Haunani-Kay Trask

Haunani-Kay Trask was a Native Hawaiian activist, educator, author, poet, and a leader of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

Born October 3, 1949, in San Fransico, California, Trask grew up on the Ko'olau side of the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i. She came from a politically engaged family, and her upbringing instilled a strong sense of justice and cultural pride. She began her undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago but completed her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in political science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Upon returning to Hawai'i, Trask joined the faculty at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, where she played a foundational role in building the field of Hawaiian and Indigenous studies. She became the first director of the Center for Hawaiian Studies (later named Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies), helping to create a space where Hawaiian knowledge and language could be revitalized within the academy.

Trask's 1993 book, "From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i," became a landmark work in Native studies, offering a critique of U.S. colonialism in Hawai'i and tourism's exploitation of Hawaiian culture. She was also a poet, and her collection "Light in the Crevice Never Seen" (1994) blended personal, political, and cultural themes, revealing the emotional depth of her activism. Throughout her life, Trask was a tireless advocate for Hawaiian independence and was a key figure in movements such as Ka Lāhui Hawai'i, a Native Hawaiian political organization. She also spoke on international stages, linking Hawaiian struggles to global Indigenous and decolonial movements. Trask often clashed with institutions and individuals she saw as complicit in colonial power structures. She retired in 2010 but remained a revered and provocative voice in Hawaiian politics and Indigenous scholarship.

Trask died on July 3, 2021.

Institute for Public Relations. "Pioneer Haunani Kay Trask (1949–2021)." Institute for Public Relations, 1 May 2022, https://instituteforpr.org/pioneer-haunani-kay-trask. Accessed 11 June 2025.

Picayo, Barbara Bumatay. “AANHPI Month: Celebrating Scholar and Advocate, Dr. Haunani Kay Trask.” AAUW Honolulu Branch, 23 May 2024, https://www.aauwhonolulu.org/post/aanhpi-month-celebrating-scholar-and-advocate-dr haunani kay trask. Accessed 11 June 2025.