The first comprehensive guide for conducting qualitative interviews with Native Hawaiian elders (kūpuna) has been released, offering researchers a culturally grounded framework for building trust and reciprocity. Developed by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Hā Kūpuna National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders in partnership with ALU LIKE, Inc. , a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Native Hawaiian advancement, the guide aims to ensure research practices reflect Hawaiian values and benefit communities.
Qualitative Research with Kūpuna: A Guide to Respectful, Collaborative Interviewing is a 48-page resource designed for students, faculty and community researchers. It provides practical tools for engaging kūpuna in ways that honor cultural traditions, strengthen relationships and share knowledge responsibly.
Download Qualitative Research with Kūpuna: A Guide to Respectful, Collaborative Interviewing
"There are many past examples of extractive or harmful research practices with Indigenous people," said Shelley Muneoka, a lead researcher on the study. "This protocol flips the script by placing cultural values, reciprocity and community well-being at the center of the research process."
The free guide was published alongside a peer-reviewed article in Progress in Community Health Partnerships and draws on more than five years of collaboration with kūpuna across Hawaiʻi.
What the guide offers
The resource reflects principles of community-based participatory research and includes:
- Historical context on harmful research practices and the rise of Hawaiian-led approaches.
- Self-reflection tools for examining privilege, positionality and potential bias.
- Recommendations on entering communities, obtaining consent, conducting interviews and offering reciprocity through makana (gifts).
- Guidance on disseminating results in ways that return knowledge to participants and communities.
- Although rooted in Native Hawaiian experiences, the authors note the guide has broader relevance for research with Indigenous and marginalized communities worldwide.
"This qualitative protocol guide is about shifting historical research dynamics to recognize that Native Hawaiian elders carry the ʻike (knowledge) and values that should guide how research happens," said Keilyn Kawakami, the article's first author. "The guide is an important tool for students and faculty embarking on research with kūpuna."
Hā Kūpuna, one of three National Resource Centers for Native Elders funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging, is housed in the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health .
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