Coalition forms after MMNHWG task force disbanded; $300,000 RWJF grant to fund survey and mapping

Nikki Crespaw, representing the Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls (MMNHWG) movement, told the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board on May 14 that the 2022 task force convened by OHA and the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women has since disbanded and that community organizers are forming a coalition to continue the work.

Crespaw said the coalition recently received a $300,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund a coordinated effort that will center survivor leadership and data sovereignty. "The main deliverable of that coalition is to create and disseminate a large-scale quantitative community survey to collect prevalence data on Native Hawaiians who experience gender-based violence, and to identify potential solutions," she said.

She described additional work: partnering with the Urban Indian Health Institute for a traumatic brain injury study, developing an online GIS mapping project to visualize missing people across the state, administering mutual aid awards for survivors as funds allow, and producing a documentary featuring survivors and advocates. Crespaw said organizers are moving carefully because of the sensitivity of survivor data.

Trustees thanked her and several pledged interest in continuing collaboration; Crespaw asked for OHA partnership on community engagement and outreach, saying OHA's reach would amplify the coalition's work. She named several victims and missing people to emphasize the human cost of the crisis.

Crespaw also announced a survivor-centered public event at Hale Lihue on May 26, including a ceremony and documentary excerpts.