The Kalima Lawsuit na Terina Chang |  Leprosy in Hawaii: From Reaction to Reform na Lori Castiglione |  Sugar Showdown! The 1946 Hawaii Sugar Strike: Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in the Hawaiian Islands na Aldah Dikilato, Jaimy Valerio |
Aliʻiōlani Hale: A Place of History, Law and Civic Life
A Place Where History Happened
Mahalo nui to the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center who has partnered with Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition for a number of years now to host numerous events. This center is the perfect space for this event because it carries its own extraordinary part of Hawaiian history.
Commissioned by King Kamehameha V and opened in 1874 during the reign of King Kalākaua, Aliʻiōlani Hale served as the capitol of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It housed the Kingdom's executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as the nation's first law library and National Museum. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court has convened in Aliʻiōlani Hale since 1874.
Today, the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center occupies the first floor of Aliʻiōlani Hale and connects the public with more than two centuries of Hawaiʻi's legal history through exhibitions, educational programs, historic collections and civic learning experiences.
Students sharing their research in a place where generations before them debated law, governance and the future of Hawaiʻi.
King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center
History, Civic Education & Community
For nearly four decades, the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center has served as a bridge between the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary and the community. Its mission is to help the public understand Hawaiʻi's legal history and judicial process through the lenses of law, public policy and the courts.
The Center offers museum exhibitions, guided tours, public programs, educational resources, teacher professional development, student civic programs and other opportunities that connect history, law and civic participation. It welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year; a recent Judiciary report recorded more than 52,000 visitors in one fiscal year, including more than 10,500 students.
Honoring Yuklin Aluli
The Yuklin Aluli Award recognizes an outstanding documentary or performance focused on Hawaiian history presented through the Hawaiʻi History Day program. Supported by the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, the award honors a woman whose work and service helped advance Native Hawaiian rights and strengthen the organizations and communities she served.
2026 Inaugural Recipient
Ren Aragaki
Waiākea Intermediate School
Teacher: Sarah Marote
Individual Documentary:
To Provide in Perpetuity: Kenneth Brown and the Queen's Health Systems
Ren Aragaki is the inaugural recipient of the Yuklin Aluli Award. His documentary examining Kenneth Brown and the Queen's Health Systems will be among the student works featured during the 2026 Hawaiian History Month Student Documentary Showcase.
Remembering Yuklin Kalanihukiheionāmoku Aluli
Yuklin Kalanihukiheionāmoku Aluli
Attorney · Advocate · Community Leader
Yuklin Kalanihukiheionāmoku Aluli was a trailblazing attorney and steadfast advocate for Native Hawaiian rights. Her legal practice included land matters, probate and estate law, and she was a founding member of the Native Hawaiian Bar Association.
Yuklin's commitment to community extended well beyond her legal work. She was active with the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club and was a central figure in the Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, contributing her leadership and service to efforts that strengthened understanding of Hawaiian history, rights and community.
An intrepid traveler, avid reader and accomplished athlete, Yuklin is remembered for her resilience, intellect, generosity and commitment to her people. Through the award that bears her name, her legacy continues by encouraging young people to research, understand and tell the stories of Hawaiʻi.