Research
As an ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian) ecologist, my work is grounded in Hawaiʻi, my island home. Hawaiʻi has been deemed “the endangered species capital of the world” and imports 85% of its food and material needs. The state of the islands was not always like this, as ʻōiwi developed biodiverse agroecosystems. Due to the resilient efforts of ʻōiwi community members, these systems are being restored. In this way, Hawaiʻi serves as an excellent model system for my research program and global issues.
The overarching goal of my research program is to design ʻāina momona (abundant lands) grounded in both Indigenous and Western science to uplift thriving communities and our environment.
This context and goal guide my research interests to address this triple threat:
I ground these interests within Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles to respectfully utilize this data and engage with communities. I also use a Two-eyed seeing framework, where Indigenous and Western science can be helpful partners in tackling wicked issues. These interests are at the intersection of several fields: community ecology, entomology, genomics, and sociology.