Makamae Sniffen

Biography

Nestled between the Koʻolau and Waiʻanae mountain ranges, Wahiawā nourished me as a child while the malu of Kānehoalani and Keahiakahoe nurtured me in adulthood. It is where my deep love for my language, culture and ʻāina grew. Cradled between Lake Mendota and Monona, the settler names for the waterways of the Hoocąk, Teejop cultivated my relationship with Native relatives and expanded my knowledge in ways that I would never have imagined. I honor these lands.

As a moʻopuna, I was raised on the stories of my grandfather’s childhood where he was punished in school for speaking Hawaiian and of the ways his family remained steadfast in their culture and language regardless. These stories, as well as other ancestral moʻolelo, sustain me and guide my scholarship. As I pursue my joint doctorate in Educational Policy Studies and History, I am committed to serving my kaiāulu and lāhui, past, present and future. I am indebted to the ancestors whose hard work, dedication, and commitment carved the path I currently walk. I am graciously tethered to those who walk alongside me, inspiring and grounding me. And I answer to the generations to come, as I care for our ancestors amongst the pages of my writing.

My research focuses on the History of 19th Century Indigenous Education, particularly in Oceania, Educational Equity, and Indigenous language revitalization.

Education

MEd, Educational Foundations, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2020
B.S., Family Resources, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2015

Field

• U.S./North American History

MA Title

• Weaving Together the Strands: Queen Emma and the Kaula of 19th Century Hawaiian Education

Selected Awards

• Morgridge Fellow: Community-Engaged Scholarship Program • Department: Morgridge Center for Public Service, University of Wisconsin – Madison • 2025-2026
• 4W Engagement Grant for Emerging Scholars • Department: 4W Initiative, University of Wisconsin – Madison • 2024-2025

Professional Affiliations

• American Education Research Association
• History of Education Society
• Organization of American Historians

Courses Taught as Instructor

• History 227 – Explorations in the History of Race and Ethnicity (History & People in the Pacific: Sea of Islands), Summer 2025