Pauahi Souza is a proud Kanaka Maoli from Kailua O’ahu within the occupied Hawaiian Kingdom. She is a 3rd year PhD Student at the Social Justice Institute where her work intersects mental health, politics, and Indigenous resistance. She has worked in the mental health field for 18 years and is an advocate for culturally relevant and competent care for Kanaka Maoli in the diaspora.
Why did you join the ACAM Dialogues cohort?
I was interested in joining as I have lived in the Midwest for most of my life. My lens on racism was only seen from the Black/White binary and was interested in the differences and similarities that happens when Race is a factor that negatively impacts the lives of many. This cohort has been interesting to learn with as I often find the Oceanic community is often left out of these discussions as we are assimilated into groupings of different identities based on who is occupying us, who is the major representation o our lands, or we are completely erased from the conversation. I have learned a lot about some of the communities here in Canada, but often wonder how Oceanic populations in Canada can be seen when we are deemed as “non-existent.”
Program: PhD, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice