Data advocacy: The Hawaii Budget and Policy Center was tasked with analyzing state spending on Native Hawaiian-related programs but shifted to data advocacy once the center realized that data on Native Hawaiians was not consistently collected. In 2021, the nonprofit, in collaboration with Papa Ola Lokahi, released a report to urge the state to improve data collection about Native Hawaiians through legislative action. They emphasize the need for greater accountability in state programs funded to help Native Hawaiians (Jung 2021), as well as “data sovereignty,” that is, Native Hawaiian involvement in decision-making (Kauahikaua and Pieper-Jordan 2021).
Mental health support: Environmental advocates have looked at not only physical health impacts, but the “cultural, spiritual and mental health impacts of land-use decisions” (Caulfield 2020). For instance, on the Waianae Coast of West Oahu, community members worked with mental health professionals to confront the mental health burden living in an area that hosts public utilities and is subjected to the negative perceptions attached to those facilities–that is, being seen as a “dumping ground.” Ethnic studies professor Laurel Mei-Singh describes this as a process of material and psychological “dumping” that is tied into forces of militarism, colonialism and racism. All along the coast, there are public utilities that include a municipal landfill, a power plant, a construction waste landfill, and a waste-to-energy burning facility. These facilities emit volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and carbon monoxide. People living in the area are disproportionately affected by cancer, asthma, and birth defects. However, the mental health toll of living in the area is not well studied, though census data shows that the Waianae Coast has the highest concentration of adults suffering from poor mental health on Oahu. Mei-Singh and mental health professionals hope knowledge of the history of the area can help local people recover and “reclaim their mo‘olelo (story)” (Kauanoe et al. 2021).
Caulfield, Claire. 2020. “Is There Environmental Racism In Hawaii?” Honolulu Civil Beat. June 15, 2020. https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/06/is-there-environmental-racism-in-hawaii/.
Jung, Yoohyun. 2021. “Report Calls For Better Data About And For Native Hawaiians.” Honolulu Civil Beat. March 6, 2021. https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/03/report-calls-for-better-data-about-and-for-native-hawaiians/.
Kauanoe, Ku’u and Claire Caulfield. 2021. “From ‘Sacred Place’ To ‘Dumping Ground,’ West Oahu Confronts A Legacy Of Landfills.” Honolulu Civil Beat. December 5, 2021. https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/12/from-sacred-place-to-dumping-ground-west-oahu-confronts-a-legacy-of-landfills/.
Kauahikaua, Lilinoe and Seanna Pieper-Jordan. 2021. “Improving Hawai‘i’s data policy to better serve Native Hawaiians.” Hawai’i Budget and Policy Center and Papa Ola Lokahi. /https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ef66d594879125d04f91774/t/60514869451e1d09b75e4317/1615939719621/Data+Justice+Report_Interactive.pdf.
