The Global Search for Education: Kapaemahu — A Short Film on Indigenous Wisdom, Healing, and Gender Diversity

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Mar 7, 2026

This month on the Planet Classroom Network YouTube channel, audiences can watch Kapaemahu, a powerful animated short curated by Planet Classroom.

Directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson, Kapaemahu brings to life a sacred Hawaiian legend nearly erased by colonization. The film tells the story of four māhū — beings of dual male and female spirit — who traveled from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi to share healing knowledge. Before departing, they imbued their powers into four giant stones that still stand on Waikīkī Beach today.

Narrated in ʻŌlelo Niʻihau with English subtitles, Kapaemahu honors Indigenous culture, gender diversity, and ancestral wisdom. By restoring a story of healing, inclusion, and aloha, the film invites audiences — especially young viewers — to reflect on the importance of cultural preservation, respect for identity, and the power of storytelling across generations.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome directors Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson.

C. M. (Cathy) Rubin: What responsibility do filmmakers have when telling Indigenous stories that were historically erased or misrepresented?

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson:
We believe very strongly in the concept of story sovereignty: the idea that each story has its own intrinsic right to be told in the way it was intended, in a style that is appropriate, and for the purposes for which it was created.

C. M. (Cathy) Rubin: How did centering māhū identity shape your creative decisions in animation, narration, and storytelling?

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson:
Māhū are not just ordinary human beings — they are exceptional! That is why we chose animation, to make the māhū healers larger than life yet still relatable to audiences. Every creative choice, from narration to visual design, aimed to honor their unique identity and enduring presence.

C. M. (Cathy) Rubin: What surprised you most while researching the healer stones’ history and its suppression over time?

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson:
The surprise was that the story wasn’t suppressed by early colonizers or missionaries. The censorship actually occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, as a result of the “lavender scare” that swept across the United States at that time.

C. M. (Cathy) Rubin: What do you hope audiences — especially young viewers — carry forward after encountering this story?

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson:
That we are here, we always have been, we always will be. We hope young people leave the film with a sense of connection to ancestral knowledge, respect for diverse identities, and the understanding that healing and inclusion are timeless values.

Thank you, Hinaleimoana, Dean, and Joe!