Pili Pono Practice: A Qualitative Study on Reimagining Native Hawaiian Food Sovereignty through MALAMA Backyard Aquaponics

Living in one of the most remote island chains in the world, Native Hawaiians developed sophisticated food cultivation systems that sustained a thriving and robust population for centuries. These systems were disrupted by colonization, which has contributed to the health disparities that Native Hawaiians face today. MALAMA, a culturally-grounded backyard aquaponics program, was developed to promote food sovereignty among Native Hawaiians. This study utilized participant interview and focus group data to identify how participating in the MALAMA program impacts the wellbeing. The findings demonstrate that MALAMA enhanced the participants’ pilina (relationship, connection) to traditional foods, land, cultural identity, family, and community, which contributed to the quick adoption of the program into Native Hawaiian communities. To address food insecurity, it is imperative to seek Indigenous-developed, community-based, and culturally-grounded programs and solutions like the MALAMA program

How deep is your kaumaha? Unfolding the experiences of historical and intergenerational trauma among Wāhine

Ph.D

Waimānalo Pono Research: Indigenizing Community-Engaged Research with a Native Hawaiian Community

Native Hawaiians, or Kānaka Maoli, the first people to arrive and settle on the Hawaiian Islands, developed an ecologically sustainable food system that sustained the health of up to a million people on the islands. Colonization disrupted this system as well as the healthy lifestyle and cultural practices of the Indigenous people of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Today, Native Hawaiians face pervasive health and social inequities. To build research processes that can meaningfully and sustainably address these inequities, the Waimānalo Pono Research Hui was borne from the vision and priorities of community leaders and members of Waimānalo. Using qualitative data from the annual survey conducted with Waimānalo Pono Research Hui members, the purpose of this study is to illustrate how community engagement and community-based participatory research has been operationalized within a Native Hawaiian community to yield meaningful research. Five themes emerged from the analysis related to the ʻāina (land), pilina (relationships), consent, equitable resources, and data sovereignty. These findings demonstrate the importance of imagining, creating, and implementing research processes that are shaped by community voices

A Report on the Ke Ola O Ka ‘Āina: ‘Āina Connectedness Scale

Optimal health from a Native Hawaiian worldview is achieved by being pono (righteous) and maintaining lōkahi (balance) with all our relations, including our relationships as Kānaka (humankind) with ‘Āina (land, nature, environment, that which feeds) and Akua (spiritual realm). The purpose of this study is to explore the role of ‘Āina connectedness in Native Hawaiian health and resilience to inform the development of the ‘Āina Connectedness Scale. Qualitative methods were conducted with 40 Native Hawaiian adults throughout Hawai‘i. Three themes emerged: (1) ‘Āina is everything; (2) Connection to ‘Āina is imperative to health; and (3) Intergenerational health, healing, and resilience are reflected through intergenerational connectedness with ‘Āina. Qualitative findings, supplemented with a scoping review of land, nature, and cultural connectedness scales, led to the development of the ‘Āina Connectedness Scale, which examined the degree to which people feel connected to ‘Āina, with implications for future research. ‘Āina connectedness may address concerns related to health disparities that stem from colonization, historical trauma, and environmental changes and better our understanding of Native Hawaiian health by fostering stronger ties to land. Resilience- and ‘Āina-based approaches are critically important to health equity and interventions that aim to improve Native Hawaiian health