Kamalani Johnson, M.A. is a scholar, educator, and cultural practitioner specializing in Hawaiian language, literature, and Indigenous political theory. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in Political Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, focusing on Indigenous Politics and Political Theory. He also holds an M.A. in Indigenous Language and Culture Education and dual B.A. degrees in Linguistics and Hawaiian Studies from Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani at UH Hilo.

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His research draws upon Hawaiian-language newspapers, mele, and moʻolelo to explore themes of intellectual sovereignty, climate memory, and political futures for Kānaka Maoli. Kamalani's forthcoming dissertation, He Pūkuʻi Aloha, examines the work of J. W. H. I. Kihe as a framework for envisioning liberated Hawaiian futures. His scholarly contributions appear in journals such as Hūlili and the Journal of World Philosophies, and he is a contributing author to multiple edited volumes on Indigenous philosophy and literary studies.

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Kamalani has taught courses in Hawaiian language, literature, oratory, and Indigenous knowledge systems at the University of Hawaiʻi. He is an award-winning writer and a fellow with organizations such as Kamehameha Schools and the Pacific Islands Development Program. A committed community advocate, he serves on the board of Hoʻāla ʻĀina Kūpono and has contributed to over a dozen Hawaiian-language publications and translation projects.