Noenoe Silva

Noenoe Silva is a full Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she specializes in Indigenous and Native Hawaiian politics, Hawaiian language, and decolonial theory. She is affiliated with the College of Social Sciences and contributes significantly to both undergraduate and graduate education.

Education:

• PhD in Political Science, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 1999
• MLIS in Library and Information Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 1993
• BA in Hawaiian Language (with distinction), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 1991

Her research is deeply rooted in recovering Kanaka Maoli history and literature by analyzing underused 19th and early 20th-century Hawaiian-language texts. She is committed to developing political theory from within Native Hawaiian epistemologies and worldviews, challenging colonial narratives and centering Indigenous knowledge systems. Her teaching includes courses such as Native Hawaiian Politics (POLS 302), Topics in Hawai‘i Politics (POLS 303), Indigenous Politics (POLS 304), and Politics in Hawaiian Language Media (POLS 344).

Dr. Silva is the author of two influential books: Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism and The Power of the Steel-tipped Pen: Reconstructing Native Hawaiian Intellectual History, both published by Duke University Press.

Scientific Awards:

• Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching (2020)
• CSS Excellence in Teaching Award (2008)

She has made significant contributions to teaching and scholarship, advising students in Indigenous political thought and mentoring within Hawaiian language and decolonial research. While no specific grants are listed, her work has clearly been supported through institutional recognition and prestigious academic publishing. Her research continues to shape the fields of Indigenous studies and political theory from a uniquely Kanaka Maoli perspective.

Dr. Silva's scholarly work is closely tied to the revitalization of Hawaiian intellectual traditions and the use of archival Hawaiian-language materials. She is a key figure in efforts to build academic frameworks grounded in Native Hawaiian epistemologies rather than Western-centric models.