Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey is an American cultural anthropologist and filmmaker. She was born and raised in Hawaii by traditional Hawaiian elders. In 2008, she became the first Polynesian explorer and female Fellow in the history of the National Geographic Society. She is the founder and CEO of Mapping the Human Story, which will use technology to explore and curate humanity's traditions, wisdom, and knowledge to sustain today's people and help future humans. As of 2010, Dr. Lindsey has 80 hours of footage and 15,000 photos of her experiences in Micronesia that will be essential for the project.
In 1988, Ms. Lindsey appeared in the 'Home Soil' episode on Season 1 of Star Trek the Next Generation.
In 1995, she wrote, directed, and produced Then There Were None, a documentary film that chronicles the near extinction of native Hawaiians. It is considered a Hawaiian historical classic and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious CINE Eagle Award.
A humanitarian, the former Miss Hawaii 1978 works closely with United Nations ambassadors on behalf of environmental refugees faced with the realities of the climate crisis. She serves on national and international boards and has created scholarships in India and Hawaii.
She portrayed a young woman in the Magnum P.I. episode "Lest We Forget" in 1981. In 1988, she portrayed a very different type of character on China Beach (season 1 episode "Home") as a very pregnant Viet Cong bomber, and nurse by profession, who was directly responsible for multiple injuries and death of the soldier who was one day from returning home. It proved to be an emotional performance as it was not a speaking part, yet showcased the conflicts caused by her actions, their ensuing consequences, the care being provided to her, and its overall effect on those directly involved.