Dr. Lui K. Hokoana: A Study Of Leadership At The University Of Hawai‘i, An Indigenous Serving Institution (an Oral History Inquiry)

Abstract

As an indigenous serving institution, the University of Hawai‘i (UH) serves all indigenous groups including Pacific Islander groups. Continual and practical training of emerging educational leaders at the UH is critical to the ongoing success of Hawai‘i’s only public post-secondary institution. Employing the oral history methodology, I examined the leadership journey of Dr. Lui K. Hokoana as he navigated through the UH system to identify key leadership themes, trends and characteristics of an effective leader serving within the UH, as an indigenous serving institution. As a Native Hawaiian, UH leader and crafter of the UH Hawai‘i Papa O Ke Ao (HPOKA) Initiative, Dr. Hokoana presented a unique mo‘olelo (story) that I studied through the theoretical framework of Burgess’ Building My Beloved Community as a qualitative research project. I conducted a purposeful sampling of fifteen supporting participants. Of the fifteen supporting participants, eleven participated in a semi-structured interview and four participated in a focus group interview. I conducted five semi-structured interviews of Dr. Hokoana as the primary participant. Through a deductive analysis, I identified six pre-determined typologies based on the Mission of UH Maui College and the UH Hawai‘i Papa O Ke Ao Report. From the data, I identified seven emergent typologies. I summarized the data supporting the pre-determined and the emergent typologies and I identified four overall themes based on Native Hawaiian concepts presented in the data. The typologies suggested Dr. Hokoana’s leadership characteristics are kuleana, responsibility to family and community; pilina, relationships, such as mentoring, providing opportunities, having a safe environment, trusting relationships and student, employee and community advocacy; having an optimistic outlook; supported by ‘ohana values, such as ho‘okipa, hospitality and humility; addressing challenges by the support of ‘ohana values; and being adaptive to change. From Dr. Hokoana’s mo‘olelo, it was suggested that a beloved community of leaders would know one’s hua and have appreciation for one’s gifts, develop and maintain meaningful relationships through radical aloha; live and lead through Native Hawaiian values balanced within a traditional and contemporary framework; and support the notion that everyone can lead from whatever position they hold.