Centering ʻIke Kupuna: Decolonizing Social Work Education through Indigenous Knowledge and Pono Practice in Hawai’i

Introduction: Global Indigenous Orientation -A Transformational ShiftSocial work has long emphasized values of social justice, empowerment, and respect for cultural diversity (NASW, 2015) Yet, for Indigenous communities worldwide, social work has also been a tool for colonial systems to marginalize traditional practices and impose Western norms and values and exclude voice indigenous voices (Garcia et al., 2022; Weaver, 2020;Sinclair, 2004;Gray et al., 2016).In Faculty Positionality StatementHawaiʻi Pacific University School of Social Work (HPU SWRK) is situated on the traditional lands of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) in the Ahupuaʻa o Makiki, (land division in Makiki) in downtown Honolulu.We acknowledge our responsibility to honor these sacred lands and their deep cultural significance.Our work as a school embrace reimagining social work by centering the voices, knowledge systems, and sovereign rights of Kānaka (Native People/traditions), in our curriculum, relationships, and practice.Through our BSW and MSW programs, we address the challenges of colonial frameworks by uplifting Indigenous ways of knowing, and preparing our students to engage in culturally responsive, justice-centered social work.By grounding our efforts in Native Hawaiian, Pacific Island and other Indigenous perspectives, we seek not only to serve Hawaiʻi's diverse communities but to actively contribute to a more equitable and self-determined future for all.