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The hale waʻa project was a blend of traditional ʻike and modern science. This marriage of content is what Kumu Edwin Otani believes made haumāna so excited to work on this project. “When we talk about E Ola! teaching and learning, this is what it looks like,” he said.

Traditional Hale Building Sparks Joy for Science and ʻIke Kūpuna

Jan. 4, 2023

When ‘āina engagement Kumu ʻIwikauikaua Joaquin collaborated with science Kumu Edwin Otani to get Māhele Lalo fourth- and fifth-graders building a traditional hale waʻa on campus, neither expected the enthusiasm their haumāna would exhibit for the project.

In the mornings, Otani wouldn’t even be halfway to his classroom — his backpack still slung over his shoulders — and haumāna would run up to him asking if they could work on the hale.

“They would say stuff like, ‘I love science!’ That’s not something you hear everyday,” Otani said.

Joaquin, the newest educator on the Kaʻāinamāhuahua Team, is an apprentice of the famed Francis Palani Sinenci, a master builder of traditional Hawaiian hale, one of the few people to hold the prestigious title.

When Joaquin introduced haumāna to the idea of building a hale on campus, he wanted to be sure they knew the name of his kumu.

“I asked them, where do you think Uncle Francis is from?” Joaquin said. Some haumāna guessed Honolulu, others Kauaʻi or Hawaiʻi island. “When I told them he’s from right here on Maui, in Hāna, they were amazed. It’s important that our Maui haumāna know that greatness comes from here, too, not just Oʻahu.”

The project was a blend of traditional ʻike and modern science. This marriage of content is what Otani believes made haumāna so excited to work on this project.

“When we talk about E Ola! teaching and learning, this is what it looks like,” he said.

Haumāna learned traditional building skills like lashings and knotting. They also learned hale oli protocol and reverence for the work they were doing.

“Mr. Otani said not to step on the leaves, because they’re special,” said fifth-grader Cam Kaneshiro in a video reflection.

Haumāna even learned how our kūpuna estimated length through the measurement mele “Eia nā ana o Hawaiʻi lā.”

The kumu set an ambitious 12-day building timeline, beginning on Nov. 21 and culminating with a blessing on Dec. 7. Materials were donated from local farms and community partners. Haumāna embraced the challenge fully, using their recess and lunch periods to put work into the hale. Many even begged their parents to bring them to school early to work on the hale.

“I feel happy when I’m in the hale because we put a lot of hard work into it,” said fifth-grader Sunny Barnett.

Her classmate Race Kaneshiro agreed. “When I work on the hale, I feel like a true Hawaiian. I feel connected with the ʻāina when we chant. And when we were done with the hale, I felt great.”

Following the blessing of the hale, Kumu Otani and Kumu Joaquin provided a short presentation to campus leadership on the project. They showed video reflections haumāna filmed themselves.

One of them in particular, by fifth-grader August Kiʻili, made Joaquin tear up. “I’ve never seen these before,” he said.

In the video, Kiʻili reflected, “When we walk in to do our chant and start to build, I feel connected to my Hawaiian side … I can feel the mana — the power and knowledge put into this hale.”










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