Note: This presentation requires a passcode to enter the room. The passcode is: 12345.Increasing and sustaining wellbeing requires relevant and actionable data. Despite composing more than one-fifth of Hawaiʻi’s population, Native Hawaiians (NHs), as the Indigenous peoples of the state, are typically reported within the broader category of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders. This is problematic as it masks the unique social realities of Native Hawaiians. In addition, data collected by state agencies are narrowly focused and primarily deficit-based.
To collect relevant and actionable data, Kamehameha Schools, Liliʻuokalani Trust, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs partnered with Marzano Research to administer a statewide survey from November 2020 to February 2021 to examine wellbeing in Hawaiʻi from a holistic, strengths-based perspective and utilized a Hawaiian culture-based wellbeing framework to represent the results. The wellbeing framework, Kūkulu Kumuhana, was first presented to NASW Hawaiʻi at the 2018 NASW Hawaiʻi conference as a poster. In 2021, we return with a proof of concept in its application. The framework is holistic, multi-dimensional, and promotes social justice. The six interconnected dimensions are Ea–Self determination, ‘Āina Momona–Healthy and productive land and people, Pilina–Mutually sustaining relationships, Waiwai –Ancestral abundance, collective wealth, ‘Ōiwi–Cultural identity and native intelligence and Ke Akua Mana—spirituality and the sacredness of mana.
This presentation highlights strengths and challenges regarding Native Hawaiian wellbeing to support programs, inform communities, and improve policy. We will explore commonalities and differences between Native Hawaiians and non-Hawaiian experiences statewide and across counties. Implications for the profession of social work on micro-, mezzo-, and macro-levels will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the limitations of current data on Native Hawaiians
- Explain the need to collect, analyze, and report out data that reflects the strengths of marginalized populations, particularly Native Hawaiians
- Describe general commonalities and differences of wellbeing between Native Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians.
The evaluation/CE request form for this program can be found
HERE.
