Lei Pua ʻAla - Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi

Lei Pua ʻAla - Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi

Status: Active partnership project

Geographic Scope: Hawaiʻi statewide

Project Duration: Three-year partnership project

Overview: This is a three-year partnership project with Qwaves/Kanaka Pakipika aimed at uplifting Māhu and LGBTQ+ stories and voices throughout Hawaiʻi. The project gathers and uplifts these stories as "lei pua ʻala," a lei of fragrant blossoms that honors many voices of the community.

Project Goals

• Uplift Māhu (Hawaiian LGBTQ+) and LGBTQ+ stories and voices
• Ensure more complete and accurate representation of collective histories
• Create a more just, welcoming, and vibrant present and future
• Transform the nation's commemorative landscape

Funding

• Total Grant Amount: $943,700
• Funder: Mellon Foundation
• National Initiative: Part of Mellon's Monuments Project, which aims to transform the nation's commemorative landscape

Partnership

• Partner Organization: Qwaves/Kanaka Pakipika
• Lead Organization: Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities

Project Type

• Community-engaged humanities project
• Storytelling and oral history preservation
• Community engagement and cultural recognition

Contact Information

• Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities
• Phone: (808) 732-5402
• Email: hello@hihumanities.org
• Address: 3599 Wai'alae Avenue, Room 26, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96816