Share your moʻolelo about Kawailoa, Koʻolau, Waialeʻe or Waimano

In addition to archival research, I am actively seeking out folks with experience of these institutions from around the 1940s-1970s to conduct interviews with. The interviews will become part of an oral history archive about these schools.

What is oral history?

Oral history supplements “official” archival materials by offering more personal insights into how people lived and experienced certain events in the past. They generally consist of written transcripts of open-ended interviews conducted by a researcher with a person who has particular experiences of some event or historical period. In general, oral history interviews are not anonymous; participants agree to have their real name used with the records of their interview. Oral history is important especially for Native Hawaiians and other communities of color because the official archives often do not reflect the experiences of regular people.

What can I expect if I agree to participate in this oral history project?

Before we record an interview, we will touch base about expectations and scheduling. Before the interview is conducted, I will share informed consent and copyright documents that explain how the transcripts will be used. Interviews can be conducted in person or online over Zoom. They usually last 1.5-3 hours. The oral history interviews for this project are wide-ranging and ask participants to share about their own backgrounds and family as well as more about whatever experience they had with Kawailoa, Koʻolau, Waialeʻe, Waimano, or other institutions. After the interview, which will be recorded, a written transcript is created and edited for clarity and errors. After the participant reviews the transcript, with their permission, the transcript and audio/video of the interview becomes part of a public archive. The Center for Oral History at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will eventually house the interviews from this project. Scholars and other community members will be able to access the transcripts online.

Your stories, your moʻolelo, are important and precious. If you are willing to share yours, please contact me: maile.arvin@utah.edu.