Ilima Kam Martinez
Hula Kahiko (Ancient Native Hawaiian Dance)
Ilima Kam Martinez is a cultural arts leader, kumu hula, and community organizer dedicated to preserving and uplifting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. She is the Founder and President of ʻUmeke, a cultural organization based in Oceanside, California, where she leads innovative programs that blend traditional knowledge with contemporary community needs. Under her leadership, ʻUmeke has hosted cultural workshops, awarded scholarships to emerging practitioners, and built partnerships across education, arts, and civic sectors.
Ilima serves as Kumu Hula of Kūhai Hālau O ʻIlima Pā ʻŌlapa Kahiko, where she teaches and mentors more than 100 intergenerational students, integrating hula, Hawaiian language, and cultural practice. Her choreography and cultural productions have reached broad audiences, strengthening cultural connection and appreciation. She is also the co-founder of the inaugural Southern California Asian and Pacific Islander Festival, which welcomed over 12,000 attendees and featured 20 performance groups in a large-scale celebration of heritage and solidarity. Ilima’s collaborations span universities, libraries, museums, and grassroots organizations, with programming focused on Hawaiian genealogy, traditional arts, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and cultural reclamation.
Ilima holds a B.A. in Indigenous Anthropology from California State University San Marcos and remains committed to creating inclusive, intergenerational spaces that center Indigenous voices and inspire transformative change through the arts.
Ilima’s Website
Ilima’s Instagram
‘Umeke’s Website
Apprenticeship Program
2025
Tiffany Tom will develop as an emerging hula leader (alakaʻi) through a six-month apprenticeship at Kūhai Hālau O ʻIlima Pā ʻŌlapa Kahiko under the mentorship of Ilima Martinez. This apprenticeship focuses on teaching hula kahiko, interpreting mele (songs), leading classes, and upholding the cultural and spiritual protocols of the hālau. Kumu Ilima will cultivate the apprentice’s ability to teach hula, interpret mele (songs), lead classes, and uphold the cultural and spiritual practices of the hālau (hula school). The apprentice will master foundational and advanced hula movements, learn the cultural and historical context of mele, and practice teaching techniques and class leadership.
