"We call to the voices of Waialua" Envisioning a Waialua Heritage Center Connecting Past, Present and Future

Abstract

How can community-based museums, archives and libraries (memory institutions) build an organization that is accountable to the community at all levels of the organization? In Waialua, community members have fought changes brought on by settler-colonialism including over-development, tourism and military development for many generations. This thesis will provide recommendations for how a heritage center can support this continued fight by drawing on the hands-on experiences of community-focused memory institution professionals, and the wisdom and experiences of community members from Waialua working with the North Shore Ethnographic Field School. From "behind-the-scenes” strategies for community consultation and staffing policies, to front-facing exhibit design and education practices, community-based memory institutions must find ways to be accountable and committed to the communities they represent.