Ku`ualoha Ho`omanawanui joined the English Department faculty as an Assistant Professor of Hawaiian literature in Fall 2007. A long-time advocate of Hawaiian education, Ku`ualoha holds the only faculty position dedicated to Hawaiian literature anywhere in the world.
   Born in Kailua, O`ahu, and raised both there and at Wailua Homesteads, Kaua`i, Ku`ualoha Ho`omanawanui is the oldest of two girls and one of many mo`opuna (grandchildren) of her most important inspiration, her Hawaiian tūtū (grandmother) Sarah Poni’ala Kakelaka Meyer. “I was lucky to be born on my tūtū’s birthday; my inspiration for pursuing Hawaiian language, literature, and cultural knowledge all stems from her positive and loving influence.”
    Ku`ualoha’s educational background includes a B.A. in Hawaiian Studies from Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at UHM, where she focused on Hawaiian folklore, literature, and traditional society. Her Senior thesis, directed by Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, concerns the decolonizing of Hawaiian literature. She received her M.A. in Polynesian Religion, also at UHM under the mentorship of Professor John Charlot. “I began my initial research into traditional Hawaiian literature, focusing on the Pele and Hi`iaka literature. My M.A. thesis analyses the religious and literary contexts of the mo`olelo (story) of Pele and a mo`o (lizard) goddess rival, Wakakeakaikawai.”

ku'ualoha ho'omanawanui

Her PhD work, completed within the English Department in August 2007, closely examines different genres and periods of Hawaiian literature and its relation to other indigenous literatures of the Pacific. Under the direction of Dr. Cristina Bacchilega, Ku`ualoha extended her initial M.A. research to include multiple publications of Pele and Hi`iaka literature published in various Hawaiian language nūpepa (newspapers) from 1861-1928.
    Ku`ualoha credits her family with encouraging her academic career: “I consider myself very fortunate that my family not only valued education, but had the means to support me emotionally and financially through college. When I transferred to UHM from Kaua`i Community College in 1985, most Hawaiian students enrolled at the time were first generation in their families to go to college. The percentage of Hawaiians who matriculated was something like eight percent. Eight percent! Of that, only two percent went to graduate school. Unfortunately, these statistics haven’t changed much over the past twenty years, and there are a number of great people working on changing that. I only knew one other Hawaiian who was the second generation Hawaiian in her family to go to college. My tūtū was a special education teacher who attended teacher’s college; my grandfather was a bus driver; and my dad went to college in California for a few years but never graduated. I am hopeful as more Hawaiians graduate from college, we will see more generations of college-educated Hawaiians who will be dedicated and inspirational members and leaders of our lāhui [nation].”
    Ku`ualoha comes to the department with over ten years of teaching experience at the collegiate level. She began as a GA and lecturer in Hawaiian Studies from 1993-1996, teaching both the introductory course to Hawaiian Studies (Hwnst 107) and the Hawaiian mythology course (Hwnst 270) at both UHM and Kapi`olani Community College. For a short time she also taught courses in Children’s literature at Chaminade University. From 1997-2004 she was a G.A. and lecturer in the English Department while completing her PhD coursework.
    Ku`ualoha is active in other areas of Hawaiian literature. She is a founding editor and, since 2004, Chief Editor of `Ōiwi, a native hawaiian journal, the first publication of the contemporary period to exclusively feature Native Hawaiian writers and artists. The journal, as envisioned by its creator Mahealani Dudoit, publishes translations and original works in Hawaiian, English, and Hawai`i Creole English in multiple genres, by new writers, established writers, and republications of writers from the past. “Mahealani knew how difficult it was for Hawaiian writers to get published in other venues for various reasons. `Ōiwi was created as a place where Hawaiian literary voices could be heard, nurtured, appreciated. Literary production is a natural outgrowth of our oral traditions, and I am both humbled and proud to carry on Mahealani’s legacy through `Ōiwi.”
    In addition, Ku`ualoha heads Kuleana `Ōiwi Press, `Ōiwi’s publisher. In 2007, with support from the Ho`oulu Hou Wayne Westlake hui, the press launched the Wayne Westlake monograph series for Native Hawaiian writers. The inaugural publication, a collection of poetry called Uluhaimalama by long-time writer Mahealani Perez-Wendt, was released in March 2008. In addition, Kuleana `Ōiwi Press established a partnership with Kahuaomānoa, a UHM student-run press dedicated to publishing works by UH students. Its first publication featured Native Hawaiian writer Sage U`ilani Takehiro. Ku`ualoha also sits on the board of Hulili, a journal of Hawaiian Education and Well-Being published by Kamehameha Schools Press.
    Ku`ualoha’s academic interests are wide-ranging; she has published articles and given conference presentation on topics from traditional to contemporary Hawaiian and Pacific literatures, translation studies, folklore and mythology, traditional Hawaiian music and the influences of reggae and hip hop, and children’s literature. She is also a two-time recipient of the prestigious Ford Foundation Fellowship for Minority students. She received both pre-doctoral and doctoral support while working on her Ph.D. “I plan to apply for a Ford post-doc and also to look at other post-doc opportunities to do research in the greater Pacific when the time is right.”
    In addition to her academic scholarship, Ku`ualoha is an accomplished artist, specializing in acrylics and watercolor. She is also a pianist (a talent cultivated by her tūtū, a very accomplished musician) and creative writer. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in `Ōiwi, Whetu Moana, Boundary 2, Chain, Acoma, Women Writing Oceania, Shout Out! Women of Color Respond to Violence, and Ka Wai Ola o OHA, with more writing being published soon, including a chapbook-length collection of poetry. With a strong interest in music, she has also composed Hawaiian-language mele (songs) for different recording artists, most notably for Keali`i Blaisdell’s Ka Ulu Mai `Ole CD (Hula Records 1998).
    As a creative writer, Hawaiian literature scholar, and `Ōiwi editor, outside of her teaching Ku`ualoha works in different areas of Hawaiian education, conducting art and writing workshops, giving lectures on Hawaiian literature, folklore, and mythology, or taking groups out on the `āina (land) to study wahi pana (sacred places) up close. More recently, some of the different community and educational groups Ku`ualoha has worked with include Kamehameha Schools Talent Search program, Native Nations Youth Exchange, Hālau Wānana, Ka Ho`i Wai, Hālau Lōkahi and Kanuikapono Hawaiian charter schools, Department of Human Services Foster Care program, and Kaua`i Youth Teen Challenge.
    “I am very thankful that I am able to offer something of value to Hawaiian education and the various communities I am a part of. I love going home to Kaua`i every week and reconnecting with the `āina and the people there. I also am happy to travel now too, outside of Hawai`i to other parts of the Pacific. I’ve been to Aotearoa (New Zealand) twice so far, and have also been to Tahiti. I’ve met Native American educators, writers and artists in Canada, and am excited to meet and work with so many indigenous people and our supporters who are working with such diligence and enthusiasm to create positive change for our communities around the Pacific and around the globe.”
    The community aspect of Ku`ualoha’s work is of vital importance to her, particularly on Kaua`i, where she maintains close ties, especially after working for three years as a Ka`a Mōhala (Community Representative) there with Kamehameha Schools, a job she cherished while writing her dissertation. “I was very aware of racism against darker skinned Hawaiians when I was growing up. While I couldn’t articulate it at the time, I knew I was treated better than my darker skinned classmates because I am hapa (mixed) and could ‘pass-fo-haole’—because I looked so white. When college was tough and I wanted to quit, I remember all of them, and knew I carried them with me. I needed to succeed not just for myself, not just to make my family proud, but because of the many other Hawaiians who weren’t given the same chances and opportunities I was. I needed to succeed so I would be able to give back to the Hawaiian community something that has been denied to us through colonization—the opportunity to be encouraged to pursue our passions, to have pride in who we are, our culture, our beliefs and value systems—that is the most important thing I can offer Hawaiian students I come in contact with. More importantly, I hope to be a positive influence on non-Hawaiians too, especially those who don’t know much about us, or who have limited or shallow views about Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian people.” 
    Ku`ualoha is actively working on introducing new ways for Hawaiian literature and Hawaiian culture to be incorporated into her English classes. This past Fall, she taught Eng 370, Literatures of Hawai`i, and Eng 272, a “Literature and Culture” class which focused on the theme “The Hawaiian Experience.” She says, “this class was important to me because it was my first opportunity to introduce Hawaiian literature exclusively into an English department class. The class looked at the basic question of ‘who are Native Hawaiians?’ We started with oral traditions of the past, moved through early writing in Hawaiian to contemporary literature. It was very exciting for me, and the students enjoyed the opportunity to learn something new.”
    Currently, Ku`ualoha is teaching Eng 371, Pacific Literature, and Eng 100, Freshmen Composition. “I am excited about teaching Pacific literature from an indigenous Pacific perspective, featuring all indigenous Pacific writers. When I was an undergraduate some 20 years ago, the course focus was on western writers in the Pacific. I am not the first to teach indigenous texts, but I am happy to continue in this direction.” Next year, Ku`ualoha will be teaching the first graduate level course in Hawaiian literature in the department, and will continue to work with department administration in developing new courses in the area. “When I first came into the department as a graduate student, someone asked me if I thought there was enough literature to develop a strand in the program. Without question there is. It is not difficult to envision teaching Hawaiian literature by periods, authors, or genres, as American and British literature has been taught. The possibilities of this and more is so exciting, and our department must be commended for this incredible leap forward in the support of the continued development of Hawaiian literature as not just another voice of world literature, but the establishment of a new area of literary scholarship.”