He 'A'ali'i Ku Makani Mai Au: Developing a Cultural Framework for Advancing COVID-19 Related, Community-informed Health Policies.

The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community found itself on the front pages of national news when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States. By April 2020, the small, frequently overlooked community experienced the highest COVID-19 case rates in 5 states including Hawai'i. In response, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander networks across the US were mobilized to address the crisis. In Hawai'i, the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response, Recovery, and Resilience Team was created. Framed by Indigenous Pacific based cultural values, protocols, and practices, the team consists of multiple committees that examine policy; testing, contract tracing, and isolation; communications; social supports and resources; and data and research. Inherent in this work are the shared core values of pono (righteousness, goodness), aloha (love, compassion), laulima (cooperation), and imua (moving forward with strength) as well as an 'ohana/aiga (family)-based, kuleana (responsibility)-centric approach that acknowledges, honors, and values 'ike kupuna (ancestral knowledge). With the burden of not only COVID-19 disparities, but also chronic diseases and socioeconomic disparities that place Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities at increased risk for adverse impacts from COVID-19, an effective response is critical. This article, authored by members of the Team's Policy Committee, discusses the development of a cultural framework that guides its advocacy efforts. The Policy Committee's work presents a cultural framework that grounds and guides their efforts for effectively promoting a strong voice in governmental and agency policies which would ultimately contribute to a healthy and thriving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community.

Addressing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Data Deficiencies Through a Community-based Collaborative Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Early evidence of disproportionate COVID-19 infection and death rates in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in the continental US raised concerns for similar disparities in Hawai'i, where these communities make up 25% of the state's population. Representatives from more than 40 different government, academic, institutional and community-based organizations partnered to form the Hawai'i Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response, Recovery, and Resilience Team. The team consists of 5 committees including the Data & Research Committee. This committee is tasked with examining issues regarding the acquisition, quality, public reporting, and utilization of race/ethnicity-related health data used to inform priorities and guide resource allocation. Problems addressed by this committee include: inconsistency across agencies in the use of race identifiers, defaulting to the Office of Management and Budget standards which aggregated Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and methods of data collection and reporting by the Department of Health. Outcomes include: 2 forms with race categories that reflect the population of Hawai'i; the reporting of disaggregated data by the Department of Health; and conversations with testing sites, laboratories, and health institutions urging a standardized form for race/ethnicity data collection. The collection and reporting of disaggregated race/ethnicity data is critical to guiding organizations in addressing underlying inequities in chronic disease and social determinants of health that can exacerbate the adverse effects of COVID-19. The Data and Research Committee's network offers a community-based model for collaborative work that honors culture and ensures Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other minority populations are recognized and counted.

Indigenous health in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.

We survey Indigenous health issues across the Pacific with a case study approach that focuses on Australia, New Zealand, Hawai'i, and US Associated Micronesia. For each case study, we provide an overview of the Indigenous population, its colonial history, and current health and social outcomes. In the discussion that follows, we flag some of the key policy initiatives that have been developed to address Indigenous health disadvantage, albeit within the context of continuing debates about Indigenous rights and policy.