Haunani-Kay Trask, a former professor at the University of HawaiÊ»i was awarded the 2019 Angela Y. Davis Prize by the American Studies Association. The honor recognizes scholars who have applied or used their scholarship for the public good. It’s namesake, Angela Davis, is a prominent African American feminist, writer, and activist.
Professor Trask served as a tenured member of the University of HawaiÊ»i faculty for more than 30 years. She was the founding director of the university’s MaÌ„noa Center for Hawaiian Studies. For nearly four decades, through her extensive academic work and activism, Professor Trask has been a critical voice in what she called, “the modern Hawaiian movement” and the broader Hawaiian sovereignty movement. Throughout her career she advocated for issues such as resisting gender-based violence against women and supporting indigenous nations; the relationships between indigenous peoples, particularly Native Hawaiians, and the United States; and women’s leadership in the Hawaiian movement.
Trask is the author of two books, Eros and Power: The Promise of Feminist Theory (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1984), and From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in HawaiÊ»i (University of Hawai’i Press, 1993). She holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.