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He Wahi Leo Mahalo
Mahalo nui to Kamehameha Schools for funding this critical work, and to the organizations who endorsed the effort:
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Department of Hawaiian Homelands
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Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation
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Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies
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Kamehameha Schools ʻĀina ‘Ulu
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Office of Hawaiian Affairs
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Office of Native Hawaiian Relations
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University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Department of Anthropology
Mahalo nui to Ward Research, Inc. for collaborating with us to envision and complete this project. Mahalo to the interviewees who generously shared their manaʻo and ʻike, and to all survey participants who were likewise generous with their time and insights.
Introduction to the Wahi Kūpuna Sector Survey Project
The first of its kind in Hawai'i, this project is an initial, data-driven characterization of the Wahi Kūpuna Sector. It is a grassroots and community-focused effort that was designed and implemented by the Kaliʻuokapaʻakai Collective and Huliauapa‘a, in collaboration with Ward Research. Proactive, and pae 'āina (archipelago) -wide, this project gathers information and perspectives from stakeholders across a variety of disciplines and professions. Survey results, including a formal report shared publicly, will be used to inform workforce development, educational pipelines, systemic improvements, and culturally-grounded ethics and standards in practices that impact wahi kūpuna.
Purpose and Goals
Since a study of this nature hasnʻt been conducted in Hawai‘i before, the overall objective of this project was to generate a data-driven characterization of the Wahi Kūpuna Sector in Hawai‘i. Research aims included generating baseline data and information in order to:
Methods
This project aimed to gather and relay baseline Sector information crucial to identifying and understanding pono ways to strengthen and improve the Sector. Anonymized in-depth interviews, an online survey, and secondary Sector research were used to collect and generate information on education and skills requirements, industry employment trends and economic opportunities, best practices, existing needs and challenges, and future opportunities and partnerships. The perspectives of people who work within and are impacted by the Sector provided valuable insight into evaluating the landscape.
November 2026
Report Launch
Register at www.tinyurl.com/wksector to join Huliauapaʻa and Ward Research for the virtual public launch of the Wahi Kūpuna Sector Survey on Tuesday, November 17 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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