Ila Nako is Kanaka ʻŌiwi and calls Waiākea and Oʻahu home. She is in the class of 2026 at Princeton pursuing an undergraduate degree in sociocultural anthropology with a certificate in American Studies. The various waves of plantation immigration to Hawaiʻi diversify her background – with proud heritage in Okinawa and the Philippines, she is interested in questions of identity, especially of mixed Native identities. In her independent work she is exploring the role of spirituality as a healing and health practice for Kanaka ʻŌiwi and how this relates to assertions of sovereignty. Further, she is interested in the narratives behind nuclear activity, and how Indigenous people have largely been left out of the media and conversations regarding nuclear activity.

Alongside her academics, Ila is a leader of Natives at Princeton, serving as the Ivy Native Council Representative for Princeton University, and a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow.