Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, recently engaged KS Kapālama High School science students in a two-hour conversation about the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. The following gives a glimpse at a student’s journey through the Mālama Honua science class led by high school Science Department Head Chris Blake.
How many times have you heard the phrase “Mālama Honua” in the past year? There has been an obvious increase in its iterations and appearances in the local Hawaiʻi community. Its popularity has grown to represent a conscious movement toward a more sustainable future. It’s also found its way into educational environments like classroom discussions and student projects.
The phrase is the inspiration behind the Mālama Honua science class at Kamehameha Schools. In its first year, the class has seen a lot of involvement with the topics of food sustainability, Native Hawaiian water rights, and self-reflection through student blogs.
The class utilizes historical, cultural, environmental, and technological elements to analyze what the phrase “Mālama Honua” means in relation to each individual. It is a full-circle type of learning where students acquire knowledge from the past to prepare for the future and to implement in the present.
With this learning background, the Mālama Honua class recently met with Nainoa Thompson to discuss the worldwide voyage and its impact on students and the lāhui.
The Meeting
Students laid copious amounts of food on lab tables and it was evident that the Mālama Honua class had prepared for a pāʻina with a very respected leader. However, from the moment Nainoa Thompson arrived, it was clear this meeting was more geared towards the students.
Thompson shared that although he was an integral part of the voyage, he was not “the voyage.” The class sat on chairs in a circle formation where questions were asked, answered, and clarified. Questions about what the voyage represented and how they as young teenagers could be more connected to it. In fact, some students were confused by the voyage and were unsure of what it represented.
Thompson projected that the voyage is not solely about a boat sailing around the world, it is a communal concept about sustainability and cultural empowerment. Thompson shared that the Mālama Honua voyage was just a seed for more voyages within the Hawaiian community.
These voyages could be anything from opening a sustainable business to making a commitment to sustainable agriculture. Regardless of the action, Thompson made it clear that these voyages have the potential to define where the Hawaiian culture veers toward because each voyage and each individual holds a lot of power.
“Nainoa made me think about what my journey was and I think that I still am trying to figure it out,” said KS senior Kauhane Stephens.
An understanding started to bloom out of the circle: As students and individuals, they did not need to physically be on the Hōkūleʻa to make a difference. The discussion lasted for over two hours, stretching into the students’ homeroom period but no one flinched. The students were wide-eyed and excited to be speaking with a highly inspirational teacher.
Not only was this an exclusive moment for the students, it was one of learning through discussion and it became fulfilling. Senior Kahiau Machado commented, “It was an enriching experience that widened my knowledge base.”
Yes, the students learned valuable information about the worldwide voyage but most importantly, each student learned about the importance of their own voyage. It was a gift of self-empowerment that has the potential to pave a new path for a more sustainable future as these students may be the next leaders in the Hawaiian community.
Ending the meeting with food, conversation, and a final oli mahalo, the students left with a clearer view of their own horizons.
To learn more about the KS Kapālama High School Mālama Honua science class visit the course’s website.
Thompson had the haumāna (students) form a circle to encourage an open conversation.
During the two-hour conversation, the students learned about the worldwide voyage and the importance of their own life voyages.
Senior Andrea Chang and her classmates asked so many questions, that the conversation stretched into their homeroom period.
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