Climate Fellows

Kawena Elkington

Kawena Elkington is a Geography and Hawaiian Studies scholar specializing in indigenous sustainability practices and circular economy frameworks. As a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, she applies ancestral Hawaiian knowledge to contemporary environmental challenges, demonstrating how indigenous wisdom can inform modern sustainability solutions. Kawena holds a Master’s in Hawaiian Studies and Bachelor’s in Hawaiian Resource Management from UH Mānoa, where she serves as a Graduate Research Assistant on the Pōʻai Ke Aloha ʻĀina project in the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge. She has co-authored journal articles and book chapters on her research on the “ancestral circular economy” as an emerging expert in indigenous circularity. Kawena has presented her work at international conferences and served as an invited speaker on panels addressing Hawaiian resource management and sustainable economic development. She was a part of a team who successfully advocated for the passage of SCR56 HD1, which established Hawaii’s Circular Economy Task Force to transition the state to a circular economy by 2035. As an instructor across multiple departments at UH Mānoa, Kawena integrates culturally responsive teaching methods with experiential learning, prioritizing connecting indigenous knowledge systems to modern environmental concepts. She is committed to advancing equitable sustainability practices that honor ancestral wisdom while addressing contemporary climate challenges through community-centered approaches. (CV)