The Ethnomathematics and STEM Institute empowers teachers as leaders to align equitable learning and practice with state and federal standards. This is done via the innovative design, implementation, and assessment of culturally-sustaining ethnomathematics in informal and formal, place-based contexts. Research over the past nine years has led to policy and practice implications, including becoming institutionalized as a new academic program. The mission, vision, and values of the Ethnomathematics and STEM Institute are inspired by its role in the worldwide voyage of the traditional canoe Hōkūle‘a from the Pacific to Mannahatta and beyond, bridging Indigenous wisdom and 21st century learning. The underlying goal is to empower local and global identity markers in a shared commitment to equity, empowerment, and dignity through ethnomathematics.