Keiki o Ka ‘Aina

The Native Hawaiian approach to learning is based on the ʻōlelo noʻeau, or wise sayings, about the Hawaiian worldview and values, as well as lessons in behavior, protocol, relationships, land management, arts, and spirituality.

Also, essential is the focus on understanding the three different levels of the oral language used in a Hawaiian experience: the literal; the kaona, or hidden meanings woven into the obvious, and the noa huna, or spiritual level, where spoken words have the power to cause action and where one can speak to the rain and expect the rain to answer.

Eō nā Wahi Pana o Hawaiʻi

(Answer, you celebrated places of Hawaiʻi)

Hawaiian place-based learning looks at the ‘aina (land) and local environment from a native perspective to study how it has been used over time, modern land use issues, and the relationships among place, history, culture, and traditions. Instructors equip students with strong Hawaiian foundational skills.

In a culture where traditions are kept and passed orally, chants, songs, dances, and methods are an archive of ideology, connections, memories, and experiences from Hawaiian ancestors. The intention of this program is to ground and reconnect students with the life of the land and the traditional knowledge it endows.

“He ali’i no ka ‘aina, ke kaua wale ke kanaka.” ~’Olelo Hawai’i

“The land is the chief, the people merely servants.” ~Hawaiian Proverb

Instruction in our programs is based in traditional methods and mentorship grounded in the values and traditions that make up the Native Hawaiian approach to learning. It utilizes the same method and teaching strategies that the instructors in our programs learned from. The following sayings make up the Hawaiian approach to learning:

Nānā ka maka (The eye sees)

For the learner: Observe the task to be done

For the teacher: Model or demonstrate the task

Hoʻolohe ka pepeiao (The ear listens)

For the learner: Listen to the instructions and any other sounds that clarify the task (wind, rain, ocean, or materials being used)

For the teacher: Not all instruction is with words

Paʻa ka waha (Secure/shut/fasten the mouth)

For the learner: Be silent and process the two steps above

For the teacher: This is the critical thinking stage

Hana ka lima (Put the hands to work)

For the learner: Learn by doing; mimic the teacher’s work

For the teacher: Observe and check the student’s work

Nīnau (Question)

For the learner: Questions may be asked only after the previous steps have been done at least one more time; twice is ideal

For the teacher: Send the learner back to the previous steps again to self-correct/learn by doing