Publications by authors named "Leina'ala Bright"
: Integrating Native Hawaiian Healing to Create a Just Legacy for the Next Generation.
Hawaii J Health Soc Welf
March 2023
Article Synopsis
- Native healing practitioners have been integrated into health centers for Native Hawaiians, but their impact had not been previously studied.
- A community-based research project at Waimanalo Health Center (2017-2019) explored the value of combining native healing with primary care, examining acceptability, cultural connection, and empowerment among patients and staff.
- The study found five key themes indicating that native healing offers an alternative to western medicine, honors ancestral knowledge, addresses holistic health, promotes openness for behavior change, and contributes to decolonization efforts in healthcare.
Building the Beloved Community: Reflections in Understanding Relationships to Food for Native Hawaiians.
Prog Community Health Partnersh
October 2019
Introduction: Health disparities within the Native Hawaiian community have been well-documented for many years.
Methods: Innovative, culturally relevant, and community-generated approaches are required to truly change the trajectory and impact of chronic illnesses for Native Hawaiians. This article describes the experiences of residents from Wai'anae and Waimānalo who were trained in a process called Building the Beloved Community, and facilitated group sessions for a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project around 'ai pono (eating healthy), seeking to understand Native Hawaiian community residents' perceptions of current and historical influences on eating.