Based on community interest, we have engaged in research around Native Hawaiian historical trauma and resilience.
About our work
Who do we work with?
We work with a number of different community organizations across Oahu to determine appropriateness of research topics, methods, and community engagement strategies related to Native Hawaiian historical trauma. Through ongoing consultation and collaboration, we strive to center Indigenous knowledge systems and promote healing in all stages of the research process.
What have we done?
Our team has worked on several research projects focused on the impact and composition of Native Hawaiian historical trauma and resilience, grounded in close partnership with community stakeholders across Hawaiʻi. In addition to conducting community-engaged research, we develop policy briefs and other translational products designed to inform systems-level change, with a particular focus on legislative impact at the state level. Our work emphasizes how research findings can strengthen laws, policies, and institutional practices affecting Native Hawaiian communities. For details on our projects, please see “Projects.”
We regularly disseminate our findings through presentations at national and local conferences, as well as through targeted trainings and briefings, including sessions for the Hawaiʻi judicial system and other public sector partners.
Goals
We are conducting this research because historical trauma remains an under-measured yet deeply impactful determinant of health and well-being within the Native Hawaiian community.
To address this gap, we aim to develop a culturally grounded scale to measure historical trauma and identify its prevalence across generations. Establishing a psychometrically sound and community-informed measure will enable more accurate assessment of its scope and effects. This tool will also inform the development of targeted interventions, guide resource allocation, and strengthen policy advocacy efforts that promote healing, resilience, and long-term community well-being.
Mahalo to our funders!
