ʻO Dr. Kauanoe Kamanā kekahi o nā lālā i hoʻokumu i ka ʻAha Pūnana Leo a ʻo ia nō ka Pelekikena. Ua hānau ʻia ʻo ia ma Oʻahu a hānai ʻia ma Kalihi a me Kalamaʻula ma Molokaʻi. ʻO ia ka Luna Hoʻokele no ke kula hoʻokolohua ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, he kula kaiaʻōlelo hoʻokolohua P-20 o ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Hilo. Ma ke ʻano he kumu a alakaʻi, hana pū ʻo ia me nā haumāna, nā kumu a me nā ʻohana no ka hoʻōla hou ʻana i ka ʻōlelo a me ka mauli ola Hawaiʻi ma Hawaiʻi. I ko Kauanoe manaʻo, he kuleana ko kākou ma ka hōʻoia ʻana i ke ke ola o ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi no ko mua aku.

Dr. Kauanoe Kamanā is a founding member of the ʻAha Pūnana Leo and serves as its President. She was born in Honolulu and raised in Kalihi and Kalamaʻula, Molokaʻi. She is the director of U.H. Hilo’s P-20 Hawaiian medium education laboratory school Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. As a teacher and administrator, she works with students, teachers and families to re-establish the vibrancy of Hawaiian language and culture in Hawaiʻi. Kauanoe believes that we all have a role in carrying the legacy of Hawaiian language into the future.