Makana Kushi

Makana Kushi is a PhD candidate in American Studies at Brown University. She studies land-based relationality among Kānaka ʻŌiwi and plantation-working migrants in early 20th century Hawaiʻi. She also serves as the Program Coordinator of Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Brown University working on programming, curricular design, and student support. Makana advises the pilot Indigenous Heritage Language Learning program at Brown, in which students work with members of their communities and families, gather online resources, and provide each other mutual support as they teach themselves their Native languages.