September 2025

We're Talking Stories

Aloha mai kākou,

This September, PBS Hawaiʻi celebrates Hawaiian History Month, a time to honor the legacy of Native Hawaiians and the enduring impact of Queen Liliʻuokalani, whose grace, strength and resilience continue to inspire us.

As someone who is part Hawaiian, I’ve often asked myself, “What does it mean to be Hawaiian? Is it a choice?”

Being Hawaiian is often defined by koko, the sacred bloodline that connects us to our ancestors, the land, our language and living culture. Genealogy is what we are born into. But being Kanaka Maoli is not a title,  nor does it provide a reason for entitlement. One can carry Hawaiian blood and still be disconnected from what defines us.

I know many people who don’t have a drop of Hawaiian blood, yet live each day with deep respect for our history, our culture, and our values, sometimes more so than those who do. They remind us that while being Hawaiian is rooted in ancestry, living Hawaiian values is a choice anyone with humility and understanding can make.  

At PBS Hawaiʻi, we believe in telling stories that reflect truth, amplify voices and honor cultural integrity, and we are committed to being a space for respectful dialogue that deepens understanding. This month, we share stories that celebrate Hawaiian identity, history, music, activism and language, told by Native Hawaiian voices.

Being Hawaiian isn’t something you can choose, but choosing to honor what it means to be Hawaiian is a responsibility we all can share. That too, is a legacy worth upholding … no matter what runs through your veins.

With respect and aloha,

Ron Mizutani
President and CEO

 

Local Program Highlights

PBS Drama

Hawaiian History Month

Hawaiian history is ingrained in who we are at PBS Hawaiʻi. For the first time, September is offically being recognized as Hawaiian History Month across our island home. Our stories, YOUR stories connect us, remind us and inspire us as we celebrate our Hawaiʻi each day.

 

Beginning this week, Insights on PBS Hawaiʻi took a closer look at the years-long push for official recognition of Hawaiian History Month and what this means as we examine community issues that are impacting our ʻohana. PBS Hawaiʻi Presents also premiered ʻO Hawaiʻi: Of Hawaiʻi from Settlement to Kingdom, a film by Tom Coffman. Throughout the month, Hawaiian music in various genres take center stage Mondays on Nā Mele, with a new episode featuring the sweet island sounds of Kalaʻe Camarillo premiering on September 29 at 7:30 pm, and we celebrate the unprecedented broadcast premiere of Parts I and II of In Hawaiian Hands: The Story of Reggae in Hawaiʻi, a two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza, on Saturday, September 20 at 7:00 pm.  

Digital Highlights

PBS Drama

Are you ʻono for something?

ʻONO! Hawaiʻi’s Food Culture is back for seconds! Go mad for malasadas in the Season 2 premiere on Friday, September 26. In a history lesson for your taste buds, we will look back (and forward) at the evolution of one of Hawaiʻi’s favorite sweet treats. Straight sugar, flavored sugar, custard-filled and more!  

 

If you’re hungry for some history on some of Hawaiʻi’s favorite foods, ʻONO! Hawaiʻi’s Food Culture is the sampler platter you need. We’re serving up new episodes the last Friday of every month on our website and our PBS Hawaiʻi YouTube playlist.

National Program Highlights

DANTE: INFERNO TO PARADISE

WEATHER HUNTERS, a new series from weatherman Al Roker’s production company, is designed to support kids’ learning about Earth science and meteorology. Through adventure and comedy, the program was developed to cultivate awareness and curiosity about how weather and climate impact individuals, communities and society.

Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troigros

Around 300,000 years ago, Homo sapiens emerged in Africa, one of at least seven human species alive at the time. Human is a new five-part NOVA miniseries that takes a deep dive into new fossil evidence, DNA sequencing, and other tools that are shedding new light on the surprising journey that made us who we are today.

PBS Drama

If you love cooking, September is your month! Check out brand new seasons of Pati's Mexican Table, Cook’s Country, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, and America’s Test Kitchen premiering in our Saturday Afternoon Food Block.

PBS Drama

Stream your favorite PBS shows and create your perfect watchlist by downloading the free PBS App. Looking for early access or to catch up on a previous season? Become a PBS Hawaiʻi member with a gift of $5 a month and get more with your PBS Hawaiʻi Passport.

 

And if you are already eligible and haven’t yet, activate your PBS Hawaiʻi Passport today!

Are you looking for more great programming or our Program Guide?

Click for our latest TV schedule

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