Kealani Cook

Kealani Cook is an Associate Professor of History in the Humanities Department at the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu, where he has served since 2015 after teaching roles at University of Hawai‘i Maui College and Hawai‘i Pacific University. His scholarship centers on historical relationships between Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands, with a focus on Native Hawaiian agency within Oceanic contexts.

Dr. Cook holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2011), an M.A. in History from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (2005), and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (1999), reflecting his interdisciplinary academic trajectory.

His research encompasses Hawaiian History, Pacific Islands History, Native Hawaiian Studies, Oceanian History, Indigenous Studies, and Colonial History. Key themes include indigenous mobility, religious transformation, imperial rhetoric, and trans-Pacific connections, particularly during the 19th-20th centuries. His work often examines Hawaiian perspectives within broader Oceanic frameworks.

Dr. Cook's publications reveal consistent engagement with Native Hawaiian intellectual traditions and cross-Pacific exchanges. His monograph Return To Kahiki (2018) and articles like Burning the Gods (2021) demonstrate how Hawaiians actively shaped relationships with Oceania through religious, political, and migratory practices, challenging colonial narratives.

At UH West Oʻahu, he teaches courses including Introduction to Hawaiian History, Pacific Islands History, 19th Century Hawaiian History, and Pacific Island Connections, emphasizing indigenous perspectives. While specific grant details are unavailable, his curriculum development shows commitment to integrating Hawaiian knowledge systems into historical pedagogy.