In this article, we explore our experiences as Kanaka faculty mentors in Hilinehu Educational Leadership Advancement (HELA), a federally-funded grant through the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP) supporting Kanaka graduate students in the field of education. Through the exploration of our experiences, we consider how mentoring can matter for Kanaka graduate students and furthermore how graduate education can matter for our lahui Hawai?i (Hawaiian nation). Although graduate education historically has not been a priority for the Native Hawaiian Education Act (NHEA), we argue that it is vitally important to preparing Kanaka for educational leadership and nation-building. Finally, we offer reflections on our experiences as mentors through HELA and close with experience-based recommendations for policymakers and administrators, faculty mentors, and Kanaka graduate students.