Pollinating futures: Relational conservation, indigenous geographies, and the biocultural life of Hylaeus in Kaʻena, Oʻahu

Abstract

This thesis examines the ecological, cultural, and epistemological dimensions of conservation through a relational study of Hylaeus anthracinus, a federally endangered bee endemic to Hawaiʻi. Centered at Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu, the research integrates field observation, archival analysis, systems mapping, and Indigenous Hawaiian frameworks of kilo (attentive observation) and pilina (relationship).Findings reveal that Hylaeus anthracinus occupies not only an ecological niche but also a relational role as a multispecies actor and diagnostic presence. Its rarity and elusiveness reflect broader systemic disruptions: habitat fragmentation, competition with introduced pollinators, and the erasure of cultural geographies. By combining Actor-Network Theory, systems thinking, and Indigenous knowledge systems, this study shows how extinction is both a biological and epistemological process—a loss of mutualisms, language, and cultural memory. Methodologically, this research advances a hybrid approach that refuses extractive data collection in favor of relational accountability. Through repeated field visits, participatory mapping, and the inclusion of moʻolelo (narratives) and inoa ʻāina (place names), the study demonstrates how conservation can become a practice of restoring not only species but relationships. Ultimately, the thesis argues that effective stewardship requires centering Indigenous futures and knowledge sovereignty. In an era of accelerating biodiversity loss, it calls for conservation frameworks grounded in biocultural abundance, epistemic justice, and the recognition that the health of ecosystems is inseparable from the vitality of cultural and genealogical ties. Hylaeus anthracinus, in this context, emerges not simply as a pollinator but as a guide—pointing toward more relational and regenerative possibilities for conservation practice.