Ceremony's Guest
WORLD
Pua Case & E. Kalani Flores
Kanaka Maoli/Hawaiʻi
We are Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) who stand as kiaʻi (protectors) of our ʻāina (land), wai (waters), and kai (sea).
Our ʻohana's work is one of commitment, dedication, and passion with a focus on incorporating native prayers, chants, dances, cultural knowledge and traditional protocols into all efforts and actions for social and environmental justice and positive change.
As Kanaka Maoli, our chants and stories connect us to the Makaliʻi (Pleiades) and other star systems through Wākea (Sky Father), Papa (Earth Mother), Hoʻohōkūkalani, and Hāloa.
From the piko of Mauna a Wākea, we send our greetings to all those who are gathering on Hawaiʻi Island for ceremony.
Ehulani Stephany
Native Hawaiian / Hawai‘i
Kumu Ehulani is recognized as a kumu, or master teacher of traditional hula, and is regarded as a guardian of the ancient wisdom passed down from the people of Mu.
Together with her students, she has been involved in the restoration of ancient temples in sacred places such as the Waipiʻo Valley, and actively participates in ceremonies and festivals both in Hawaiʻi and internationally to preserve and share Hawaiian traditions.
She studied hula and chanting under many respected kumu, including Uncle George Naʻope, and has developed her own unique style that incorporates all elements of the Hawaiian tradition.
Based in the jungles of Puna, she continues to teach traditional classes to her disciples, while also serving as an instructor at international hula conferences and performing for many years as a Royal Court dancer.
Augustine
Q’ero /Peru
They are an indigenous people who fled into the high Andes—above 4,200 meters in elevation—to escape Spanish invaders, and have lived in isolation for over 500 years.
According to their ancient prophecies, a time of great upheaval on Earth—known as Pacha Kuti, or the “turning of the world”—is approaching.It is said that once the era of chaos and disorder ends, balance will be restored, and the time of the Earth People will return. The conquerors will destroy themselves, and the Earth will regain harmony.
Guarding this primordial wisdom, they lived quietly in the mountains for generations.Then one day, they appeared—wearing capes adorned with the symbol of the sun—at Quyllurit’i, an annual Andean festival that marks the return of the Pleiades.Their sudden emergence astonished many. They were recognized as the people foretold in prophecy as the “Children of the Last Sun.”
Today, while continuing their traditional lifestyle in the highland villages of Q’ero, they also share their spiritual culture with others as shamans and wisdom keepers of the Andes.
Santos
Abuelo maya M Antonio Oxté
Maya / Mexico
Abuelo maya Manu
el Antonio Oxté is a respected Mayan spiritual leader and healer, selected by the Mayan elder council to represent the Mayan people at the 2023 G20 in India. Born in Tzucacab, Yucatán, Mexico, he was initiated into Mayan energy massage and healing by his maternal grandmother. For the past 20 years, he has lived in the ancient Maya village of Sisbicchén, where he established Rancho Yaaxdzonot, a sanctuary requested by the Mayan elder grandmothers to conserve Mayan medicinal plants. Rancho Yaaxdzonot also serves as a clinic for physical and spiritual healing and a school for teaching the ancient Mayan practices. Abuelo's work embodies Mayan values of unity, respect, and love, principles deeply resonant with the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
seMUel SAHUREKA
AllifURU / Maluku Islands, Indonesia
seMUel SAHUREKA is a spiritual leader and indigenous rights advocate from the AllifURU people of the Maluku Islands (South Moluccas). He has led numerous ceremonies in the Netherlands, Germany, and across the Maluku region, focusing on peace, water, food sovereignty, and the rights of indigenous peoples.
Known as a bridge between AllifURU culture, personal and universal human stories, he works to recover and revitalize the wisdom and spiritual heritage of indigenous cultures.Samuel also continues to stand for the freedom and independence of his people, the Bangsa Adat AllifURU, and their ancestral homeland ― the Republic of South Maluku.
JAPAN
Yuji Nara
Meditation Practitioner / Sound Artist
With over 40 years of meditation experience, Yuji sees himself as a conduit—allowing sound to arise from stillness. His music is known to resonate deeply with the inner essence that lies dormant within us all.
In 1994, he began performing solo with a unique style of spontaneous improvisation using various ethnic instruments.As a lifelong dedication, he has offered performances at educational and welfare facilities, creating deep connections with people through sound. He has also collaborated with a wide range of artists, including dancers, poets, painters, photographers, and the Ainu traditional performance group Moshiri.
Since 1998, he has toured across Japan with Bob Sam, a Tlingit storyteller featured in Gaia Symphony No.3.
In 2006, he appeared in the “Sound of the Void” chapter of Gaia Symphony No.6.
In 2018, a documentary film titled "Sisikamino-Michi" was released, tracing his sacred musical offerings.
His performances extend beyond Japan to the United States, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea. In addition to public concerts, he has offered sacred music at shrines, temples, and ancient sites both in Japan and overseas.
Kanetsugu Tuchimikado
135th Generation Ritual Priest and Executive Overseer of the Fukakusa Hata Lineage
Takachiho Amano Iwasaka Taisya Shrine of chief priest
As the 135th Generation Ritual Priest and Executive Overseer of the Fukakusa Hata lineage, he stands at the ancestral gateway, embodying the divine will passed down since ancient times and guiding his clan by upholding both spiritual and administrative leadership.
His path is one of embodying prayer through action—walking with intention toward a future of peace, coexistence, and shared prosperity between Japan and the world.
He also serves as the Chief Priest of Takachiho Ama-no-Iwasaka Taisya Shrine, a sacred site not open to the public.
There, he carries out ancient rites that weave the memory of the gods and spirits into the present day, acting as a bridge between the divine realms and human affairs—between the will of the cosmos and life on Earth.
His practice integrates:
• The wisdom of Koshinto (ancient Shinto)
• Applied principles of Onmyōdō (the way of yin and yang)
• A regenerative view of economics
• Ethics and harmony between the seen and unseen worlds
Guided by the belief:
“Prayer is will, ritual is creation, economy is circulation,”
he leads numerous initiatives and practical projects that seek to realize a world where people, nature, and the gods live in harmony.
He serves as a bridge—between gods and people, past and future, the inner spirit and the outer world—walking with the deities to help shape a new era for Earth.
Toma Source
singer / composer
From a young age, she possessed a deep spiritual sensitivity and received inspiration from the unseen realms—cosmic wisdom, supernatural forces, and otherworldly guidance.
She composes music by channeling these messages into melodies and lyrics.
Listeners often say, “When I hear Toma Source music, I start to see mysterious visions!”
Many report experiencing spiritual awakenings through her songs.
Although her sound is rooted in rock, many people enter meditative states or even fall into deep sleep while listening—revitalizing their life energy.Her music has come to define a genre of its own, gaining popularity for its unique and unexpected power.
Micco Hilinai‘i
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Board Member, NPO ASKA WORLD
After spending 12 years living in Los Angeles and on Hawai‘i Island, she is now based in Japan.
She travels the world praying with indigenous peoples and co-creating a new Earth in harmony with the universe.
In 2023, she returned to singing after 25 years, creating original music and beginning a new chapter of sacred offerings and concert performances.
Alongside producing her YouTube channel “Micco’s Journey,” she organizes spiritual retreats in Japan and abroad—journeys that invite participants to pray and explore beyond-dimensional realms together.
She also organizes visits of indigenous elders to Japan, actively building bridges between Japan and the world.
Momoiri Yamashiro-no
Spirit-Connected Chanter
In 2016, a life-changing encounter with Yuka opened the door to the unseen world and guided her onto a spiritual path.
In 2018, she discovered classical hula and was deeply moved by the Hawaiian people’s profound respect for nature and spirit. This inspired her to begin studying and embodying the essence of prayer through movement.
In 2021, she co-founded the “Niji no Mura” community in Sōsa, Chiba, where she deepened her personal prayer through the purification and harmonization of the land.By 2024, the energy of the land had settled, and the community completed its role.
Since 2022, she has also begun expressing inner prayer and spiritual worlds through music, sound, and voice.
She currently offers spiritual sessions, gently supporting people through emotional blockages and helping them return to their natural flow—guiding them toward awakening and transformation.
Rooted in a deep reverence for the unseen world and the harmony between nature and humanity,she continues to offer prayers, songs, and sessions in sacred lands where she is called—helping others remember their own resonance with life.
Yuuka An
Artist
Founder & Board Member, NPO ASKA WORLD
As a third-generation Korean resident in Japan, she grew up navigating the complexities of identity, culture, and belonging.
From this experience, she developed the concept of the Earth Family—a vision of humanity living as one family on a shared planet, beyond race, culture, or religion.
To realize this vision, she launched the ASKA Project, a global peace initiative that builds peace networks across cultures.
She has traveled to sacred indigenous lands around the world, organizing prayer ceremonies with local elders and establishing NPO ASKA WORLD to support their traditions and ways of life. She currently serves as its founder and board member.
Since 2023, she has hosted large-scale, nomadic events “Earth Family Festival” across Japan which drew over 4,000 participants in both Miyazaki and Kyoto.
Inspired by the songs and dances passed down through indigenous lineages, she began a unique musical journey in 2023—combining voice with hula-inspired movement to express a “new form of prayer” for the modern world.
MC
Tomoko Skinner
Tomoko is a Hawaiʻi Island resident originally from Yokohama, Japan. She spent her childhood in New York and, after returning to Japan, worked as a bilingual narrator for television and radio commercials. Nearly two decades ago, inspired by memories of a past life, she began her journey into Hawaiian language, culture, and traditional hula.
Tomoko most recently served as a Career Specialist at Hawaiʻi Community College, where she taught Designing Your Life and Career Readiness, helping students align their personal values with meaningful career paths.
🔸Special Thanks🔸
For this ceremony at Mauna Kea,
members of ASKA from Japan will offer a sacred dance.
We will sing and dance to the poem “Daichi-yo” (“Oh, Earth”),
written by Shizue Ukaji,
a respected bearer of Ainu cultural heritage.
The choreography was
created byTomomi Ka`upuimilia Kuwata,
who translated the spirit of the poem
into sacred hula-inspired movement.
At some point, we forgot
how to live with the Earth—
and how to honor the unseen spirits
that surround us.
Once, daily life was rooted in prayer.
The poem “Daichi-yo” (“Oh, Earth”),
written by Shizue Ukaji,
gently calls us to remember this way of being.
Inspired by her words,
we offer this poem at Mauna Kea
as a vow to live in harmony
with the Earth once again.
As the ground shakes,
forests burn, and the ocean roars,
it is time to learn from Indigenous wisdom
and return to a life grounded in prayer.
Ms. Ukaji has shared a special message
with us to accompany this offering.
" What matters most is to hold
that feeling in your heart.
Just as you asked me, you can ask the Earth.
Offer sake, salt, and rice to the land,
and ask: ‘How should we live?
What can we do?’
Speak directly to the Earth.
And when you pray, say:
‘I will fulfill my role respectfully—
please guide and support me.’
This kind of prayer will be understood
anywhere in the world.
Pray sincerely about what you truly feel
in your heart.
Whether you’re on a plane,
a train, or in a car—
walk with prayer in your heart.
Your thoughts will resonate through the air
and reach the Earth, without fail.
Keep going, you’re doing well. "
Shizue Ukaji
Poet/ Textile Collage Artist/ Picture Book Author/ Ainu Rights Advocate/ and Cultural Bearer of Ainu Traditions
At 92 years old, Shizue Ukaji stands as a living symbol of resilience and pride.
Having endured harsh discrimination as an Ainu, she has dedicated her life to passing on the dignity and spirit of Ainu culture to future generations.
Through her poetry, textile collage art, and children’s books, she expresses the deep spiritual worldview of the Ainu people.
As an activist, she has long worked to unite her fellow Ainu and call for greater understanding within society.
Her life itself embodies the ongoing journey of cultural revival and self-determination for the Ainu people.
When receiving the Hokkaido Cultural Award, she said:
“The Ainu have been raised with the sacred words of the Kamuy-Yukar (Ainu epic chants).
I will continue to honor our ancestors, learn from the Earth, and build a peaceful world together with the next generations.”
"Daichi-yo"
Tomomi Ka`upuimilia Kuwata
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Founder of Hula o ka Māpunahele / Hula Dancer / Choreographer
A dancer at heart, she collaborates with artists across disciplines and offers ceremonial hula and oli (chant) performances at sacred sites throughout Japan. She also works as a choreographer, creating dances rooted in tradition and spirit.
Inspired by the ancient teachings of Hawai‘i, she was deeply moved by the beauty, depth, and joy of hula. Her passion extends beyond performing—she founded Hula o ka Māpunahele to share the ancestral wisdom woven into hula with others.
Through her teaching and performances, she hopes to help people reconnect with forgotten joy in everyday life and awaken to the many possibilities still hidden in the world around us.
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