Transforming the Indigenous Experience in Science Centers

Within informal science spaces across the US, historical inequities and the foreign nature of 'Western Science', create barriers to attendance and learning for many from non-dominant groups.  For Hawaiian science centers and museums, these challenges are magnified by the ongoing controversies related to a Western Science presence on our sacred mountains, and the desire by many to decolonize the Islands.  Recent NSF-funded work has allowed us to explore means to transform our institutional culture and learning opportunities to incorporate indigenous voices in a deep and sustainable way, creating spaces to make meaningful connections to visitors from our rich local culture.