Aha Kane Foundation for the Advancement of Native Hawaiian Males

Aha Kāne will work with a consultant and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to create a publicly accessible resource documenting three decades of repatriation work. Nā Mea Hawai'i (Hawaiian ancestral remains, funerary possessions, and cultural items) are scattered throughout the globe but many documents, pictures, databases, emails, letters and other research relating to items that have been returned are stored in boxes in rural Hilo. A consulting project director, repatriation specialist, and document technician will coordinate project activities, including the creation of a searchable digital archive and two new databases reflecting past and ongoing efforts to identify Nā Mea Hawai'i held nationally and internationally. The transformation of these materials into a digital repository will increase an understanding of healing from trauma, improving the well-being of Hawaiian families while sharing Native Hawaiian worldviews and cultural practices with others.