Project Summary
The purpose of this project is to address the disproportionate rates of gender-based violence experienced by Native Hawaiian women, girls, māhū through a Kānaka ʻŌiwi-led coalition to generate accurate, community-governed data that advances healing, justice, and Indigenous data sovereignty.
Research Questions/Aims
- How does coalition building strengthen community-driven, culturally grounded data collection that leads to actionable solutions?
- How can data support healing and social justice for Native Hawaiian communities over time?
Actionability
- Exercise data sovereignty by co-creating and using the findings of a quantitative survey for community education, advocacy, and to support for Native Hawaiian serving organizations.
Meeting the Moment
There has been an increased silencing of gender-based violence in Hawai’i. While Indigenous communities on Turtle Island have spent decades advocating for data sovereignty around Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, research is still emerging. This project is timely in its response to data genocide as the team focuses their research and practice on Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women, Girls, Māhū, (MMNHWGM) and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People more broadly.
Outcomes
Health Outcomes: Health and wellbeing of Indigenous feminine people
Other: Formation and sustainability of the Coalition, development and implementation of a culturally relevant survey, strengthened community stewardship over data, and growth in the coalition network
Methodology
As a muti-phase study using community-based participatory research approaches and Indigenous research design, the Coalition will co-develop, pilot, and disseminate a comprehensive community survey to assess the prevalence, health impacts, and structural determinants of gender-based violence against Kānaka ʻŌiwi. The theoretical and conceptual basis for this work is grounded in Native Hawaiian epistemology and Indigenous feminist theory, centering relationality, collective healing, and self-determination as foundations for wellbeing.
Kamāwaelualani Corp.