Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao

Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao
Name	Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao
Established	2020
Type	Collaborative network
Location	Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Director	Native Hawaiian community leaders

Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao is a Native Hawaiian-centered teaching, research, and community network based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, formed to strengthen Hawaiian language, culture, and knowledge across higher education and public institutions. It connects Native Hawaiian scholars, educators, community organizations, and governmental entities to coordinate curriculum development, faculty exchanges, and culturally grounded research. The initiative intersects with institutions across Oʻahu and the Hawaiian Islands to support systemic change in teaching and scholarship.

Overview

Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao operates as a consortium linking University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Kapiʻolani Community College, Leeward Community College, Windward Community College, and other campuses within the University of Hawaiʻi system, while engaging with Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and Native Hawaiian nonprofits. The network draws on cultural practitioners from Kumu Hula lineages, scholars trained at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, recipients of MacArthur Fellowship, and alumni of programs like Native Hawaiian Education Association and Hawaiian Studies. It situates Hawaiian knowledge alongside federally funded projects, philanthropic initiatives from organizations such as the Kresge Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and community-driven moʻokūʻauhau efforts.

History and Founding

Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao emerged following deliberations among leaders from Kūpuna, faculty from Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, activists involved with the Mauna Kea protests, and policymakers associated with the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. Initial conversations included representatives from Bishop Museum, Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and outreach arms of Pacific Islands Forum affiliates. The founding was influenced by movements for self-determination led by figures connected to Hoʻokūkū, scholars influenced by the work of Noenoe K. Silva, and educators who partnered with Pew Charitable Trusts-backed projects. Early funding and organizational support came through collaborations with Kamehameha Schools and community-endorsed grants.

Mission and Educational Approach

The mission centers on revitalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and traditional practices by integrating Hawaiian epistemologies into postsecondary curricula and research frameworks. Pedagogy emphasizes mentorship models drawn from hālau, apprenticeship networks reminiscent of Kānaka Maoli protocols, and place-based learning at sites like Waipiʻo Valley, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, and Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden. Courses and seminars reference canonical works by scholars such as Nathaniel B. Emerson, Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel M. Kamakau, and employ community-based participatory research methods seen in collaborations with National Science Foundation-funded teams and Institute of Museum and Library Services initiatives.

Programs and Initiatives

Initiatives include curriculum co-design between Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge and community partners, a fellows program for Native Hawaiian doctoral students tied to the Ford Foundation-supported networks, and summer field institutes hosted with Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. Projects cover ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi immersion pipelines, cultural resource management with National Park Service liaison offices at Haleakalā National Park, and climate resilience programs aligned with United Nations-linked Pacific initiatives. Other efforts partner with Mālama Learning Center-style organizations, archival digitization in partnership with Bishop Museum and Library of Congress conservation specialists, and teacher credentialing aligned with Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board guidelines.

Leadership and Governance

Governance structures involve a steering council composed of representatives from Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiian Civic Clubs, university deans, kupuna leaders, and executives from Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Leadership roles rotate to reflect community governance practices analogous to those in Hoʻomau councils. Advisory input is provided by elders associated with Hoʻokahua, scholars affiliated with Hawaiʻinuiākea, and legal counsel conversant with statutes such as the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 and precedents involving the Apology Resolution. Financial oversight engages nonprofit administrators familiar with Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) compliance and grant management corps previously working with National Endowment for the Humanities.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships span academic, cultural, governmental, and international entities: collaborations with Yale University and University of British Columbia on comparative indigenous studies, project exchanges with Pacific Islands Forum delegates, and programmatic links to Smithsonian Institution curators for repatriation dialogues. Local collaborations include Bishop Museum, Kūpuna Care providers, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, and community health partnerships with Hawaiʻi State Department of Health. Cooperative memoranda involve municipal offices such as the City and County of Honolulu and federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for ocean stewardship.

Impact and Recognition

Hawaiʻi Papa o Ke Ao has influenced curricular policy across the University of Hawaiʻi system, supported doctoral completion among Native Hawaiian scholars, and contributed to the expansion of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi immersion programs recognized by cultural awards from institutions like Kamehameha Schools and the National Endowment for the Arts. Its community research models have been cited in reports by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and influenced state deliberations in the Hawaiʻi State Legislature on cultural preservation. The network’s collaborations with museums and archives advanced repatriation protocols promoted by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act-informed practices.

Category:Native Hawaiian organizations Category:Higher education in Hawaiʻi