Agnes Kalanihoʻokaha Cope

Agnes Kalanihoʻokaha Cope (November 7, 1924 – November 16, 2015) was an expert in traditional Hawaiian culture. A spiritual healer, Cope helped establish the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center after recognizing barriers Native Hawaiians faced in receiving healthcare. She was also a hula master and founded the Waianae Coast Culture and Arts Society to preserve traditional Hawaiian knowledge and practice. She also went by Aunty Aggie Cope.

Early life and education Agnes Kalaniho‘okaha Mengler was born on November 7, 1924, in Honolulu. Her parents were Henry T. Mengler, a German man, and Sarah Kalaniho’okaha Hakuole Mengler, a native Hawaiian from Maui. The center and its two satellite clinics practice Western medicine, but the treatment regime is complemented with traditional Hawaiian healthcare practices. Core was an original member of the original Kupuna Council of Healers, established in 1988, bringing her perspective as a traditional Hawaiian healer.

In 1987 Cope was named one of the Living Treasures of Hawaiʻi by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. Governor Neil Abercrombie proclaimed April 8, 2011, as Agnes Kalaniho‘okaha Cope Day in Hawaii.