Kona
Au

Political Science

Aloha mai kāua! I am Donna "Kona" Au, a kamaʻāina o ka ʻehu kai o Puaʻena and a PhD student in Political Science, specializing in Indigenous Politics. I completed my undergraduate degree from UHM in Political Science in 2016, and started the PhD program later that Fall. My dissertation research focuses on the ethical implications of storytelling in community formations and understandings of place. To accomplish this, I am resurging the Kanaka ʻŌiwi practice of mākaʻikaʻi, which is a sight-seeking tour between residents and newcomers where stories and memories about place are shared. I have been a TA since 2018, and have taught "Introduction to Political Science," "Hawaiʻi Politics," and "American Politics."