Remarks: Regional Constructions of Cultural Identity Forum

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Puanani Burgess

Abstract

When I began writing poetry, it was not with any audience in mind, nor any poet in mind. Those poems just had a life of their own and, in my present life, I'm beginning to find the meaning in them. They are probably my greatest teachers.

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Board Reviewed
Author Biography

Puanani Burgess, Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawai'i

Puanani Burgess (Aunty Pua) is a noted cultural expert and was recently awarded a meritorious doctor of letters (D. Litt., indigenous knowledge holder) for her lifetime contributions to indigenous education by the World Indigenous Nations University. Aunty Pua is also recognized as a living treasure of Hawai'i and as a community scholar working with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawai'i in Mānoa. Aunty Pua serves as a mentor to her generation and to subsequent generations, passing on living Hawaiian wisdom, knowledge, practices, and worldviews. Aunty Pua's work as a member of the Hui is having and will have an international impact as she shapes our thinking about how indigenous work in education, social services, and community development is evaluated and assessed. She is revolutionizing our thinking about Hawaiian ways.