Aloha as fearlessness : lessons from the mo'olelo of eight native Hawaiian female educational leaders on transforming the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa into a Hawaiian place of learning

Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2014.Includes bibliographical references.Part of the strategic goal number one of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) is to "promote a Hawaiian place of learning." However, UHM is a predominantly non-Hawaiian university by every definition, thus the culture and environment of the institution make it difficult to implement the strategic goal. Further, current Western frameworks and theories on institutional transformation typically do not acknowledge the existence and experiences of Indigenous Peoples and Native Hawaiians in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how Native Hawaiian remembrance, knowledge, experiences, practices, and value systems provide insight into how to transform UHM into a Hawaiian place of learning. I began this dissertation by posing the question: How can the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a predominantly non-Hawaiian university, transform into a Hawaiian place of learning? Two additional sub-questions included: What are the relationships between Native Hawaiian values and Western higher education values that support and/or inhibit the transformation of UHM into a Hawaiian place of learning? How might UHM utilize these lessons learned to build its capacity to transform into a Hawaiian place of learning? In order to explore these questions, I learned from the individual and collective mo'olelo--as interconnected stories and life experiences--of eight Native Hawaiian female educators who have been pioneers over the last 30 years in transforming spaces into Hawaiian places of learning. In addition, I learned from artifacts and archival documents related to UHM that helped to tell the institution's story. My findings are presented in two emerging frameworks, namely the 'A'ali'i Kū Makani and Hō'ālani frameworks. The 'A'ali'i Kū Makani framework directs our attention to the cyclical nature of transformative processes as well as to the varied conditions in which these processes occur within the Indigenous and Native Hawaiian contexts. The Hō'ālani framework provides a holistic model for individuals to become grounded and engaged in core Hawaiian values, concepts, and processes by which they can become empowered and fearless to fulfill their kuleana--as responsibilities and privileges--to Hawaiʻi and her people. The frameworks, then, become guides for institutional practices, leadership, and policy