Puanani Burgess is a Zen Buddhist priest, poet and community mediator from Wai‘anae, O‘ahu. Puanani Burgess was once a committed protestor and resister. She developed her skills as a law student to become what she calls a “dragon feeder” – someone able to navigate the complex rules of a large system like government or the DOE the way one might negotiate with a stubborn dragon.

She is also a process designer and facilitator for Building the Beloved Community, a community-building and conflict transformation process based on bringing people face to face for ceremony, storytelling, and healing circles of trust and respect.
 

Watch Long Story Short, a recent interview Aunty Pua did with Leslie Cox for PBS.