Date of Conferral

3-13-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Emmanuel Tetteh

Abstract

In the transition from a monarchical to a democratic governance system in Hawaiʻi, Indigenous perspectives have not been fully integrated into land-use decision-making, resulting in mistrust, cultural marginalization, and inequitable policy outcomes. While prior researchers have examined colonization in Hawaiʻi, there is limited understanding of how Hawaiian cultural protocols may impact modern state-level decisions regarding Indigenous land use. The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic case study was to explore perceptions and lived experiences related to the cultural protocol of Kapu Aloha among Kanaka Maoli who participated in the Mauna Kea blockade and government officials involved in permitting Indigenous land for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The polarities of democracy theory served as the conceptual foundation for examining how democratic tensions shape cultural and political interactions. Data were gathered through responsive interviews, participant observation, and available governmental depositions. The findings indicated that historical experiences of dispossession and unresolved grief contributed to the disengagement of the Indigenous community from state governance processes. In contrast, Kapu Aloha served as a cultural and ethical framework that reinforced peaceful resistance, collective identity, and community responsibility. Analysis of this study’s findings contributed to an understanding of how Indigenous cultural practices shape trust-building processes, participation patterns, and policy interactions, offering evidence to inform culturally responsive land-use decision-making in Hawaiʻi and similar governance contexts and potentially lead to positive social change.

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