The Need for Culturally Relevant, Family-based Substance Use Prevention Interventions for Rural Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth

Flier for Substance Use Prevention in NHPI Youth

This workshop is presented in partnership with Papa Ola Lōkahi and the AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence. Substance use initiation often occurs during adolescence, and early initiation is commonly associated with problematic substance use, such as substance use disorders. National and local public health data consistently demonstrate that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youth have disproportionately high rates of substance use and substance use disorder. NHPI rural youth, with their unique cultural and social context, face specific challenges in substance use prevention, particularly related to familial relationships. There is a critical need for research that can inform culturally relevant, family-based substance use prevention interventions for these youth. This presentation will: highlight youth substance use trends in Hawai‘i, discuss risk and protective factors for youth substance use in Hawai‘i, and explore familial influences on youth substance use in rural Hawai‘i, including the impact of cultural and social determinants of health.

What will you learn?

  • Trends in youth substance use in Hawai‘i
  • Risk and protective factors for youth substance use in Hawai‘i
  • Familial influences on youth substance use in rural Hawai‘i

Who is this workshop for?
Community and state-level substance use prevention practitioners, researchers, and allied health partners, especially those engaged in substance use prevention efforts with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth and families.

Looking to receive continuing education contact hours?
Papa Ola Lōkahi (NASWHI-CEP-13) has been designated an approved provider of social work continuing education contact hours by the National Association of Social Workers Hawai’i Chapter. The Papa Ola Lokahi maintains responsibility for the program. This program is approved by the State of Hawaii Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (Approval# ADAD-24-086) for up to 1.5 contact hour(s). NOTE: Participants are responsible for submitting proof of attendance to their respective certification or licensing board. ʻOhana CoE & Papa Ola Lōkahi do not submit this information on behalf of training participants.

Participants will receive a link to verify attendance at the end of the workshop.

This event has passed. You can watch the replay on our YouTube, or here on the website.

Workshop Presenters

Sarah Momilani Marshall is an Assistant Professor in the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She received her PhD in social welfare from UH Mānoa’s Thompson School and her MSW from San Josè State University. Her program of research concentrates on understanding social, behavioral, and cultural determinants of health within rural Hawaiian communities, especially those that impact substance use resistance among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youth. As a Native Hawaiian researcher, she is passionate about addressing health disparities and pursuing health equity for indigenous populations and elevating the voice of Indigenous perspectives. In addition to substance use prevention, she is also currently involved in community-engaged, culturally-based research that seeks to magnify the dissemination of an innovative Native Hawaiian Health Survey and to integrate Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) into the data collection efforts of Community Health Workers in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.

An Introduction to E Hui Ana Nā Moku: Harm Reduction Community Resource Guide

E Hui Ana Na Moku Featured Image

In recognition of self harm awareness month in May, we are sharing a resource developed by our friends at Papa Ola Lōkahi and Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center called “E Hui Ana Nā Moku: The Islands Shall Unite”. This is a harm reduction community resource guide, which focuses on developing a community understanding of harm reduction, reducing the harms caused by colonization in Hawaiʻi, and introducing a cultural approach to reducing harm and promoting healing.

Who is this resource for?
Anyone who is interested in accessing Native Hawaiian resources for themselves, cultural practitioners, or behavioral health professionals who are looking for education about culturally responsive care for harm reduction.

How can I get this resource?
You can download the resource guide for free on Papa Ola Lōkahi’s website.

Download the guide here

What will I find in this resource?
In the video below, Lilinoe Kauahikaua, Project Manager at the AANHPI ʻOhana Center of Excellence and Program Coordinator at Papa Ola Lōkahi introduces E Hui Ana Nā Moku with a tour of what you will find in this resource.

Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Pre-Application Training

Join us for an ANA Pre-Application Training across the Pacific!
Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) are coming soon!
ANA will offer up to $1.5 million in grants to fund three- to five-year projects addressing social and economic development; cultural preservation and perpetuation; Native language immersion, preservation and maintenance, and more.

Are you developing a project to help your Native community? Do you work for or with a nonprofit organization that is led by and serves Native communities of Amerika Sāmoa, CNMI, Guåhan, or Hawai’i?

Join our Pacific Region Training & Technical Assistance Specialists at one of the following free, two-day ANA Pre-Application Trainings across the Pacific to learn how to prepare a competitive application for an ANA grant.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A PRE-APPLICATION TRAINING
In these two-day trainings, we’ll go through this year’s Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOS), share tips on how to articulate the strengths of your community-based project effectively, take a deep dive into the evaluation criteria reviewers will use to score your application, and go over the step-by-step process of how to submit an application.

Due to limited capacity, we will not be able to accept walk-in participants. Registration is required and participants are requested to attend both days of the training events.

ELIGIBILITY
Registering organizations must be eligible for ANA grant funding. If your nonprofit serves Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Carolinian, Native American, or Alaska Native peoples, and if your Board of Directors is 51% or more Native-led, then you are eligible for this free training.

Please see registration forms linked below for more details on eligibility requirements and registrant information.

MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION

Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i

Graphic that reads: Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i

Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi or Hawaiian Language Month, celebrated annually in February, honors and promotes the rich cultural heritage of the Hawaiian language, also known as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

The Hawaiian language was banned from public school systems three years after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. And actively discouraged speaking ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi at home, criminalizing the Native identity and leading to generations of stigmatization in Hawaiian ʻohana (families).

In the 1970s, a revitalization of Hawaiian culture reignited interest in language learning efforts and ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i was reintroduced into public school curriculums in 1978, after the language became officially recognized in the state of Hawai‘i, due to the tireless efforts of our kūpuna (elders) and the Hawaiian language immersion movement.

The annual observance throughout the month of February aims to raise awareness about the significance of preserving and revitalizing the indigenous language of Hawaii. Throughout the month, various events, educational programs, and community activities take place to showcase the beauty and importance of the Hawaiian language in fostering a deeper connection to the islands’ history and traditions.

The allocation of Hawaiian language month came after Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Act 28 and was the first of its kind to be transliterated in both Hawaiian and English and states (source):

"Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i. E ‘ike mau a e kapa ‘ia ana ae ka mahina ‘o Pepeluali ‘o ia ka “Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i” i mea e ho‘omaika‘i a e paipai aku ai i ka ‘Ōlelo ‘ana o ua ‘ōlelo makuahine nei la.

Translation: ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i Month.The month of February shall be known and designated as “Ōlelo Hawai‘i Month” to celebrate and encourage the use of Hawaiian language.

In observance of Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, we have selected ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i from E Ola Mau, a Native Hawaiian Health Needs assessment that can help behavioral health and cultural practitioners better understand some terminology surrounding mental health, Hawaiian culture, and substance use.

Did you know… The original version of E Ola Mau, published in the 1980’s contained a compendium of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi terms related to mental health and wellbeing. Many of these terms are layered with meaning beyond their surface translation. For example, the term “hei” is used for “addiction”. Hei refers to a string game played by our ancestors and even today. Literally translated, hei means – Net, snare, stratagem, ruse; to ensnare, entangle, catch in a net; to festoon with leis. Hoʻo.hei – To snare, tangle, rope, lasso; to beset with difficulties; to infatuate, be enraptured. Hoʻohei manaʻo, to infatuate, beguile; spellbound.

The meaning of ensnaring and entanglement is used to convey the deep turmoil of addiction, being ensnared in ones addiction.

‘Āina
Land; spiritual connection for Hawaiian.

Aloʻahia
Emotional stress.

Ha‘aha‘a
Humble, meek, modest, unpretentious; this helps you to be sincere and helpful; it’s humble but not mealy mouthed; its accepting of others – not having to put them down or accepting their elevation of you; it’s to be warm and respectful; relationship.

Hei
Addiction.

Hilahila
Shame.

Hoa kākoʻo
n. Ally, supporter.

Ho‘olu‘ulu‘u
To cause sorrow, grief, to oppress.

Kāwili lāʻau
To mix drugs.

Kōkua
Help assistant, helper, comforter, cooperation, support; kōkua is how you show you care about the person; kōkua is meaningful to the concept of ‘oia’i’o because this is how you give life to the aloha; it can be an exploitive thing; you can be asked to kōkua until it hurts so you need to be careful; kōkua is something you share, you give to another, to share what you have but not at the expense of your family; it is your resources or your own self, your extras, your strength and you give to others.

Kūkulu kumuhana
set to right, the pooling of strengths, emotional, psychological and spiritual, for a shared purpose.

Lāʻau hoʻohiamoe
n. Drug, narcotic, soporific, medicine to cause sleep, chloroform.

Ma‘i ma loko
Sickness from within caused by patients or family problems or misdeeds.

Na‘au
Intestines, center of intellect and emotions.

Olakino maikaʻi
Good health.

Pākela ʻai lāʻau
To overdose on drugs. Lit., take drugs to excess.

Puʻuhonua
nvi. Place of refuge, sanctuary, asylum, place of peace and safety.

Kilo ʻĀina: Health Connections to ʻĀina

flier for Kilo Aina

What can ʻāina tell us about our own health and healing? Everything!! The ahupuaʻa is a way to look at the impacts of trauma and ecosystems of care toward mauliola. It provides a resonant model of a Native system that is grounded in the reciprocal relationship of kānaka to ʻāina and spirituality in order to achieve collective healing or mauli ola. The ahupuaʻa is a living, breathing example of a thriving, healthy Native system, all connected through wai (water), following through every interconnected system.

What will participants learn?

  • Learn about the ahupua’a model for cultural healing and the impacts of trauma on our kanaka ecosystems
  • Discuss ways the model can be applied to the self, ‘ohana, kaiaulu (community), as well as larger care systems in Hawaii.
  • Provide their lens of how this model resonates and applies in their own, everyday life, community, ‘ohana, or organization.

Who is this workshop for?

  • Health workers
  • Social service workers
  • Behavioral health workers
  • Community members
  • ʻĀina practitioners

EVENT LOCATION

Kūlana ʻŌiwi Hālau (next to Nā Puʻuwai on Moloka‘i)
602 Maunaloa Hwy
Kaunakakai, HI 96748 United States + Google Map

There is no registration for this event, it is open to the public. Come if can!

This event is brought to you in partnership with AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence, Papa Ola Lōkahi, and Ho‘aka Mana.

Workshop Presenters

Lilinoe Kauahikaua, MSW uses she/her/ʻO ia pronouns and is from Piʻihonua, Hilo on Moku o Keawe (Hawaiʻi Island) but has lived and grown in many other spaces throughout her journey, including Oʻahu, California, and Arizona.

Lilinoe serves as program coordinator with Papa Ola Lōkahi, for all substance use and mental health projects, as well as the AANHPI ʻOhana Center of Excellence for behavioral health project manager. Her work focuses on cultural approaches in healing.

Lilinoe was appointed by Governor Ige to the Hawai’i Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances and serves on the boards of ʻEkolu Mea Nui, Going Home Hawai’i, Kinohi Mana Nui, and the cultural committee co-chair for The Going Home Hawaiʻi Consortium, organizations serving the Native Hawaiian community impacted by incarceration and substance use.

Lilinoe also serves on committees for the Institute of Violence and Trauma (IVAT), and Hawaiʻi SUPD (Substance Use Professional Development) initiative.

Kumu Kanoelani Davis is a Kama a MolokainuiaHina and an established Kumu Hula of Ka Pā Hula O Hina I Ka Pō La‘ila‘i and Ho’a Mana Practitioner in the healing arts. She draws from the immense knowledge and wisdom passed down to her by her Papa, Sifu/Kahupono/’Olohe Francis Clifford Leialoha Wong.

Her martial arts training is rooted in the understanding of life and death, with the teachings of Lua, Lomilomi, La’au Kahea, and La’au Lapa’au. Kanoelani shares the traditional methods of her family to help others ignite the fire within and heal themselves.

Kanoelani is the Executive Director of Ho’aka Mana – Native Hawaiian Organization that believes in strengthening indigenous identities. She is a single mother of four daughters and the CEO/Owner of multiple small businesses; one being PoMahina Designs.

Davis is deeply invested in the community, advocating for cultural preservation, conservation, and the protection of natural resources. She has worked as a Cultural Health Navigator with Molokai Community Health Center, coordinating programs and integration between the behavioral health, medical, and dental departments.

Kanoelani has also served on the Executive Board of Directors and is now a part of the Cultural Committee at Molokai Community Health Center. Kanoelani has dedicated her time and efforts to serving the Molokai community and its youth, which is demonstrated in her work with the University of Hawaii’s Department of Psychiatry for seven years as a cultural advisor and community P.I. Puni Ke Ola was the vision of the kupuna who desired culturally integrated substance use prevention resources. 

Kanoe’s dedication shaped the Western modalities into Native Hawaiian thought processes. Through the evolution of the Puni Ke Ola she built & incorporated makawalu & kilo into the Ho’a ‘Ike curriculum which is utilized to create meaningful and transformative learning experiences. By connecting unique perspectives with knowledge of one’s physical and mental environment, teachers can create a learning experience that is both culturally relevant and academically enriching. A train-the-trainer certification program was developed for the education system (K-12 and College Professors) & substance abuse councils. There are now 20+ certified trainers across Hawaii who utilizes Ho’a ‘Ike. 

Aside from her dedication to strengthening indigenous identities via Ho’a Mana, Kanoe finds peace with the elements. She can be found in the highest parts of the forest to the depths of the sea, she enjoys fishing, hunting, and hana no’eau from traditional tools and weapons to dyes and ho’oni’o.

Kealaokekoa, A Cultural Journey of Rediscovery and Self-Reliance for SUD Treatment

Event flier for Kealaokekoa

The ongoing project of colonial imperialism is dependent upon renouncing individual cultural and ethnic identity in favor of a monolithic belief in the US republic. As a nation with a history of violence and oppression against people of color, and the displacement and removal of Native peoples, it remains imperative for the US to retain control through forced assimilation to American cultural beliefs and norms of behavior. From laws banning Native languages in the 19th and 20th centuries, to race-based policies of citizenship exclusion, to forced medical sterilization of incarcerated populations, America continues to demonstrate its attitude towards these marginalized groups. This attitude permeates much of the US social welfare programming, including substance abuse treatment options. In this model of recovery, the only cultures that matter are the prevailing practices of American and Christian culture.

In this Presentation, you will be introduced to a Native Hawaiian approach to SUD treatment and recovery. Through this presentation you will learn the concepts, practices, and methods used in treating and possibly preventing SUD and addiction. You will learn the importance of utilizing a patient’s native culture and ethnicity along with utilizing certain western methods and concepts in addiction therapy. You will also learn how the Ke Ala O Kekoa curriculum can also be used in cross-cultural approaches.

What will you learn?

  • Understand the Native Hawaiian view on substance use and misuse.
  • Identify Hawaiian Healing practices utilized in substance abuse therapy.
  • Recognize when Traditional Healing practices are indicated and contraindicated.
  • Be able to implement simple Native Hawaiian practices into their own personal lives, no matter their culture or
    ethnicity.

Who should attend?

  • Addiction therapy professionals
  • Counselors
  • Medical providers
  • Cultural practitioners in healing

This event is brought to you in partnership with AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence and Papa Ola Lōkahi.

Completing this workshop LIVE offers social worker continuing education credits. Papa Ola Lokahi (NASWHI-CEP-13) has been designated an approved provider of social work continuing education contact hours by the National Association of Social Workers Hawai’i Chapter. The Papa Ola Lokahi maintains responsibility for the program.This program is also approved by the State of Hawaii Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (Approval# ADAD-24-060) for up to 1 contact hour(s). NOTE: Participants are responsible for submitting proof of attendance to their respective certification or licensing board. ʻOhana CoE & Papa Ola Lōkahi do not submit this information on behalf of training participants.

This event has passed. You can watch the replay on our YouTube, or here on the website.

Workshop Presenters

Makani Tabura was raised with three brothers by his mother and grandparents on their tiny family farm on the island of Lana‘i. From a young age, he was instilled with a deep understanding of the importance of culture, connection to higher power (Akua), the land (‘aina), and the people (Na Po‘e Kanaka).

During high school and college, Makani mentored and worked with at-risk youth at his mother’s youth center on Lana‘i, as well as with local and national organizations such as Na Pua No‘eau, Pacific American Foundation, and the Native Hawaiian Education Association. He shared his cultural knowledge and taught concepts of traditional cultural beliefs of health, wellness, and fitness.

Combining his grandmother’s teachings as a nurse and cultural practitioner, Makani’s studies in exercise science, hula, and health and wellness from Hawai‘i College of Health Sciences, Makani created cultural activities, programs, and curriculum for various hotels and resorts throughout Hawai‘i. He developed the first Hawaiian-based health and fitness programs for the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hale Koa Hotel, and Sheraton Resorts.

Currently, Makani is the Director of Cultural Education and Activities and cultural practitioner at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, specifically within Ho‘okūola Hale and Mālama Recovery Services. He is also the Po‘o (director) of the Kako‘o Council at the Kalaniho‘okaha Traditional Hawaiian Healing Center. Makani has developed a successful, culturally-based addiction recovery curriculum, and he prides himself on ensuring that everything he does personally and professionally is culturally-based and balanced with traditional knowledge and Western practices.

Makani’s primary responsibility, gifted to him by his Kupuna (ancestors), is to preserve, perpetuate, and practice traditional Native health, wellness, and healing to improve the lives of his family and community.

Niki Wright, PsyD, CSAC, ICADC, CCS, CPS, CSOTP is a Director at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, overseeing both the Mālama Recovery Services’ intensive outpatient substance use disorder treatment program and the Ho ̔okūola Hale’s integrated chronic pain management department. She is licensed as a clinical psychologist and certified as a substance abuse counselor in the State of Hawai ̔i and has made it her mission to reduce the negative social stigma surrounding mental illness, particularly SUD, and to break down the barriers that prevent individuals from accessing the care they need, particularly in medically underserved communities.

Dr. Wright’s professional interests are focused on health psychology and working with diverse and marginalized populations, including chronic pain management, trauma, systems, and women’s health. She is also the Chief Behavioral Health O cer at the Wahiawā Center for Community Health, co-founder of IMUA Health Group, and clinical psychologist for the State of Hawai‘i’s Department of Education. Dr. Wright has previously taught in the Rehabilitation Counseling Master’s degree program at the University of Hawai ̔i at Mānoa under the Department of Kinesiology.

In her personal life, Dr. Wright is a National Health Service Corps Ambassador, committed to improving access to primary care in under-served areas of the United States. Through her impressive work andvunwavering commitment to improving mental health and well-being, Dr. Wright has made a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of her patients and communities, and continues to be a leading voice in her field.

Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka: Becoming Hiʻiaka PT 2

Hānai Ahu: Anchoring Culture in Substance Use Treatment & Prevention Models

Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka: Becoming Hiʻiaka Part 2

Join us again as we continue our virtual summer training series on adopting cultural anchors for substance use treatment and prevention strategies. Hānai Ahu provides a tri-lens cultural view of substance use emphasizing “The Impacts of Colonization on Ahupuaʻa. Conceptualization, V3.0” framework that recently launched with the Hawaiʻi State Plan for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health.

This series is a partnership between the Māpuna Lab and the AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence. AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence is your source for empowerment, education, and support for individuals seeking behavioral healthcare, including mental health and substance use resources. We center (w)holistic and cultural approaches to serving the needs of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

What is your ahu? What is your pua‘a?

Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka: Becoming Hiʻiaka Part 2 with guest speaker Kekuhi Kealiʻikanakaʻoleohaililani

Hawaii Opioid Initiative (HOI) Workgroup members, social workers, health care providers, and community members will come together to learn the Ahupua’a Framework and its applications. Understanding the Upstream: How does the Compact of Free Association (COFA) affect Social Determinants of Health and Policy for Federated States of Micronesia migrants in Hawaii will follow the myth of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele on a journey of transformation, so that we ourselves may be transformed in the process. Through the Kaʻao Framework, implemented by the Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke ʻAo Initiative within the University of Hawaiʻi system, we seek to identify the best pathway forward to heal and prevent substance misuse and overdose, and promote mental health and wellbeing among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Learning Objective 1
Participants will engage in the Ahupuaʻa Model for the ʻOhana Center of Excellence, introduced by Lilinoe Kauahikaua of Papa Ola Lōkahi looking at the impacts of colonization, and implementing cultural intervention at various places effectively providing healing and wellbeing of self and community.

Learning Objective 2
Participants will engage in the Kaʻao Framework (Hua, Haʻalele, Huakaʻi, Hoʻina, Hāʻina – implemented by the University of Hawaiʻi through the Hawaiʻi Papa o Keao Initiative) – utilizing Hawaiʻi traditional myth culture as a framework to transform the experiences and the culture of healthcare professionals
and providers.

Learning Objective 3
Participants will see by implementing a high quality program such as the Huakaʻihele, that is directly recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based as a means of improving behavioral health and overall well-being guided by the clinical expertise of R. Lahela Kruse, a Native Hawaiian Social Worker.

Learning Objective 4
Finally participants will be invited to experience and engage in multidisciplinary and multidimensional processes for sequencing HUAKAʻI.

DOWNLOADS & REPLAY

This event has passed. You can watch the replay on our YouTube, or here on the website.

Workshop Presenters

Rachel “Lahela” Kruse, Native Hawaiian Social Worker, CSAC at Big Island Substance Abuse Council (BISAC) on Hawaiʻi island. She works with the mental health population with close attention to substance abuse using traditional healing methods Hoʻokuʻu ka hewa for the individual, also a Haku Hoʻoponopono.

Kekuhi Kealiʻikanakaʻoleohaililani is a cherished member of the Hawaiʻi Island community. People recognize her contributions to the hula community, both in Hawaiʻi and beyond our shores, her training for decades in the tradition of ʻaihaʻa, her vital role in Hālau o Kekuhi. Below are just a few of Kekuhi’s professional accomplishments:

  • Trained in the tradition of Hula ʻAihaʻa & Hula Pele, chant & ritual for 35 years under Hālau O Kekuhi and graduated as Kumu Hula (hula master) of Hālau o Kekuhi by her mother, Kumu Hula Pualani Kanahele and her Aunt Kumu Hula Nalani Kanakaole; ʻUniki date – 2008
  • 1991 and 2014, co-producer of some of Hālau O Kekuhi’s most significant contributions to oral and ritual arts stage performances, namely, Holo Mai Pele, Kamehameha Paiʻea, Kilohi Nā Akua Wahine, Hānau Ka Moku, Wahinepōʻaimoku, Ka Hana Kapa, and CD resources Uwolani, Puka Kamaʻehu and Hiʻiakaikapoliopele.  See these projects at edithkanakaolefoundation.org
  • Bachelorʻs in Hawaiian Studies & Masterʻs degree in Professional Development in Education; currently in a Doctorate of Holistic Health program.
  • Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Life Styles program and was a primary force in designing the Hawaiʻi Life Styles degree program and student support center as well as the two-year A.A. degree programs in Hula, Fishing, and Farming at Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, currently A.A. in Hawaiʻi Life Styles with emphasis in these areas.
  • For the 21 years at the University of Hawai’i, Kekuhi has been instrumental in writing for and managing 10 federal grants, resulting in excess of 20 million dollars of Congressional funding, USDOE funding, and others helping fund 8 new positions in Hawaiian studies (HawCC), 4 renovation projects, student support for native Hawaiian students, the UH system’s first degrees in native occupational practices and the very first Hawaiʻi protocols program of any UH system college. She also taught many of the programs courses. 
  • From 2001-2015, Kekuhi served as the Edith Kanakaʻoleʻs Executive Director and continues to volunteer in research, writing, ritual design and facilitation, hula, chant, and other projects of the foundation.
  • A sample of projects for the foundation include: 1) Kanaloa Haunawela – a current ethnographic project for KS, 2) Kiho’iho’i Kanawai – a project for OHA, 3)  Pelehonuamea – a Geothermal project for KS; 4) Honuaiākea Summit for interdisciplinary exploration, 5) ʻĪmakakoloa protocols for public access, 5) ʻAha Pāwalu protocols for 20 year clean up of Kanaloa-Kahoʻolawe
  • Most recent publications include: The Charm of Kiʻi chapter for Moʻolelo, UH Press (publihsed 2023); Embracing the sacred: an indigenous framework for tomorrow’s sustainability science.  Journal for Sustainability Science Special Issue. 2013; Cultivating Sacred Kinship Green readiness, response, and recovery: a collaborative synthesis. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-18x. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2017;  “Increasing Conservation Capacity by Embracing Ritual: Kuahu as a Portal to the Sacred” . Journal of Pacific Conservation Biology Special Issue: Transforming Conservation Biology Through Indigenous Perspectives. 2020.
  • Most recent ritual design & facilitation projects including, 1) ʻAha Mauna, 2) ʻAha Hoʻākua for the Hokuleʻa World Wide Voyage, 3) 2018 Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress -ʻAha ʻAwa, Opening Protocol, Daily Protocol, Closing Protocols
  • 2016 Kekuhi opened Lonoa Honua, a single owner for profit to develop & deliver professional & personal development programs such as: Ulu Ka ʻŌhiʻa-Hula Consciousness Seminar,  Hālau ʻŌhiʻa-Hawaiʻi Stewardship Training, Oli Honua Hawaii Chant training, Kāʻao: Timeless Stories, Kāmoe: Triggering Dream, and ʻIʻiwi Pōlena:  Stewardship Program for Youth. 
  • Lonoa Honua LLC programs has served individuals, institutions, and organizations, including:  OHA, DOFAW, DLNR, KS, USDA-IPIF, NOAA, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, DOE, The Nature Conservancy, UH Manoa Symphony of Hawaiʻiʻs Forests project, US Coral Reef Task Force, USGS-Hawaiʻi Island, PKO, Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference,
  • Lonoa Honua LLC co-creates the ʻIkuwā Fest, a collaboration with Nā ʻOhana Waʻa and ʻImloa Astronomy Center.
  • We are in the 3rd year of the Edith Kanakaʻole World Oli Festival 2023 (formerly known as World Oli Movement) a unique Hybrid multi-day event highlighting the depth and breadth of OLI.
  • One of Kekuhiʻs passionʻs is strengthening the relationship between Hawaiʻi ecological wisdom and scientific wisdom. Kekuhi served as the Senior Scholar at The Kohala Center for 20 years. She has the honor of working with some of Hawaiʻiʻs most passionate committed conservation and restoration organizations, individuals, and initiatives, one of them being the Kā Mauli Hou-the statewide Hawaiʻi Conservation and Restoration Initiative, the USDA Forest Service, Kekuhi continues to facilitate ways of improving how Hawaiʻi consciousness and science & technology consciousness can work in harmony for the wellbeing of Hawaiʻi.
  • In addition to hula, chant, & Hawaiʻi-ecology, Kekuhiʻs love affair with music as a way to heighten and expand vibrations of wellbeing in the world, inspired a singing career. As co-creators, Kekuhi & husband Tangaro gave birth to 3-CDs, “Hahani Mai” (Punahele Productions), and “Kekuhi”, and “Honey Boy” (MountainApple Company). She was honored with a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award as Female Vocalist of the Year in 1999, and has performed on numerous concert stages over the past 20 years. Kekuhi spends part of her music career with her daughter Kaumakaiwa Kealiikanakaole and artist & producer Shawn Kekoa Pimental. We released the single Moloka’i Jam in 2013.  Kekuhi has recently produced and released the 21st Anniversary Edition of Hahani Mai and an all new Hahani Mai: Reimagined on June 21, 2018. The most recent public release of two originals and one remake was in May 2020.

Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka: Becoming Hiʻiaka PT 1

Hānai Ahu: Anchoring Culture in Substance Use Treatment & Prevention Models

Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka: Becoming Hiʻiaka

Join us again as we continue our virtual summer training series on adopting cultural anchors for substance use treatment and prevention strategies. Hānai Ahu provides a tri-lens cultural view of substance use emphasizing “The Impacts of Colonization on Ahupuaʻa. Conceptualization, V3.0” framework that recently launched with the Hawaiʻi State Plan for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health.

This series is a partnership between the Māpuna Lab and the AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence. AANHPI ‘Ohana Center of Excellence is your source for empowerment, education, and support for individuals seeking behavioral healthcare, including mental health and substance use resources. We center (w)holistic and cultural approaches to serving the needs of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

What is your ahu? What is your pua‘a?

Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka: Becoming Hiʻiaka Part 1 with guest sepaker R. Lahela Kruse

Hawaii Opioid Initiative (HOI) Workgroup members, social workers, health care providers, and community members will come together to learn the Ahupua’a Framework and its applications. Understanding the Upstream: How does the Compact of Free Association (COFA) affect Social Determinants of Health and Policy for Federated States of Micronesia migrants in Hawaii will follow the myth of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele on a journey of transformation, so that we ourselves may be transformed in the process. Through the Kaʻao Framework, implemented by the Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke ʻAo Initiative within the University of Hawaiʻi system, we seek to identify the best pathway forward to heal and prevent substance misuse and overdose, and promote mental health and wellbeing among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Learning Objective 1
Participants will engage in the Ahupuaʻa Model for the ʻOhana Center of Excellence, introduced by Lilinoe Kauahikaua of Papa Ola Lōkahi looking at the impacts of colonization, and implementing cultural intervention at various places effectively providing healing and wellbeing of self and community.

Learning Objective 2
Participants will engage in the Kaʻao Framework (Hua, Haʻalele, Huakaʻi, Hoʻina, Hāʻina – implemented by the University of Hawaiʻi through the Hawaiʻi Papa o Keao Initiative) – utilizing Hawaiʻi traditional myth culture as a framework to transform the experiences and the culture of healthcare professionals
and providers.

Learning Objective 3
Participants will see by implementing a high quality program such as the Huakaʻihele, that is directly recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based as a means of improving behavioral health and overall well-being guided by the clinical expertise of R. Lahela Kruse, a Native Hawaiian Social Worker.

Learning Objective 4
Finally participants will be invited to experience and engage in multidisciplinary and multidimensional processes for sequencing HUAKAʻI.

DOWNLOADS & REPLAY

This event has passed. You can watch the replay on our YouTube, or here on the website.

Workshop Presenters

Rachel “Lahela” Kruse, Native Hawaiian Social Worker, CSAC at Big Island Substance Abuse Council (BISAC) on Hawaiʻi island. She works with the mental health population with close attention to substance abuse using traditional healing methods Hoʻokuʻu ka hewa for the individual, also a Haku Hoʻoponopono.

Kekuhi Kealiʻikanakaʻoleohaililani is a cherished member of the Hawaiʻi Island community. People recognize her contributions to the hula community, both in Hawaiʻi and beyond our shores, her training for decades in the tradition of ʻaihaʻa, her vital role in Hālau o Kekuhi. Below are just a few of Kekuhi’s professional accomplishments:

  • Trained in the tradition of Hula ʻAihaʻa & Hula Pele, chant & ritual for 35 years under Hālau O Kekuhi and graduated as Kumu Hula (hula master) of Hālau o Kekuhi by her mother, Kumu Hula Pualani Kanahele and her Aunt Kumu Hula Nalani Kanakaole; ʻUniki date – 2008
  • 1991 and 2014, co-producer of some of Hālau O Kekuhi’s most significant contributions to oral and ritual arts stage performances, namely, Holo Mai Pele, Kamehameha Paiʻea, Kilohi Nā Akua Wahine, Hānau Ka Moku, Wahinepōʻaimoku, Ka Hana Kapa, and CD resources Uwolani, Puka Kamaʻehu and Hiʻiakaikapoliopele.  See these projects at edithkanakaolefoundation.org
  • Bachelorʻs in Hawaiian Studies & Masterʻs degree in Professional Development in Education; currently in a Doctorate of Holistic Health program.
  • Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Life Styles program and was a primary force in designing the Hawaiʻi Life Styles degree program and student support center as well as the two-year A.A. degree programs in Hula, Fishing, and Farming at Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, currently A.A. in Hawaiʻi Life Styles with emphasis in these areas.
  • For the 21 years at the University of Hawai’i, Kekuhi has been instrumental in writing for and managing 10 federal grants, resulting in excess of 20 million dollars of Congressional funding, USDOE funding, and others helping fund 8 new positions in Hawaiian studies (HawCC), 4 renovation projects, student support for native Hawaiian students, the UH system’s first degrees in native occupational practices and the very first Hawaiʻi protocols program of any UH system college. She also taught many of the programs courses. 
  • From 2001-2015, Kekuhi served as the Edith Kanakaʻoleʻs Executive Director and continues to volunteer in research, writing, ritual design and facilitation, hula, chant, and other projects of the foundation.
  • A sample of projects for the foundation include: 1) Kanaloa Haunawela – a current ethnographic project for KS, 2) Kiho’iho’i Kanawai – a project for OHA, 3)  Pelehonuamea – a Geothermal project for KS; 4) Honuaiākea Summit for interdisciplinary exploration, 5) ʻĪmakakoloa protocols for public access, 5) ʻAha Pāwalu protocols for 20 year clean up of Kanaloa-Kahoʻolawe
  • Most recent publications include: The Charm of Kiʻi chapter for Moʻolelo, UH Press (publihsed 2023); Embracing the sacred: an indigenous framework for tomorrow’s sustainability science.  Journal for Sustainability Science Special Issue. 2013; Cultivating Sacred Kinship Green readiness, response, and recovery: a collaborative synthesis. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-18x. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2017;  “Increasing Conservation Capacity by Embracing Ritual: Kuahu as a Portal to the Sacred” . Journal of Pacific Conservation Biology Special Issue: Transforming Conservation Biology Through Indigenous Perspectives. 2020.
  • Most recent ritual design & facilitation projects including, 1) ʻAha Mauna, 2) ʻAha Hoʻākua for the Hokuleʻa World Wide Voyage, 3) 2018 Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress -ʻAha ʻAwa, Opening Protocol, Daily Protocol, Closing Protocols
  • 2016 Kekuhi opened Lonoa Honua, a single owner for profit to develop & deliver professional & personal development programs such as: Ulu Ka ʻŌhiʻa-Hula Consciousness Seminar,  Hālau ʻŌhiʻa-Hawaiʻi Stewardship Training, Oli Honua Hawaii Chant training, Kāʻao: Timeless Stories, Kāmoe: Triggering Dream, and ʻIʻiwi Pōlena:  Stewardship Program for Youth. 
  • Lonoa Honua LLC programs has served individuals, institutions, and organizations, including:  OHA, DOFAW, DLNR, KS, USDA-IPIF, NOAA, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, DOE, The Nature Conservancy, UH Manoa Symphony of Hawaiʻiʻs Forests project, US Coral Reef Task Force, USGS-Hawaiʻi Island, PKO, Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference,
  • Lonoa Honua LLC co-creates the ʻIkuwā Fest, a collaboration with Nā ʻOhana Waʻa and ʻImloa Astronomy Center.
  • We are in the 3rd year of the Edith Kanakaʻole World Oli Festival 2023 (formerly known as World Oli Movement) a unique Hybrid multi-day event highlighting the depth and breadth of OLI.
  • One of Kekuhiʻs passionʻs is strengthening the relationship between Hawaiʻi ecological wisdom and scientific wisdom. Kekuhi served as the Senior Scholar at The Kohala Center for 20 years. She has the honor of working with some of Hawaiʻiʻs most passionate committed conservation and restoration organizations, individuals, and initiatives, one of them being the Kā Mauli Hou-the statewide Hawaiʻi Conservation and Restoration Initiative, the USDA Forest Service, Kekuhi continues to facilitate ways of improving how Hawaiʻi consciousness and science & technology consciousness can work in harmony for the wellbeing of Hawaiʻi.
  • In addition to hula, chant, & Hawaiʻi-ecology, Kekuhiʻs love affair with music as a way to heighten and expand vibrations of wellbeing in the world, inspired a singing career. As co-creators, Kekuhi & husband Tangaro gave birth to 3-CDs, “Hahani Mai” (Punahele Productions), and “Kekuhi”, and “Honey Boy” (MountainApple Company). She was honored with a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award as Female Vocalist of the Year in 1999, and has performed on numerous concert stages over the past 20 years. Kekuhi spends part of her music career with her daughter Kaumakaiwa Kealiikanakaole and artist & producer Shawn Kekoa Pimental. We released the single Moloka’i Jam in 2013.  Kekuhi has recently produced and released the 21st Anniversary Edition of Hahani Mai and an all new Hahani Mai: Reimagined on June 21, 2018. The most recent public release of two originals and one remake was in May 2020.

Hānai Ahu: Development and Launch

PRESENTED BY THE AANHPI ʻOHANA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, MĀPUNA LAB, and PAPA OLA LŌKAHI

Join the Māpuna Lab’s virtual summer training series: Hānai Ahu: Anchoring Culture in Substance Use Treatment & Prevention Models. The series focuses on adopting cultural anchors for substance use treatment and prevention strategies. This series provides a tri-lens cultural view of substance use emphasizing “The Impacts of Colonization on Ahupuaʻa. Conceptualization, V3.0” framework that recently launched with the Hawaiʻi State Plan for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health. Learn more at mapunalab.com/hanai-ahu. 

What is your ahu?
What is your pua‘a?

Next Steps: Development and Launch

Kealiʻimakamanaonalani Poʻoloa leads the seventh training in the Hānai Ahu: Anchoring Culture in Substance Use Treatment & Prevention Models series in collaboration with the AANHPI ‘Ohana of Excellence. This is Makawalu Naʻauʻao Primary Prevention Curriculum for Substance Use: Reconnecting to Culture, Part 4 ~ Next Steps: Development and Launch

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will engage in an immersive learning experience and identify ways SAMHSAʻs Working Definition of Recovery can be utilized through engaging with the Makawalu Naʻauʻao Primary Prevention Curriculum for Substance Use.
  •  Participants will learn how to utilize The Impacts of Colonization on Ahupuaʻa. Conceptualization, V3.0 to understand the importance of itʻs relation to place based learning as presented in the Makawalu Naʻauʻao Primary Prevention Curriculum for Substance Use, as it relates to substance use and recovery.
  • Participants will understand how the activities presented in the Makawalu Naʻauʻao Primary Prevention Curriculum for Substance Use, a culturally based curriculum can be applied in their professional role using the 12 Core Functions of a Counselor for Substance Use (CSAC) working with middle school to high school age youth.

DOWNLOADS & REPLAY

Download the Training flier here

Hānai Ahu: Patient and Practitioner Empowerment through AI

PRESENTED BY THE AANHPI ʻOHANA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, MĀPUNA LAB, and PAPA OLA LŌKAHI

Join the Māpuna Lab’s virtual summer training series: Hānai Ahu: Anchoring Culture in Substance Use Treatment & Prevention Models. The series focuses on adopting cultural anchors for substance use treatment and prevention strategies. This series provides a tri-lens cultural view of substance use emphasizing “The Impacts of Colonization on Ahupuaʻa. Conceptualization, V3.0” framework that recently launched with the Hawaiʻi State Plan for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health. Learn more at mapunalab.com/hanai-ahu. 

What is your ahu?
What is your pua‘a?

Patient and Practitioner Empowerment through AI

Hawaii Opioid Initiative (HOI) Workgroup members, social workers, health care providers, and community members will come together to learn the Ahupua’a Framework and its applications. Attendees will learn how AI can empower them as patients and/or practitioners within the healthcare system. Specific 1 examples of the use of AI will involve substance use.

Learning Objective 1
Participants will understand the history and use of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) acronym in data collection and the importance of data disaggregation for other Pacific Islanders in Hawai‘i.

Learning Objective 2
Participants will identify strategies to avoid creating harm with data-informed decision making and evaluation by understanding how data can provide context on historical and generational trauma of different population groups which can be used as a CSAC screening tool.

Learning Objective 3
Participants will engage in an immersive learning experience with cultural knowledge to develop strategies for inclusion of programming that serves the other Pacific Island communities.

DOWNLOADS & REPLAY

This event has passed. You can watch the replay on our YouTube, or here on the website.