Kumu Ilima Kam Martinez

Aunty Ilima has always felt a deep kuleana (responsibility) to carry forward Hawaiian culture as a kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian). This commitment was instilled by her late father, Albert Hin Kam whom she lovingly calls “her first kumu”. She began learning Ori Tahiti & other forms of Polynesian dance in 1992, and in 2006, chose to become a serious student of solely hula. It is with great honor that Aunty Ilima continues the traditions of her loea, Kawaikapuokalani and all the generations of kumu that came before her.

The hālau was gifted the inoa (name) of Kūhai Hālau O ʻIlima Pā ʻŌlapa Kahiko in the tradition of Aunty Emma DeFries, upon the ʻūniki of Aunty Ilima to kumu hula in 2022.​ Throughout her hula journey,  Aunty Ilima additionally credits  Aunty Ida and Uncle Siaosi Veimau, and Aunty Sissy Kaio for shaping her into the hula practitioner she has become today.

Guided by her passion for indigenous cultural revitalization, Aunty Ilima earned her degree in Indigenous Anthropology from California State University San Marcos in 2019. Her studies included collaborative fieldwork with Native Hawaiian, Kumeyaay, and Oaxacan communities, deepening her understanding of cultural continuity, identity, and resilience.

She is the founder and board president of ʻUmeke, a nonprofit that cultivates connection to Hawaiʻi through intergenerational learning, storytelling, and accessible cultural programs, strengthening identity and building bridges across the Hawaiian diaspora.