Kaho‘iwai:Teachers in Hawaiian Education Cohort, University of Hawai‘i MÅnoa

Introduction

My name is Kerri-Ann Kealohapau‘ole Hewett. I was born inHonolulu and raised in Pearl City. My parents are Kenneth andGeraldine Hewett. I have been a teacher since 1983, and amcurrently a Professor in Teacher Education in the College ofEducation at the University of Hawai‘i at MÅnoa. I love chil-dren immensely; more specifically, I have a passion forimproving the quality of life and education for NativeHawaiian children, which is what has inspired me to envisionKaho‘iwai. I love to read, and am “very good friends” withChildrens’ Literature. My favorite color is orange, and my mostfavorite thing of all is the scent of pÈkake that permeates my nos-

trils in the first 3 seconds of breathing it in; this “waft” of sweet-ness forever imbedded in my memory is comparable to a love that

can never be forgotten. I love to travel and to meet people, and thushave enjoyed making international indigenous connections in

research, especially now with Aboriginal Australia. Finally, I wasraised at Kawaiaha‘o Church and continue to worship and serve the

Lord there today.

For a long time now, there has been a clear need to improve the educationof Native Hawaiian children in the State of Hawai‘i. This change can be

best achieved through the preparation of well-qualified teachers, administra-tors, researchers and curriculum developers who support Native Hawaiian chil-

dren to reach high levels of academic achievement. In particular, the quality ofschooling can improve as more Native Hawaiians become educators who imple-ment more relevant curriculum, pedagogy, and administrative and disciplinarystyles which better serve Native Hawaiian children.

The educational needs of Native Hawaiian students have long been document-ed. Typically, this group scores in the bottom quartile on standardized tests ofreading and mathematics. Their rates of absenteeism and retention in grade are

far above state and national averages. Contributing factors include the marginal-

A New Education Model fora New Century

The Kaho‘iwai ‘ohana with the voyaging canoeMakali‘i at Kawaihae, Hawai‘i. Photo courtesyDavid Maika‘i Hana‘ike.

ization of the Native language, culture, and tradi-tions, as well as the absence of Native Hawaiianrole models in our schools.

Kaho‘iwai is a Teachers in Hawaiian EducationCohort, which is based at the University ofHawai‘i at MÅnoa’s College of Education. Thepurpose of Kaho‘iwai is to prepare teachers toprovide instruction aimed at better addressingthe unique needs of Native Hawaiian studentswithin the context of Native Hawaiian culture,language, and traditions. Our name, Kaho‘iwai,refers to the fresh water springs in MÅnoa,whose waters are our source of life and suste-nance. Metaphorically, Kaho‘iwai speaks of thereturning (ka ho‘i) of the water (wai). In ess-ence, it evokes the concept of waiwai, wealth,or our ancestral knowledge that renews andrefreshes us as it is returned to us. Metaphor-ically, wai, a source of life, is renewed throughthe wisdom of our ancestral knowledge, en-abling us to know who we are as Hawaiians,thus we are restored and empowered by thewealth of wisdom and knowledge (education)that comes to us through the vision of ourkËpuna or ancestors.

One way this is achieved through Kaho‘iwai isby use of traditional Hawaiian mo‘olelo (stories,histories) which forms the foundation of ourteaching guidelines, building along a traditionalHawaiian, rather than foreign educationalphilosophies. This is important, as educationalphilosophies forward the teaching pedagogies,methodologies, practices, and strategies, as wellas the development of curriculum in our educa-tional institutions today.

An example of how traditional Hawaiianmo‘olelo can be used to develop a new andmore culturally relevant educational philosophyillustrated in Julie Stewart Williams’ And theBirds Appeared. A Native Hawaiian masterteacher who has authored both children’s litera-ture and school curriculum, Williams expertlyretells a Maui legend in which he makes visibleto all the beautiful birds that only he could see.The legend serves as a metaphor for Native

Hawaiian children who, in the eyes of the West,are sometimes invisible and exploited. LikeMaui’s birds, Native Hawaiian children are visi-ble to culturally-connected Native Hawaiianeducators, who see them as beautiful, unique,gifted, intelligent and precious. For these teach-ers, Native Hawaiian children are not nameless,invisible creatures who historically, through col-onization, became burdened by the stereotype ofstupid, dumb, and lazy; in the quest to improvethe quality of education for Native Hawaiianchildren today, as well as for those yet to beborn, the culturally-connected Hawaiian teachersees both their beauty and their ability, theirintelligence and their talent, in ways culturallyinsensitive educators have been hard pressed toidentify.

The success of the Kaho‘iwai Cohort is impera-tive to improving the success of NativeHawaiian students in Hawai‘i’s education sys-tem where their needs have been continuallyignored; as one of only a handful of teachereducation cohorts that uses Native Hawaiianeducation methodology, culturally relevant cur-riculum, and culturally appropriate teaching andlearning strategies, Kaho‘iwai was designed tofill the gaping chasm into which NativeHawaiian children have fallen for far too long.As a cohort which trains teachers to becomeculturally responsive in their work with childrenat different levels and in different schools,Kaho‘iwai is in a position to positively changeNative Hawaiian students’ experiences in theclassroom for the upcoming and future genera-tions.

The two-year cohort provides opportunities toprepare teachers of Native Hawaiian ancestryand others to become excellent teachers ofNative Hawaiian children. The teacher educa-tion program offers courses and field work,emphasizing culturally-driven curriculum that isalso student-centered and community-based.The cohort facilitates the implementation ofHawaiian education methodology and is a trulyinnovative model of education designed to meetthe unique needs and cultural propensities of

Hawai‘i’s indigenous student population.

There are three components of the cohort thatreflect the immediate and unique needs ofNative Hawaiian children. These componentsare: Kula KaiÅpuni (Hawaiian LanguageImmersion), where pre-service teachers prepareto become teachers in Hawaiian immersionschools, fluent in the Hawaiian language andHawaiian pedagogy; Kula KaiÅulu (NativeHawaiian Charter Schools), and schools inNative Hawaiian communities, where pre-serv-ice teachers prepare to become competent inboth Hawaiian and English, and well-skilled tohelp children become bi-lingual as well as bi-cultural, able to walk successfully in bothworlds—Hawaiian and Western.

In addition, through the efforts of myself andAnthony Joe Fraser, Deputy Head of theWollotuka School of Aboriginal Studies at theUniversity of Newcastle in New South Wales,Australia, Kaho‘iwai has established a researchpartnership with this program, as well as withthe Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderBachelor’s of Education Program at theUniversity of Technology, Sydney, Australia.Both of these indigenous groups at their respec-tive universities focus on indigenous education,indigenous identity, and cultural appropriatenessin the classroom.

As the director of Kaho‘iwai, I have learnedhow important it is for us to work hard atrecruiting, mentoring, and supporting NativeHawaiians in teacher education so that they areable to earn their certification to return to theirown communities to teach and help NativeHawaiian children to achieve success in school.Preparing teachers to teach in culturally drivenK-12 schools will result in generations ofNative Hawaiian children who are fluent speak-ers of both Hawaiian and English, who have thetools and capacity to succeed in the 21st centu-ry, and who can walk successfully in bothworlds without having to give up their valuesand traditions. Creating relevant and meaningfullearning experiences for Hawai‘i’s indigenous

people is vital in the effort to control our indige-nous educational destiny. This collective com-mitment as Kaho‘iwai ensures academic excel-lence for Native Hawaiian children and empow-erment for Native Hawaiian people over all.

In teacher education and curriculum studies, theCollege of Education provided a strong supportof resource and curriculum development thathonored culture and learning. The teacher train-ing efforts provided direction in the develop-ment of innovative learning experiences thatlinked curriculum to a culturally sustainablepedagogy. The commitment to establish thismodel of education for Native Hawaiian chil-dren was community-based, embracing theindigenous values and philosophies of Hawai‘i.

The Hawaiian Education Teacher EducationCohort commenced in January 2002 with 20pre-service teachers (15 are of Native Hawaiianancestry). The Cohort moved through sixsemesters of coursework. In the Fall 2003semester, they began their student teachingassignments and graduated in December 2003.Kaho‘iwai is the starting point of a long-rangeteacher education plan to provide for NÅ KulaKaiÅpuni, NÅ Kula KaiÅulu, and schools inHawaiian communities. This is important, as webelieve that Native Hawaiian education is a pri-mary focus in the quest for self-determination.

In June of 2003, Kaho‘iwai went on a huaka‘i(fieldtrip) to Hawai‘i island, for the purpose ofpracticing what was being learned in the class-room. Hosted by three cohort members as wellas their families, friends, and other members ofthe Hawai‘i island communities, our studentsparticipated in a number of cultural activitieswhile simultaneously taking courses in Literacy,Science, Kinesthetic Movement, and IndigenousPerspectives. All activities and courses weretaught by indigenous kumu, and from an indige-nous perspective. Most importantly, all of thekumu who taught this block of courses partici-pated in the huaka‘i.

In the one week spent on Hawai‘i island,

Kaho‘iwai visited Halema‘uma‘u, where theyheld a pÈkai ceremony at the hula pÅ and offeredho‘okupu at the crater rim to TËtË Pele. Theyhiked into and out of Waipi‘o valley, where theycleaned lo‘i and pulled kalo in the valley, beforetrekking across the pastures of Waimea early inthe morning to see Waipi‘o from the topside,looking over the rim. The next few days werespent in Kawaihae and Mahukona with theMakali‘i crew, where students and kumulearned the ropes—literally—of how to sail thecanoe and work as a team, before setting sail offthe North Kona coastline aboard the sleek dou-ble-hulled canoe.

Kaho‘iwai spent a few days at Papawai—thecamp area maintained by the QueenLili‘uokalani Children’s Center in Kona andhome to ancient ‘Øpae‘ula shrimp ponds. Here,students not only learned about the history ofthe area and assisted in cleaning the ponds, butalso practiced their hula under the shade of thekamani trees, and dyed kÈhei using both moderntumeric and traditional ‘olena dye baths. Beforeleaving Kona for Ka‘Ë, Kaho‘iwai spent sometime at Kuamo‘o in South Kona, to learn aboutthe historic battleground and offer ho‘okupu inremembrance of the kËpuna who gave theirlives fighting for what they believed.

At Punalu‘u in Ka‘Ë, Kaho‘iwai learned aboutthe history, geography, and sacred sites of thearea from the Hanoa ‘ohana, as well as saw andlearned about the endangered sea turtles whohabitually nest there. The last stop on this won-derful journey was in Kea‘au, where time wasspent with the Kahuawaiola Hawaiian LanguageTeachers’ Training Cohort, also a first of itskind, based at UH Hilo.

Throughout this huaka‘i, Kaho‘iwai was blessedby the ‘ike and aloha of so many wonderful,generous people. Mahalo ke Akua for all youhave blessed us with and for all you have madepossible. A special heart-felt mahalo fromKaho‘iwai to the three cohort members whomade it happen: Keala Ching, PilialohaKa‘apuni, and Keomailani Case. Also, a heart-

felt mahalo to the ‘ohana who hosted us aroundthe island: Aunty Eleanor Laeha and ‘ohana inLaupÅhoehoe, Uncle ‘Olu and Aunty LindaEskaran of Waipi‘o valley, Lindell ‘¯hia and‘ohana in Waimea, the Case ‘ohana of Waimea,MÅlamapØki‘i pre-school in Waimea, UncleClay and Aunty Didi Bertelmann, Uncle Chadand Aunty PØmai Paishon, and the rest of theMakali‘i crew and ‘ohana at Kawaihae andMahukona, Uncle Mike Ikeda and the staff ofQLCC Kona, Keala Ching’s hÅlau ‘ohana inKona, Jason Ki‘aha and ‘ohana in Kona, AuntyKeola Hanoa and ‘ohana of Punalu‘u, KumuKeiki Kawaiae‘a, the Kahuawaiola HawaiianLanguage Teacher Education Cohort of UHHilo, and the ‘ohana of NÅwahÈokalani‘Øpu‘uschool in Kea‘au.

The following pieces are excerpted fromKaho‘iwai students work. Most of the pieceshere were written as part of the summer blockLiteracy course, which focused on the theme,“He ‘ili‘ili au: I am a pebble.” The mana‘obehind this theme, as shared by kumu ku‘ualohaho‘omanawanui, is that we all experience theworld from ourselves outward, wherever westand and wherever our place is in the world, ina manner similar to how water ripples awayfrom a pebble dropped into a water.

Students wrote pieces reflecting on themselvesand their place within their ‘ohana and greatercommunities. They learned to recite their familymo‘okË‘auhau and relate their experiences tothe ‘Åina they come from through the traditionalgenre of wahi pana (storied places). They alsofocused on larger issues, such as their place aseducators of Hawaiian children, and reflectedon questions such as “What is HawaiianEducation?” and “What is literacy from aNative Hawaiian perspective?”

Haumana were encouraged to write in ‘ØleloHawai‘i and pidgin (Hawai‘i Creole English) inaddition to English. Translations of Hawaiianpieces were left up to individual students.Students were also encouraged to introduce artand images to their work, and to use non-stan-

dard formats, such as posters and collages.What follows is a small sample of the amazingtapestry of work woven together throughout thesemester by the Cohort.

Throughout this experience, students wereencouraged to be active recipients of knowledgeand information by becoming writers and cre-ators of mo‘olelo which can be passed on andshared, but more importantly, mo‘olelo that doc-ument their experiences and the times. Thesepieces could also serve as both writing modelsfor their students, as well as a written record forfuture generations.

Hinaleimoana Wong

Aloha, my name is Hinaleimoana Kwai KongWong and I am a child of the Kealoha,Kawahinekoa/Pali, Gardner, Mathias, Hu/Look,and Wong families. I am the cultural coordina-tor for HÅlau LØkahi Public Charter School, andI teach all grades from K-12. As a child ofLiliha, I am most fortunate to teach at PÅlama,near Kunawai, Lanakila, Ma‘ema‘e, Mauna‘Ala and Pu‘unui, all within the ahupua‘a ofNu‘uanu where I was born and raised. My fami-ly traces back four generations on both mymaternal and paternal sides having lived in thisahuapua‘a.

Lei Ana ‘o Kaho‘iwai

Uluwehi MÅnoa i ka lei TuahineHe ua hu‘ikoni ‰, ‘eÅKonikoni ka ‘i‘iniHË a‘e ke alohaNo ka pono o nÅ ‘Øiwi ‰, ‘eÅNÅ ‘i‘iwi o ka uka o KapÅlama lÅ ‰He lama pio‘ole ho‘i ‘eÅ ‰Ho‘iho‘i mai i ka waiKe ea o ke olaI pono ka lÅhui ‰, ‘eÅHo‘ohui ‘ia nØ nÅ Kai ‘Ewalu lÅ ‰I ka malu o Ke Akua lÅ ‘eÅ ‰I naue mua kÅkou lÅ ‘eÅ ‰He nui ke aloha no ka leihiwa lÅ ‰

No ka lei o Kaho‘iwaiEØ e nÅ kula o ke kaiaulu lÅ ‰,NÅ kaiapuni, nÅ hoamana lÅ ‘eÅ ‰Kui ‘ia ke aloha, ‘ekolu pua lÅ ‰I hanohano nÅ kËpuna lÅ ‘eÅ ‰I naue mua kÅkou lÅ ‘eÅ ‰EØ e Kaho‘iwai!

MÅnoa is verdant, adorned in refreshing rains

A crisp and cool rain indeedThe desire within yearns to forge ahead,A profound love and respect wells withinFor justice for our Hawaiian peopleFor it shall be the song of the ‘i‘iwi of the

uplands of KapÅlamaThat shall remain a beacon of hope for our

futureReturn to us what is ours, our waters, our landsOur independence, our livesFor justice and dignity for the Nation of

Hawai‘iOur islands are united, we stand as oneUnder the grace of the AlmightyThat we should march onwardOur integrity and love shall prevail, for ourefforts, guided by our ancestors, are blessed

indeedKaho‘iwai shall stand victoriousOur youth of the Charter, Immersion, andKamehameha schools in our communityWe stand joined together as a leiSo precious to our ancestorsThat they may be honored, revered, cherished

and remembered alwaysThat we, Kaho‘iwai and our future generations,

claim victory and success; may we emerge triumphant!

What is Hawaiian Education?

In the days of our kËpuna, Hawaiian educationwas about heart and soul. It meant that culturalvalues and expectations prevailed over our gov-ernance and guidance of situations involvingstudents. Hawaiian culture is by nature at timesvery strict, demanding discipline, and at others,

very giving, as well as forgiving.

Traditionally, discipline was not an option, but agiven. No matter what situation was at hand,discipline, etiquette, and proper manners werenever compromised or forsaken for the benefitof the parasitic and problematic western culturewe all embrace today. What does this mean? Itmeans that we need to be as sturdy and steadfastas the ‘a‘ali‘i kË makani, the native plant whichis able to withstand the most devastating windswithout being uprooted and destroyed. It meanswe need to be as kind and loving of our peopleas our ancient chiefly ancestor, ‘UmiÅlÈloa.While his harsh, cruel, and unjust brother Hakaumade unreasonable demands of his people,‘UmiÅlÈloa had enough insight to know that amore calm and gentle, yet firm approach, part-nered with fairness and respect, would gain himthe seat of power over the kingdom. He eventu-ally came to rule after his father LÈloa, hisbrother Hakau vanquished by the people for hisunjust ways.

As Hawaiian teachers of Hawaiian youth, weneed to be as clever as that rascal pig-god,Kamapua‘a, as diligent as Pele’s youngest sib-ling, Hi‘iakaikapoliopele, as strong and direct asthe volcano goddess Pelehonuamea, and asdetermined and insightful as our ali‘iKamehameha.

We also need to be ever mindful of other les-sons and concepts that we have learned fromour kËpuna. We need to be as vigilant asKalÅkaua in preserving what is left of our cul-ture, as staunch and resilient as LukaKe‘elikØlani in defying the colonialism andoppression we as a people continue to endure,and as noble as Lili‘uokalani in preventingunnecessary harm, bloodshed, and hurt amongstour own people. Hawaiian education demandsthat we shed the bonds of a foreign culturewhich continues to permeate our very spirit andbeing. We need to differentiate the methods weclaim as our own from the methods we internal-ize from outsiders, methods which do not workfor our people. Yet while we embrace our native

culture and reject foreign ways which avail usnot, but instead seek to destroy us, we must alsocarefully note what outsiders have which wecan adapt for our benefit.

In today’s socially disparaging climate, as stew-ards of our culture, we need to know that ourendeavors will come to fruition over time. Somewill mature as quickly as the ‘awapuhi plantedjust weeks ago, while others will grow as slow-ly and surely as a koa tree planted generationsago, for the generations to come.

Hawaiian education is about change. As kupunaNana Veary has so eloquently said, “Change wemust.” The very survival of Hawaiians as aviable and healthy people grounded in traditionwhile embracing innovation depends on ourability to be flexible. The mo‘o were very goodat adapting to their environments; it’s up to usas a people to know how to be flexible, and trueto our culture at the same time. Some ‘Ølelono‘eau which may be helpful to keep in mindare: i ka ‘Ølelo nØ ke ola, i ka ‘Ølelo nØ kamake, nÅnÅ i ke kumu, and i maika‘i ke kalo ika ‘ØhÅ. The first, i ka ‘Ølelo nØ ke ola, i ka‘Ølelo nØ ka make, “in the language is life, inthe language is death” speaks to the idea that wemust think wisely before we say or do anythingwhich can be harmful to ourselves or others.The second, nÅnÅ i ke kumu, “look to thesource,” encourages us to look to our past tounderstand where we came from, so we knowthe rightful direction to take. The third, imaika‘i ke kalo i ka ‘ØhÅ, “the taro is only asgood as its source,” warns us that our childrenare only as healthy and capable as their parentsor elders for we are a reflection of them.

As teachers, this last ‘Ølelo no‘‰au applies to usas well in our classrooms, as we are the ‘ØhÅ forour students. We need to continually ask our-selves: what have we empowered our studentswith for their future? In what way did webestow this gift of knowledge? Let us strive tobe at our healthiest, and in turn, strive to helpour youth to be the best they can be. Let usremember to be firm, yet temper our discipli-

nary practices with a loving, steady, and patientguiding hand. Let us also incorporate the storiesof our kËpuna to inform our disciplinary prac-tices as we guide our students along the some-times rough and rocky path they encounterthroughout their education.

Our kËpuna left us with the knowledge andtools we need for survival. Let us not turn ourbacks to them and look only to foreigners as weseek western diagnoses to the illnesses whichplague our people. Instead, let us learn how toempower ourselves through cultural ‘ike, andstrive to learn and practice the wisdom of ourancestors.

Keomailani Case

My homeland is Waimea, Hawai‘i. I am a grad-uate of the first class of Kanu o ka ‘ıinaHawaiian Academy. I am now a teacher at Kanuo ka ‘ıina charter school in Waimea. Taching isa way for me to give back to the communitywhich raised me to be who I am today.

KÈlauea

Clouds open up and shine your light on us—Let us feel the updraft of your might;Shower us with the voices of the past,Encircle us with your never-fading knowledge.

Here I stand in the bone-chilling mist of the highlands

Embraced by your touch, and drenched by yourwarmth;

Sound of the slow-drifting drizzle echoesas it gently reaches out to touch faces of

leaves—Astonished by your haze and grounded by your

wonder,Here I stand at your command.

Clouds open up and shine your light on us—Let us feel the updraft of your might;Shower us with the voices of the past,Encircle us with your never-fading knowledge.

Carry my whisper to your great depths—Drink of the Waimea water I offer you;Let it replenish your energy,May it nourish all sidesLet it run through the uplands and lowlands,

inward and outMay you continue to grow and live forever.

Clouds open up and shine your light on us—Let us feel the updraft of your might;Shower us with the voices of the past,Encircle us with your never-fading knowledge.

Grounded by your presence my mind drifts towards another light—

The pathway is shown through your eyes;Weave the way and I shall learn all I can,Create, generate and continue to dominate with

your craft:Give life with your breath and live on.

Clouds open up and shine your light on us—Let us feel the updraft of your might;Shower us with the voices of the past,Encircle us with your never-fading knowledge.

Tasha Kawailehua Fong

Mahalo Ke Akua! I was a freshman at KalaniHigh School when I wrote this poem. I love toplay sports, play ‘ukulele, go to the beach, andhang with my family. I was fortunate to accom-pany Kaho‘iwai to Hawai‘i Island. While wewere there, I was inspired to write my poemwhen we stayed in Waimea. I was sitting out-side and it was cold; all of a sudden, I saw a rat!

Feelings of Night

Freezing in the coldFace hard as a frozen rock

Ears numb with the stilled flow of bloodIn the dark night stars shine bright, twinkling

high aboveThe Milky Way so wide and creamy, with

Billions of stars filling the night skyNo one around—just Mother Nature and I as

A rat runs up an down trying to be sneaky andsly—

But nothing gets passed me.The breeze is as cold as snow, so cold—

Nothing but darkness here,No sound of people:

just the gentle whispers of Waimea’s cold wind.

Kauwila Hanchett

Kauwila Hanchett grew up on Moloka‘i and inHÅna and KaupØ on Maui. She is a 1997 gradu-ate of HÅna High School. As a member of theKaho‘iwai cohort, she is currently living onO‘ahu, and working at Hakipu‘u LearningCenter, a Charter School based in theKo‘olaupoko area. When she graduates with herteaching degree, she plans to continue teachingin the Native Hawaiian Charter School system.

Some thoughts on literacy from a Hawaiianperspective

I ka ‘Ølelo no ke ola, I ka ‘Ølelo no ka make, “Inthe word there is life, in the word there isdeath.” This wise saying of our kËpuna express-es the mana found in our ‘Ølelo, our language. Itis opposite in value from the Western rhyme werecited as children, “sticks and stones maybreak my bones but words will never hurt me.”Indeed, literacy is the passage through whichculture, traditions, and values flow from onegeneration to the next.

For me, looking at literacy from a Hawaiianperspective is reclaiming the mana and value ofour ‘Ølelo and our traditional forms of commu-nication. It is an opening of all the senses to theworld around us. It is listening first and thenspeaking, observing and then doing. It is look-ing to the path of our kËpuna, knowing our past,and then moving forward in the present to cre-ate a strong and sustainable future for our keiki.

Recently, my grandfather John Ikua HanchettSr. passed on, and I couldn’t help but feel aheavy burden, he kuleana kaumaha, come and

rest upon my shoulders. My kËpuna are movingon and I am left to ensure that their legacy isupheld, that the work they have done is contin-ued, and the standards they lived are not buriedwith them. This is a great task in today’s mod-ern and westernized world.

I look around to others amongst my generation,and I start to panic. I look at our kamali‘i and‘Øpio and wonder what my community will belike when they are the mÅkua and kËpuna. Willthey tell their mo‘opuna stories about being thefirst kid to have Playstation 2, and sing themmele about going shopping at the mall? Todaywe are bombarded with materialism and capital-ist values through new forms of communication,such as radio, magazines, TV, and the world-wide web, values which directly contradict ordiminish the traditional Hawaiian cultural val-ues of aloha, ‘ohana, sharing, and connection tothe ‘Åina.

Words shape our way of life. The Hawaiian lan-guage is not just a vocabulary used as a form ofcommunication. Exploring the words, patternsand vibrations of our mother tongue reveals thekeys to understanding the essence of ourkËpuna—what they valued, what they scorned,how they lived in connection with the earth,each other, and Akua. Speaking the language inthis same way allows one to take on the sameessence. This is why our language is called ourmother, because she molds and teaches us howto live. We can also do this with English, usingwords to communicate our thoughts and world-view, although English communicates theseideas differently. Thus I believe literacy inHawaiian education should strive to incorporatea multi-dimensional Hawaiian perspective,which would allow haumana to be the passagethrough which traditional (and new) knowledgeflows. Let the earth be our greatest teacher. Letthe voices of our Akua, ‘aumÅkua, and kËpunaalso be heard and heeded.

My idea of “literacy” has definitely beenenhanced because of our huaka‘i to Hawai‘iisland. If Hawaiian literacy had to have a motto,

I would use the ‘Ølelo no‘eau, nÅnÅ ka maka,ho‘olohe ka pepeiao, pa‘a ka waha, hana kalima. This proverb, which urges one to lookwith the eyes, listen with the ears, close themouth, and work with the hands, embodies away of learning that I would not have initiallyconsidered a part of literacy.

Literacy has many forms, both verbal and non-verbal. In Hawaiian culture, there are severalforms of non-verbal communication, such as lis-tening with the ears through the mind, and lis-tening with the heart through the spirit, na‘au,and breath. This latter form of communication iswhat we lived on our huaka‘i. In each place wewent, the majority of what we learned wastaught to us by the place itself and the work wedid there. These lessons would have beenmissed if we were not listening with more thanjust our ears. For me, this what true learning isall about. By creating experiences that touch themind, body, and soul, teachers can provide stu-dents not only with information, but also knowl-edge, strength, and connection to place, people,and Akua.

This is what I hope to accomplish as a teacherof Hawaiian children. I will NOT be the kumuwho stands in the front of neat rows of boredstudents with glazed-over little eyes, pouringout useless words that fall from my mouth, onlyto pile up on the ground. I will be a kumu whohelps students to use and trust all their senses tocommunicate through meaningful learningexperiences, such as those I was privileged tohave participated in on our Hawai‘i islandexcursion.

In honor of my grandfather’s passing I compsedthe following mele.In it, I attempt to share theperson who he was and the values which helived by. As the title says, his descendants are alei of love for him, and this mele inoa is just asmall expression of that, as I hope to continuecarrying the torch he held up so high throughouthis life. Aloha wau iÅ ‘oe e Papa.

He Lei Aloha Nou

Hui mÅkou i k‰ia lÅE ho‘omana‘o me ke alohaHe kaikunane ikaikaHe kÅne i ka ‘iliHe makua lokomaika‘iHe kupuna hiwahiwaE ho‘omana‘o

Kulu ka wai maka Me he punawai olaEia nÅ pua ouKui ‘ia i lei ‘ohanaHe lei aloha nou

Hui mÅkou i k‰ia lÅE ho‘omana‘o me ke alohaHe paniolo no‘eauHe kumu na‘auaoHe alaka‘i kËponoHe hoaloha pËlama ‘iaE ho‘omana‘o

We gather todayTo remember with loveA strong brotherA beloved husbandA just fatherAn esteemed grandfatherWe remember

Tears fallLike a living springHere are your flowersStrung together in a lei of familyA lei of love for you

We gather todayTo remember with loveA skilled panioloA wise teacherA rightful leaderA cherished friendWe remember

Keoki Haynes

I was raised in Waimea on the island of Hawai‘ibut have also lived in Oklahoma andCalifornia. I attended the Kamehameha Schoolsand have completed my degree in ElementaryEducation at the University of Hawai‘i atMÅnoa. I eventually plan to pursue my Master’sdegree in Educational Administration and hopeto one day make my greatest contribution to theHawaiian people through that position.

Yearn for the Morning

As night passes by in silent reverie,I can only wonder how it must have beenfor my tËtË kÅne and tËtË wahine to sit on the porch and discuss the day’s events,speaking in the mother tongue, for them to reminisce of the days of oldand remember what it was like as a child—

Did they wear the same kind of clothes?Did they work the lo‘i with their tËtË kÅne?Did they see their tËtË wahine pound kapa into

a soothing cloth,Or weave a beautiful makaloa mat?

Did they lie down at night and overhear their tËtË kÅne and tËtË wahinespeak about the day’s events in their mother

tongue?Did they listen to their tËtË kÅne and tËtË

wahine Reminisce about their days of old,and remember what it was like as a child—

When they lived in hale pili,When they wove nets to fish,And made poi in the traditional way?

Did they overhear their tËtË kÅne and tËtË wahine

talk about the future Hawaiians,their children and their grandchildren,

How they would survive

How they needed to learn English How they wanted their children to marry non-

Hawaiians to escape the shame brought by haoles?

Were they born during Kamehameha’s reign?Did they remember their tËtË kÅne and tËtË

wahineSpeak of the Kamehameha ali‘i, and agree or

disagree with what they did?Did they know KalÅkaua or Pauahi?Did they love Lili‘u like we love Lili‘u?

Did my tËtË kÅne and tËtË wahine hear their tËtË kÅne and tËtË wahine speak of

the night sky?Did they speak of how their tËtË kÅne and tËtË

wahineSailed from Kahiki, as they read the starry

night?

Did they wear a malo made of kapa?Did they oli upon arrival to the new island?Were they greeted by an ali‘i with an ‘ahu ‘ula?Did they sing and dance and laugh with each

other Ma ka ‘Ølelo Hawai‘i?

Did they love speaking Hawaiian like I love speaking Hawaiian,

the mother tongue passed down from the ancestors?

Sometimes I yearn for the morning—when we carved canoe and wove lauhala mats,when we fished and grew lo‘i, when we lived in hale pili and made imu, when we read the hØkË in the sky as our map and told stories of the gods,when we loved our mother tongue so much itwas all we spoke.

Sometimes I yearn for the morning—when my tËtË kÅne and tËtË wahinewill visit with me. We will sit together strumming an ‘ukulele and sing songs ma ka

‘Ølelo Hawai‘i,Or they will tell me to set the rocks in the imu

and grab banana stumps,and show me how to make imu in the way they

were taught.

Sometimes I yearn for the morning—When we will chart our own courseWhen we will live the way we pleaseAnd follow our own path—

where we can plant our lo‘i and mai‘a and ‘uala

where we will fish our grounds,restore our loko i‘a, and use our ‘Øpae ‘ula;

where we oli to each other when we visit,and weave fine mats of lauhala;

when we will build hale pili they way they were,

when we will love our ‘Åina the way she loved us.

Do I yearn for the morning?Yes, I yearn for the morning.

Gail Pilialoha Ka‘apuni

My name is Pilialoha Kailimai Ka‘apuni, and Iam the daughter of David and Abbie Kailimai. Iwas born and still live in HonomË, Hawai‘i. Ihave six children, and ten grandchildren. I amalso a single parent. I received my BA inSociology with a minor in French from ChurchCollege of Hawai‘i in 1972, and have recentlyreturned to school as a non-traditional student inKaho‘iwai. I am currently a teacher at Kanu oka ‘ıina New Century Public Charter School inWaimea, Hawai‘i. My goal is to leave a writtenlegacy for each of my grandchildren. Kaoe, thekaikamahine in this short story, is my eighthmo‘opuna. Her name Ka‘oekuikaleoanelaspeaks of the kahawai that runs near our home,the same kahawai in the mo‘olelo. When thekahawai is running, it sounds like the voices ofangels.

Papa Gets ‘O‘opu

“Hui! Hui!” was the call that came from beyond

the guava trees. Ka‘oe turned and saw herGreat-grandmother walking towards her. Grand-ma had a big smile on her face, and a lei-trimmed pÅpale on her head. She was slightlybent from 87 years of good living, and shewalked a little slower these days.

Ka‘oe knew she was going to have one of her“Grandma Remembers” days. WheneverGrandma visited unexpectedly, wearing herpÅpale and that look on her face, Ka‘oe knewthat spending the day with Grandma meanthearing a story about the “old days.”

When Grandma caught up to her, she gaveKa‘oe a big honi. They walked hand-in-hand totheir favorite spot by the stream and sat near abamboo grove. They listened as the wind blewgently through the leaves, which sounded likevoices singing a sweet lullaby. Grandma didn’twaste much time. Pointing to the waterfall, shebegan to tell her story.

“See the top of the waterfall, where the watergathers before it falls over into the pond below?It was there that your great-great grandfather,my papa, caught the largest and tastiest ‘o‘opu.You don’t see any ‘o‘opu in this stream any-more. We used to have a lot of them here. Alongthe stream grew some tall grass. Papa wouldpull them out, roots, dirt, and everything thatcame with it. He placed the grass along the edgeof the waterfall, creating a dam so the waterwould rise and make a pond. The water turnedbrown from all the dirt, but Papa didn’t care. Hegot right into it, sat next to the dam of grass, puthis hand in the water and waited quietly. In afew minutes, he raised his arm and there in hishand was a large ‘o‘opu! He would repeat thisover and over again until he had enough ‘o‘opufor dinner. Once he was done, he got out of thewater and removed the clumps of grass, settingthem on the stream bank. Then, we were off toclean the ‘o‘opu and prepare our meal.

It was during these times that I learned themost. Papa never said much. Whenever I askeda question, he would quietly point first to his

eyes, and then to his ears, before lifting hishands out in front of him and say, ‘just do as Itell you.’

The lesson did not stop there. While we cleanedthe fish and prepared for dinner, it was Papa’sturn to ask the questions. ‘Why did I use thegrass in the water?’ he asked. I thought andthought, but I had no reply. Instead of answer-ing, he asked another question. ‘What do youthink lives in the dirt that comes with theroots?’ he queried.

‘Worms!’ I replied.

Then I understood—the ‘o‘opu came to eat theworms! Wasn’t Papa a really smart man? Nowthat I knew his secret, I could catch ‘o‘opu, too.When your dad was a young boy, Grandmasaid, I taught him Papa’s ‘o‘opu-catching secret.Now that there are no ‘o‘opu in our stream, Ican only tell you stories of what used to be.”

Ka‘oe watched Grandma as she gazed into thewater, hoping to see once again a little ‘o‘opuswim up stream.

Kalani Kalima

Kalani Kalima is from WaimÅnalo, O‘ahu. Hisfocus is secondary education. He is currentlyworking at HÅlau LØkahi Public Charter Schoolin PÅlama, O‘ahu.

Haiku for Our Huaka‘i to Hawai‘i

Kaho‘iwai waitsAnticipation is highWe’re ready to go

Tickets with kumuKerri-Ann is calling usTo gather aroundThe sun is aboveBlack ants are stirring aboutTo the wrong checkout

A man with a leihis ‘ohana is with usher name—Kauila

Playing “Pipito”Braddah Scott sitting down withhis boar’s tooth necklace

Offering food topeople he never knew, butwill soon come to love

Listening, waitingplaying, laughing, wanting to board the airplane soon

The airplane was packedthe haoles were plenty butinsignificant

We’re finally here!Not another gathering—Gotta go lua!

Keala’s waitingfor the bags to be loaded—but nobody moves

Protocol is done— Kupuna is in the front,Us guys in the back

Drove to KTAThe food was so ‘ono thatI had to eat twice

Nature surrounds usAs we drive to volcano;Too much damn guava

We “KËnihi” into ask for permission fromkËpuna who passed

Pule is givenOur hؑailona receivedin rain, wind, and clouds

Standing in kÈheiwith Liliha and Palewaiting to pÈkai

The circle’s completethe cleansing is now overfor kino and pÅ

He ho‘okupu:ka hula, mele, olime ke aloha

‘O KÈlaueaka piko o Hawai‘iOla honua

The sun watches allfigures stand in the distanceLike Keoua mÅ

Ma hea Pele?mai nÅ mo‘olelo iheluhelu ‘ia?

Na Hi‘iakame Lonomakua puma hea lakou?

I left wonderingwishing, hoping hopelesslywithout an answer

Til we meet againma Halema‘uma‘uI will return soon

I LaupÅhoehoeka ‘Åina uluwehilepo ‘akeke

KakahiakaE ala e ‘o HinaHikina ka lÅ

She gracefully tripsand is caught by the haleAh, nobody saw

She did it againfirst time luck, second time skillthat’s what I’ve been told

Parting with MamaMichele is Ka‘uluHo‘i ke kumu

Holo Waipi‘oiho ana o lunapi‘i o lalo

Huki ke kaloMÅlama i ka ‘ØhÅKÈloi ka pilau

Holoi ke kaloE ku‘i ‘oe me ka waiEia nØ ka poi

IholÅ ka wai‘Au me he kÅmano lÅA! Hi‘u ‘ole

PØloli nØ auWÅ ‘Åina awakeaPÅ‘ina kÅkou!

Mahalo ‘Olu‘Olu‘olu ke kÅneKÅne lima nui

At Honoka‘aWe gather more provisionsWahi a Kanu

Anu WaimeaKo‘eko‘e ka ‘ÅinaKonahau wale

We’re barbequing.It’s so damn cold that the fireis shivering, too

In the back of trucksabove Waimea, up theKohala mountains

Cattle all overBrown, white, black—all cute. Just don’tget too attached!

‘Ohi‘a, Maile,‘Olapa, Laukahi, me‘Ohelo berries

Behind Waipi‘oa rare kÅhuli was seen—or was it a snake?

Kumu Maika‘i,Pehea k‰ia ‘Åina?He bog no ho‘i?

Two rolls of film, eight bucks.Water bottle, dolla. Ex-perience? Priceless.

‘O Makali‘iHo‘okahi ka lÅ‘auKË i ka lani

45 minutesfloating, swimming, paddling,helping, supporting

E lele taiaLele a‘e ka nai‘ame kÅna hoa

Ho‘i ka haleE ho‘oponoponoPau pilikia

Nohea Stibbard

Originally from Kahuku, O‘ahu, Nohea worksat HÅlau KË Mana Public Charter School inMÅnoa, O‘ahu.

Ululani Fong

My name is Ululani Fong and I am a mother oftwo. My son Scotty is studying to become adoctor, and my daughter Kawailehua is a stu-dent at Kalani High School. My husband Scottworks for the City and is a great cook. I comefrom KaimukÈ and now reside in Niu Valley. Iam an Educational Assistant at Niu ValleyMiddle School. I have been working with chil-dren who have special needs since 1984. Idecided to return to college in the fall of 1998.My desire is to become a teacher who will bethere to help the children of Hawai‘i, especiallyNative Hawaiian children. Kaho‘iwai has madeit possible for me to continue working while Iam attending school. I am grateful and blessedto be a part of such an awesome cohort! I givegreat thanks to Dr. Kerri-Ann Hewett whohelped me to make my life long dream tobecome a reality. With the many challenges,obstacles, and experiences that took place onHawai‘i Island, I am grateful to have had theopportunity to learn many new things aboutmyself and to realize what “Mahalo Ke Akua”really means. I thank my family for their loveand support and for being there with me throughmany of those experiences. Most of all, mahaloke Akua for Your unconditional love and forbeing a part of my life.

Mahalo ke Akua

Mahalo ke Akuafor bringing us to the hula pÅfor the special blessings you bring upon usfor the tears that run down our facesfor accepting our prayers, mele, and chantsfor your forgiveness and understandingfor your cleansing on this day at Halema‘uma‘u

Mahalo ke Akuafor giving us a place to sleep at Michele’s tËtË’s

halefor giving us nourishment for our bodiesfor a warm and beautiful sunrisefor the beauty of LaupÅhoehoe

Mahalo ke Akuafor inviting us to this beautiful place called

Waipi‘ofor the lush mountains that meet the cool blue

oceanfor the heavenly twin waterfalls of Hi‘ilawefor giving us the strength to walk down and up

the steep valley pathfor the teachings of Uncle Olu in his lo‘i kalofor our health and strength to huki, ‘oki, and

hØloi ke kalofor the mea ‘ai gift of kalofor a beautiful day in Waipi‘o

Mahalo ke Akuafor the hospitality of Lindell and the use of her

halefor the warm showers on a cold night for giving us the love and understanding of

ho‘oponoponofor a new start to wounded friendshipsfor the chilly misty airfor the serenity of Waimea

Mahalo ke Akuafor the ‘ike and aloha shared by Chad and

PØmaifor watching over us as we tread water insilence for forty-five minutesfor giving us the opportunity to learn how towork and sail on Makali‘ifor keeping Makali‘i’s crew safe every time

they sailfor the heiau at Mahukona which guides heracross the Pacificfor the hula and oli that You inspired Keala and

Hina to createfor the mea ‘ai shared by Makana and Jason’s

‘ohanafor expanding our ‘ohana and giving us loving

memoriesfor the many hØ‘ailona—the honu, nai‘a,

Ånuenue, and a beautiful sunsetfor the chant composed, and allowing us to send

Makali‘i off to Hilofor the majestic Makali‘i of KawaihaeMahalo ke Akuafor a comfortable campsite in Kona

for the ancient ‘Øpae ‘ula pondsfor the teachings of Uncle Mikefor the science lesson from Kumu Maika‘ifor the kØkua from Kumu as we dyed our kÈheifor the hula lessons from Kumu Vickyfor giving Scott and Demetrius the courage to

learn the hulafor the lunch that Aunty Pili and Reid picked up

for usfor the tears of hurt we shared with Hina and

Lydiafor the healing words from Aunty Pili and KealaFor the huaka‘i at Papawai

Mahalo ke Akuafor the friendship of Keala’s hÅlaufor the mea‘ai which they prepared for usfor their hospitality, hula, and melefor the beautiful Keaomelemele sunset, and the

blessing of rainfor our ancestors at Kuamo‘ofor the wonderful time in Kona

Mahalo ke Akuafor the exquisite black sand beachfor the Aloha shared by Aunty Keolalanifor the honu that rested on shorefor the pueo which flew overheadfor the cool and crisp fresh spring watersfor the lesson Kauwila shared about the starsfor Ho‘ola and Kawailehua who have bonded a

new friendshipfor the special ‘awa ceremony shared by Kalani,

Hina, and Kealafor the beauty of Punalu‘u

Mahalo ke Akuafor helping us overcome many struggles and

obstaclesfor Aunty Pili, Keala, and Keomailani, who

shared their island with usfor Kerri-Ann who made my college dream a

realityfor ku‘ualoha, Yvonne, Maika‘i, Joe, and AuntyVicky for sharing their giftsfor all the beautiful people in my Kaho‘iwai

‘ohanafor the teachers from Kamehameha who came

to experience it with usfor the love and support of my husband Scott,

my son Scott Jr., and my precious Kawailehua

for the life and love you have blessed me with everyday of my life

for this maika‘i loa huaka‘i on Hawai‘i Island

Mahalo ke Akua for Kaho‘iwai.