Ka Wai Hāpai
Centering pilina and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in the representation of Hawaiian knowledge
Literally translated as “the carried waters,” the phrase Ka Wai Hāpai evokes images of the network of systems that care for our knowledge. For three years (2021-2024), our project team and collaborators co-created foundational components of a Hawaiian knowledge organization system, inclusive of:
- ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi controlled vocabularies
- Bilingual authority record templates
- Ontologies of Hawaiian knowledge domains
Ultimately, this work seeks to increase and improve intellectual access to Hawaiian collections and materials using Native Hawaiian epistemes to formulate and facilitate their retrieval.
ʻĀina, hana, and moʻokūʻauhau terms
A central component of this work is representing the interconnected nature of Hawaiian knowledge via culturally appropriate and culturally rigorous organization schemas and vocabularies. Ka Wai Hāpai created over 100 authority records for terms across three domains:
our co-creation process
To prioritize and amplify community voices, Ka Wai Hāpai engaged both Hawaiian knowledge and metadata experts throughout the life of the project. Our approach to building and sustaining relationships with our communities is illustrated in the He Mele No Kāne Methodology.
See an error? While Ka Wai Hāpai has strived for 100% accuracy across all dimensions of this website, we acknowledge that mistakes can be made and we, therefore, assume full responsibility for any and all errors which may be present. We would welcome any corrections and/or notes that are sent to our e-mail: waihapai@hawaii.edu.