The sounds of kāhea, pū and mele reverberated across Kapālama as haumāna excitedly returned to classrooms earlier this month and as kumu began lessons inspired by Hawaiian Culture-Based Education (HCBE).
With applications across all academic disciplines, HCBE flows throughout campus, from elementary keiki learning about ʻāina and native plants at Keanakamanō to high-school students practicing science and math through wayfinding.
“Through HCBE, we turn to ‘ike kūpuna – the values and practices passed down through hundreds of generations – to nurture the bright minds of our haumāna,” says Po‘o Kula Dr. Taran Chun KSK’95. “When we say that we believe our haumāna are descendants of greatness, we accept our duty as a school to equip them to solve challenges with innovative solutions rooted in ancestral wisdom, empowering them to become ʻōiwi leaders who will hoʻōla lāhui.”
In preparation for the new school year, a few haumāna, kumu and others took part in HCBE experiences at Hale Huliāmahi and other sites around Kapālama, ‘Iolani Palace, Hoʻoulu ʻĀina and Mokauea Island.
At Hale Huliāmahi, Residential Life staff practiced proper protocol before entering the hale and learned the area’s history before settling in for the main lesson. Each participant held a stone from the hale’s foundation and spoke their kūpuna into the stone, forever connecting their genealogy and themselves to the hale. Participants left the experience with a deeper understanding of the mana that comes from speaking ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i and the importance of connecting oneself to a place.
Following this day of immersive, hands-on learning, all participants reflected on the question, “How do you feel about learning through HCBE?”
Reflecting on his own personal experience, Kapālama eighth-grader Talon Fong added that he enjoys learning about and perpetuating Native Hawaiian culture throughout all his school subjects and by sharing what he has studied with his ‘ohana and friends.
“As an alakaʻi lawelawe, (we) can learn about our (Hawaiian) history and serve to save a sacred site,” Fong said.
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