Ho‘i Hou Ka Mauli Ola: Pathways to Native Hawaiian Health

This pioneering collection highlights the historic, groundbreaking, and fascinating work done by doctors, researchers, and healthcare providers to improve the life of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The relevance of their work impacts all of us regardless of ethnicity because the discoveries made in the search for solutions to health problems, cures to diseases, and improvements to healthcare benefit all who call Hawaiʻi, as well as the broader Pacific, home.

The majority of the thirty-three contributors are affiliated with the Department of Native Hawaiian Health of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and represent many disciplines, strategies, and programs whose research, findings, and projects are built on the contributions of pioneers in medicine and healthcare in Hawaiʻi. As such, this book is dedicated to the late Richard Kekuni Blaisdell and includes an interview with him, bringing to the fore his essential voice on Native Hawaiian health.

Mauli means life, heart, spirit, our essential nature. Ola means well-being, healthy. “Hoʻi hou ka mauli ola,” or, bringing back the state of vibrant health, is the chief objective and the passion of the contributors. In addition to interviews, the volume includes historical information, personal narratives, mele oli, research findings, and descriptions of community programs.

• Winona K. Mesiona Lee, Editor

  Winona K. Mesiona Lee is director of the Medical Education Division in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawaiʻi’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.

• Mele A. Look, Editor

  Mele A. Look is director for community engagement at the Center for Native and Pacific Health Disparities Research (P20) and the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawaiʻi’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Contributors

• Nina Leialoha Beckwith
• Richard Kekuni Blaisdell
• S. Kalani Brady
• Dee-Ann Carpenter
• Rebecca Delafield
• Māpuana de Silva
• Sasha Naomi Kehaulani Hayashi Treschuk Fernandes
• Courtney Kielemaikalani Gaddis
• Akolea K. Ioane
• ‘Ānela K. Nacapoy Iwane
• Marcus Kawika Iwane
• Nanette Kapulani Mossman Judd
• Joseph Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula
• Martina Leialoha Kamaka
• Leimomi Kanagusuku
• C. Malina Kaulukukui
• Dana-Lynn Ko‘omoa
• Malia-Susanne Lee
• Winona K. Mesiona Lee
• Mele A. Look
• Gregory G. Maskarinec
• Alika K. Maunakea
• Diane S. L. Paloma
• Karen K. Sakamoto
• Shelley Soong
• Patrice Ming-Lei Tim Sing
• Kalehua Tolentino
• Claire Townsend
• Kelli-Ann Frank Voloch
• Kamuela Werner
• Vanessa S. Wong
• Benjamin Young

• With respect to relevance and interest, this book is absolutely over the top. The ability to articulate or demonstrate Native Hawaiian health is masterful.
  —David K. Sing, founder of Nā Pua No‘eau Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children and Ke Ola Mau Advisory Council
• Wonderful, enjoyed it. Very, very important to share the work that is being done with the wider readership.
  —Beadie Dawson, Friends of the Medical School in support of the John A. Burns School of Medicine