Weaponized Spirits: Alcohol as a Colonial Legacy and Its Impact on Trauma and Relational, Structural, and Epistemic Harms in a Rural Native Hawaiian Community: A Qualitative Study

Nurs Inq. 2026 Jul;33(3):e70141. doi: 10.1111/nin.70141.

ABSTRACT

This study explored how Native Hawaiian (NH) community members understand the relationship between alcohol use, interpersonal and domestic violence (IPV/DV), and the relational, structural, and epistemic harms of colonization and historical trauma. Guided by transcendental phenomenology and the Indigenous Talk Story method, 10 NH adults in a rural Hawai’i community participated in interviews that were thematically analyzed for shared meanings across generations. Nine interrelated themes showed how alcohol, introduced and weaponized through colonization, continues to produce relational, structural, and epistemic harms. Participants described alcohol as a colonial tool that normalized family violence, fractured ‘ohana and ‘āina ties, and entrenched carceral and child-welfare intervention; yet within these same narratives, they identified pathways of resistance and healing through storytelling, cultural education, and ‘āina-based practices that restore balance. These findings position alcohol-related IPV/DV not as individual or cultural deficiency but as a colonial legacy reproduced and sustained through an ongoing colonial SuperStructure. Culturally grounded, trauma-informed approaches are therefore essential to nursing practice, education, and research that advance healing, sovereignty, and relational accountability. Trial Registration: Not applicable.

PMID:42462089 | DOI:10.1111/nin.70141