Embodying Haumea: wāhine scholars cultivating Kanaka independence/ts in the academy

Abstract

In this paper, we, a collective of wāhine ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian women), reflect on how we may hoʻokō (fulfill) our kuleana lāhui (nation-building responsibilities) through our positions in the academy. While doing this work has always already been tenuous given the occupied state of ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian nation), this tenuousness and the stakes of this work are perhaps even higher within the current political climate of the United States. Through dialogue, we consider the ways that we have striven to kūʻē (resist, stand up) through our research, teaching, and service and express our hopes for the students and broader community we hope to serve.