HAWAI'I

Hawaiʻi Office

Our Hawai’i office is a new venture for us established in 2017. It arose from our desire to support our Native Hawaiian brothers and sisters as they continue to grow their amazing Native Hawaiian health systems and begin to consider a sustainable indigenous governance model for the future.

Times are exciting for Native Hawaiians who have fought for Federal recognition and their form of self-governance for many years. Like most indigenous people our Polynesians family there has been negatively impacted by colonisation, racism and discrimination. This has not stopped Native Hawaiians from developing an amazing Native Hawaiian Health System with leadership from Papa Ola Lōkahi and partners from the University and Queens Health System.

All of the services we offer are now available to our Native Hawaiian family. We have already partnered with Queens Health System to successfully complete the wonderful ‘He Huliau’ indigenous health conference in 2016 and we hope this relationship continues.

In 2019 we began a wonderful relationship with Papa Ola Lōkahi and the Native Hawaiian Health Care (NHHC) systems who serve Native Hawaiians across the Islands. In our first year we undertook a review of the current programs delivered by the NHHC systems on Kauaʻi (who also serve the island of Niʻihau); Molokaʻi (who also serve Lānaʻi); Maui; the big Island of Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu. We were very privileged to be able to meet all the staff that we did who are delivering front-line care to the community, addressing many health issues which are similar to indigenous people around the world. This work resulted in a strengths and gaps analysis of current programmes according to an ‘ideal’ model of care developed with the systems.

In year 2 of the project we have started undertaking community engagement to hear directly from community members about their needs and what they see as the strengths and gaps of health services and programs. This has been an amazing experience meeting community members – attending kāne, wāhine and kūpuna groups – just feeling right at home actually. Our Polynesian brothers and sisters are so much like us that it feels like being at a hui back in Aotearoa. The same passion, desire and aspirations for the future run deep also among our Native Hawaiian cousins. We will continue this work of engaging the community across all Islands in 2020-2021 and will pull together a summary report (along with our year 1 work) that will help inform the strategy for the next 10 – 20 years.

We are hugely appreciative of the opportunity to work with the Native Hawaiian Health Care systems and our Polynesian relatives. Any enquiries about our Hawai’i mahi please email Mara at mara@kahuitautoko.com.