#105 | Kiliona Palauni | Diaspora, decolonizing your mind, and connecting to your indigenous roots

Kiliona Palauni is a Tongan, Hawaiian and Māori educator from Idaho. Although he grew up on the continent, he has deep roots in Polynesia and was taught at an early age the art of Polynesian dance, herbal medicine, and pacific folklore. He has a bachelor’s of arts in Pacific island studies from University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and also completed a master’s degree in indigenous education from Arizona State University. He also has his teaching certificate in secondary education from Johns Hopkins university. Kiliona has released two albums and one EP and has completed multiple tours across the United States. Currently he teaches high school Polynesian music, history, and culture here in Hawai’i. In this episode we talk about being raised in the diaspora, connecting to his Polynesian roots, finding our identity, finding his way to Hawai’i, decolonizing our minds, and so much more. Enjoy! Find Kiliona here: https://www.instagram.com/kilionapalauni/

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