Lei Kamani: Honoring our sacred roots This lei is made from the polished nuts of the kamani tree (Calophyllum inophyllum), a canoe plant brought to Hawaiʻi by Polynesian voyagers. In Hawaiian culture, kamani was prized not only for its beautiful hardwood — used to carve canoe and bowls — but also for its spiritual significance. Often planted around heiau (temples) and aliʻi (chiefly) spaces, kamani symbolized spiritual power. Wearing a lei kamani honors this deep legacy — a connection to land, a