Moving from Darkness to Light: Cultural Pathways to Healing and Posttraumatic Growth of Formerly Incarcerated Native Hawaiian Women

Incarcerated Native Hawaiian women have often experienced significant trauma and have extensive unmet mental health needs, yet limited research has been conducted to understand how these women overcome trauma and adversity. This theory-generating paper examines the cultural and familial factors that contributed to the healing and posttraumatic growth of 10 formerly incarcerated Native Hawaiian women in Hawaiʻi. Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), which is the positive psychological change and personal transformation that often occurs as a result of processing through trauma, offers hope that individuals can and often do overcome adversity. For Native Hawaiians, understanding and wisdom are not attained through the cognitive mind alone, as is the premise for all PTG models, but rather through the visceral mind located in the naʻau (seat of Hawaiian intellect, “gut feeling”; “guts”). Findings indicated that pathways to healing and PTG are not linear. It is a process of gradual ascension in conscious awakening as actions are taken, repeated reflections and internal intellectualization occurs, insight is gained, hurt from the past is released, and reconnections are made to self, families of origin, and culture. A three-phase dynamic conceptual model describes the interactive processes that occurred as the women moved between Naʻaupō (“Night” mind), Huliau (Time of Transformation), and Naʻauao (“Daylight” mind). Four core themes highlight the continuous actions taken during the Huliau and into the Naʻauao, which include: (1) Being Spirit-Led vs Ego-Driven; (2) Cleanse, Make Amends, and Let Go; (3) Cultural Reclamation and Family Connections; and (4) Safety, Structure, and Support. This research marks a critical first step toward suggesting an indigenous theory that is culturally-based of how formerly incarcerated Native Hawaiian female trauma survivors heal and grow from trauma across the life span. Implications for resilience and trauma-informed practice with these women will be highlighted.