Sponsor
Publication of this article in an open access journal was funded by the Portland State University Library’s Open Access Fund.
Published In
Genealogy
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2020
Subjects
Hawaii -- Indigenous Peoples -- History
Abstract
This study examines a historical trauma theory-informed framework to remember Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or māhū (LGBTQM) experiences of colonization in Hawai`i. Kānaka Maoli people and LGBTQM Kānaka Maoli face health issues disproportionately when compared with racial and ethnic minorities in Hawai’i, and to the United States as a whole. Applying learnings from historical trauma theorists, health risks are examined as social and community-level responses to colonial oppressions. Through the crossover implementation of the Historical Loss Scale (HLS), this study makes connections between historical losses survived by Kānaka Maoli and mental health. Specifically, this manuscript presents unique ways that Kānaka Maoli describe and define historical losses, and place-based themes that emerged. These themes were: the militarization of land; the adoption of christianity by Kānaka Maoli ali`i; the overthrow of the sovereign Hawaiian monarch; and the importance of māhū and LGBTQ perspectives. Each of these themes will be presented in detail. Written by a queer, mestiza Pinay-American scholar, her mentor, a lesbian Kanaka Maoli scholar/activist, with contributions from Community Advisory Board members, there will also be discussion about ethics of research with and for Kānaka Maoli.
Rights
Copyright (c) 2020 The Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.3390/genealogy4040116
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/34583
Citation Details
Alvarez, A. R., Kanuha, V., Anderson, M. K., Kapua, C., & Bifulco, K. (2020). “We Were Queens.” Listening to Kānaka Maoli Perspectives on Historical and On-Going Losses in Hawai’i. Genealogy, 4(4), 116.