Born and raised in Tth’eetoo’ (Fairbanks, Alaska), Kawika Maui Hā Kalama grew up away from their island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i. Raised by a single mother from Kaneohe, Alaskan elders, and countless cab drivers, Kawika learned to take pride in their unconventional upbringing. After an adolescence of assimilation, Maui began reconnecting with Ho’omana Hawai’i, ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i, and Kanaka Maoli culture as a whole during their studies at Willamette University. They are dedicated to Indigenous technologies, storytelling traditions, and uplifting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities of color to bring about our collective liberation. Kawika centers Indigeneity, Queerness, and Critical Theory in all of their art. 

Hā founded Ahkilama on 13 February, 2018, originally offering photography services exclusively. Since, Kalama’s skillset has expanded to include creative direction for nonprofits and artists, facilitating opportunities to heal with the land, and place-based education that integrates many creative arts mediums. Kalama’s work weaves restorative arts practices, (re)indigenization, and cross-cultural community belonging into tangible, embodied experiences where participants collectively explore plant medicine, heritage crafts, and community storytelling.

Kawika also teaches financial literacy classes in-person and online. Kalama’s aspiration is to guide as many Black and Brown, Indigenous, and Queer folx towards Financial Independence as possible. The My Wai podcast invite followers to explore what “wealth” actually is, not just focusing on financial wealth, but identifying how we can foster wealth in our spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, social, and intellectual lives as well.

Kalama’s lineages hail from Cebu, Kaua’i, Guangdong, the Pretanic Isles, Scandinavia, and Western Europe. They are eternally grateful for all the elders, culture bearers, and ancestors who laid the foundation for all they practice.