Kulia I Ka Nuu Hawaiian Culture Shirt - Aloha Tee, Hawaii Heritage Gift, Pacific Islander

Kūlia i ka nu'u — strive for the summit. The motto of Queen Emma, and one of the most graceful pieces of advice ever offered in 'ōlelo Hawai'i.

Queen Emma Kaleleonalani, wife of Kamehameha IV, was a fierce advocate for Hawaiian education, healthcare, and culture in the mid-1800s. She founded what would become Queen's Medical Center and Saint Andrew's Priory School, and she chose kūlia i ka nu'u — strive for the summit — as her personal call. The phrase is not about competition. The nu'u is your own highest place, your own best work, your own clearest expression of kuleana. It is invoked today at graduations across the islands and remains a kind of quiet challenge anyone in Hawai'i may take on for themselves.

For locals, this design honors a queen whose words are still doing the lifting. For visitors, it is a souvenir of Hawaiian ambition rooted in dignity.

Soft unisex tee. Multiple sizes and colorways available.