UH Manoa launches new program for native Hawaiian research

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Trisha Kehaulani Watson, 956-9899
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
Posted: Jan 15, 2008

HONOLULU - The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Kamehameha Schools, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs have launched a new fellowship program to support excellence in Native Hawaiian research. This fall, the University selected PhD student Brenton Kamanamaikalani Beamer, as its inaugural recipient of the ʻŌiwi Ake Akamai fellowship.

Beamer, son of musician Kapono Beamer and grandson of Hawaiian historian Nona Beamer, is completing a PhD in geography and conducting research on Hawaiian Aliʻi and mapping during the Hawaiian Kingdom era. Beamer will be travelling to England this week to conduct research at several archival institutions there and will be speaking at Royal Holloway, University of London. Beamer has already digitized 13,000 pages of archival material from the Kingdom era in conjunction with his fellowship.

The program is being expanded this year. Stephanie Dunbar, Sydney Iaukea, Malia Kaaihue, Stephen Vogeler, David Sai, and Peter Moore have been selected to begin fellowships this spring. Their areas of research range from native plant restoration to Hawaiian language education.