At the time of this interview, Hali'a Parish was an office assistant at the Native American Longhouse. A junior studying Business, Parish came to OSU from her hometown of Kapolei, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. Parish discusses her experiences and personal growth working on campus in the Native American Longhouse; her thoughts on the importance of diversity development in OSU and the local community; the joys and challenges of learning the Native American culture; the success of NAL participation in events such as Heritage Month, Connect Week, the annual Salmon Bake and the Grand Opening of the new Native American Longhouse; the September retreat in Salem for cultural centers staff; the opening of the new longhouse and the sense of community within; her ideas for Native Hawaiian activities, collaboration with the Polynesian Culture Club and Hui o Hawai'i, and outreach to the local population; her advice to future longhouse staff; and her experiences as a Native Hawaiian both in Hawaii and at OSU.
Hali'a Parish was born in Honolulu, Hawaii; her hometown is 'Ewa Beach, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. At the time of the interview she was a senior studying Speech Communication and Innovation Management. Parish discusses her transition from the Native American Longhouse to the Asian & Pacific Cultural Center in order to relate with shared identities and ethnicities; working as an activities coordinator at the APCC; personal challenges with time management; her other position as the Luau Coordinator for Hui O Hawai'i; successes of building friendships with other students, creating events such as "Dream Out Loud" and "Native Sands, Native Lands"; performing at the APCC ground breaking ceremony; desires for more collaboration between the cultural centers; advice to future staff; understanding her identity; and appreciation for the Diversity Development and staff. Link to Audio Recording: https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/0_r5ye0kd2