For people who graduated from public school or who went to public school in Hawai'i, what did you think of the class everyone had to take in 9th grade called "Modern Hawaiian History?"
I graduated from Castle and I remember thinking that the class was really boring and had nothing to do with my life as a Hawaiian, because it really glorified the Big Five and statehood. We learned about each of the monarchs, but it was in a very encyclopedia-ish type of way, the way you do a report on a foreign country or animal habitat. I guess to simplify it, it wasn't "real".
Now, looking back at what I can do to change the curriculum, I want to know what others think about the class. Has the textbook improved? Are the teachers of that class mostly non-Hawaiian, still? Have you had a good experience with the class? Please share. I'm curious to know.
Mahalo!
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I graduated many years ago in 1967 and what little Hawaiian history we did have painted a very different picture of our Hawaiian history as I have come to know through years of pouring through older books and newspapers etc. When my children attended high school they had little Hawaiian history and the same "picture" was been taught. They graduated in the '90s. I discuss Hawaiian history with my grandchildren and try to impart to them what I have learned. They too still are learning essentially what I was taught back in the '50s and '60s.
Even modern books continue to perpetuate the same ideas as truth. I try to teach my grandchildren that sometimes what we read as "truth" is what some else wants us to believe as such and that while we would like to blame all that went wrong with Hawaii on the Haole, there were native Hawaiians as well who did not do us justice. It is the same with genealogy as it is with history. I say genealogy because for Hawaiians our history is tied to our genealogies. We tend not to question the genealogies handed down in history books. Most take these as fact. No one mentions the inconsistancies of some or that there may be more than one genealogy handed down through diffrent branches of the same family. We are told that there are no survivng Kamehamehas today but that as many have discovered is simply incorrect. We believe it because that is what history wanted us to believe. I think that in todayʻs world, our children can assimilate the truth for what it is given all the facts not just what someone else wants us to believe. Tell them our whole history, good and bad, Let them decide what is useful for them to carry forward but always give them all that we know and not hide any part of it.
Many today are beginning to realize the great injustices done to our people. These injustices came about because our na kupuna were trusting. Some took part in the injustice itself seeing a way to get land and power and that they did without regard to future generations. We are told that the Mahele was a great thing but it was the beginning of the end for Hawaiians owning any land. Of the lands given to the government in the Mahele, more than 70% were sold. Lands were awarded to a fraction of chiefs and they too sold these lands. Many chiefs received none. When it was time for the people to claim their lands, even these lands were taken rather than given and many by the chiefs who already had been given large land holdings.
I did not mean to get of the subject of school. I believe that it is time we rewrite our own history books or teach from the many other sources of our history be it from the old newspapers, journals etc. Let them see what the missionaries really thought about our people in their own words - some good and some not. Let us not make a single book the absolute authority on our history as we have done for far too long. Fornander, Kamakau, Malo, Kepelino, Ii and others added greatly to what we know but they had diffrences amongst each other and one should not be thought of as a better or absolute authority over the other. Each was a bit tainted with prejudices of their own island and individual beliefs. This is not a fault, just a reality as with all history. We owe much to them for their great effort and contribution.
If you want to change the curriculum then donʻt pick a single source to learn from (I have yet to find one that is of any value) and while it is easy to do, do not impose your own feelings and thoughts into the curriculum but let the students discover for themselves their own truth.
Okay Stephanie, take this to another level and research Hawaiian Sexuality the forbidden talk, and how Kohala historically abused Maoli women. Mark Twain wrote a great deal on women in Kohala, and today it is being used as a political tool even as we speak. Kohala people have to step up to correcting history, from their history to our history so that when our children enter the DOE system they can excel without the feeling of NOT shame and damnation. Kaohi
I attended Kohala High School. The Kohala Sugar Plantation recently phased out and we couldn't afford to send me to Kamehameha School to board. It was in my 7th grade year we were mandated to take a hawaiian history class for just a quarter, rotating between home economics, auto shop and wood shop. This was in Fall 1976. I don't recall ever having being offered a Modern Hawaiian History and textbook since then and until I graduated in June, 1981.
However, that quarter of class was just AWESOME and at the same time intimidating and enlightening. My kumu was Marie McDonald.
Back then Mrs. McDonald was a very tall 6'2" Hawaiian lady who would study you. Years later my husband would meet her in the early 90's and say, "Yeah she hard head that girl"...lol
Back then I was introduced to "The Great Mahele" and the Royals...oh my those words seemed so sacred to say but Mrs. McDonald put great emphasis in we realizing as she would say, "Dammit this is like the Hawaiian Bible, you guys nevah heard of this before? Oh my goodness and you what's your name?" I shook in my seat for she was this tall towering lady with platinum grey hair, a stern look and my first kumu of color. In my mind back then, you either are white or japanese and you're a teacher. I was amazed to be in the presence of a hawaiian lady who was educated and a teacher...such presence she had. So Mrs. McDonald would give me ahard time because as the story goes she gave me a hard time from day one because I didn't pronounce my name correctly. Three times she said that is not your name by the 3rd time she slammed a ruler in front of me and made me cry. She said, "You don't even know who you are don't you?" I was pissed for she seemed to call me out to challenge but I didn't know what the game was about. The rest of the class looked scared wondering if she was pupule...lol She then explained about how my Naihe 'ohana was all apart of this Great Mahele...and so the story goes...two years later I seen her in the Waimea KTA grocery store. Still tall and towering but much older. She saw me and I said, "Aloha Mrs. McDonald, do you remember me? She said, "Ai, I do." ... and so I took out a business card with my nonprofit info and said, "I'm doing what I'm supposed to do in protecting lands in Kohala." She was happy to know I found my place in my calling and family and the look was, "You now know who you are now...Maika'i!" She smiled the entire time we were in conversation, so much different from the stern strict hawaiian woman she was back when I was 13 years old.
What they taught at Moloka'i High and Intermediate and Kamehameha Schools was different in my time. Hawaiian history talked about the alii at that time at KS. MHS - none I can remember, However my oldest daughter who graduated 3 years ago had a book that referenced Modern Hawaiian History. I examined the content and was disappointed of the limited information in there. I cited that book as a reference for my research, but found and used journals instead of text books.
Limited information,at most inaccurate. Nothing new or at least they are consistent of not providing the true history of our people.
I think that Modern Hawaiian History classes will vary depending on the teacher and the principals of each school. At Kaiser the textbook that I got, had a little about Kamehameha, less of each of his `ohana and the rest of our kings and queens. It seems that Hawai`i's history either started with us killing Cook, having sugar plantations with slave labor, the bombing of pearl harbor or statehood. The books written by haole not knowing the real history or wanting to expose it kept it biased and slanted for the benefit of white America.
When I went to Waimanalo Intermediate and Elementary, my seventh grade teacher was Mr. Keanini. He taught me a lot about Hawaiian History. I liked his class because until then the only bit of Hawaiian history or culture was in second grade with Kupuna Alapa`i and Kupuna Hale or Mama Hale. After that, there was very little Hawaiian history. He was a Hawaiian man who looked like me, teaching Hawaiian history that I missed from Kupuna Alapa`i and Hale, who even had a Hawaiian last name, a rare blend of teacher that I needed at that age. He even made it fun. We had a social studies contest that gave the first prize winners a turkey each. We won and I got to bring food back to my family.
I became a social studies teacher at Halau Lokahi Public Charter School. I have learned that the teacher needs to exemplify being a lifelong learner. If the teacher does not know it, the students will see right through them but with a positive, can do attitude and a willingness to learn alongside the students there will be benefits on both sides. It helps to have a supportive principal but there are ways to get curriculum that hits the standards, keeps your students interested and helps you too. Our school does not use any student textbook for modern Hawaiian history. We utilize texts written by kupuna, huaka`i that bring the mo`olelo to life, camps and trips to do things that a typical school day cannot provide, make partnerships with many different hui, schools, organizations, and businesses, and lastly we call upon our kumu, kupuna and other cultural practitioners that helped to guide us on our journey to be the makua we are today. It is these people who keep us in the loop of opportunities that may help us alaka`i the `opio of Hawai`i. So you see it isn't just one teacher or department in one school that has the kuleana to teach the children, it is all of our kuleana.
Kealoha Fox > Kalani KalimaJune 17, 2009 at 9:00pm
Aloha mai kāua,
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mahalo for all the comments you all are making. we should keep the discussion going. it's going to take aware, conscious hawaiians to make a difference in the way the curriculum is taught to hawaiians in public schools. after all, hawaiian kids currently make up 27% of the DOE system. so, that's where they are! and if that's the kind of "hawaiian" history being taught, 'auwe no ho'i. we have to do something about it.
Tane > Ku'ulani MiyashiroDecember 24, 2008 at 2:32pm
It's the responsibility of the parents to insure that what is taught to their children is correct. Regardless if the teacher is a malihini or not; that teacher should be scrutinized and pass Hawaiian History courses and not made up ones to aggrandize the WASP society and culture. Too often students are taught the myths as being factual and truths; but it's not factual or truths; it's propaganda; brain-washing and conditioning to become subjugated. It's character-assassination that is said so often, some Hawaiians actually believe those lies; and foolishly behave as they are portrayed. I don't put much faith in public schools. It's a political game to control the Hawaiians.
Sorry but I was one of the "fortunate" ones who attended Kamehameha Schools starting in the ninth grade so I don't know what they teach for "Modern Hawaiian History" in public schools. I would not be surprised if it is biased because to glorify the Big Five businesses and/or statehood is job security for the teachers. My experience in public schools range from kindergarden to the sixth grade so is somewhat limited in scope but based on my years attending public schools I doubt that things have changed for the better.
Are all teachers like this? Some are but in my experience not all are. Some actually teach the truth and choose to teach the truth over focusing on their resume.
For example my experience as a student at Lili'uokalani Elementary School epitomized irony of the truth. I was a little girl and I knew some people were hiding some information or as I call it nowadays "misrepresenting the truth in place of adding to their resume." My teachers there did not teach the truth. Instead they taught their version but not all teachers are like this. I have met some cool public school teachers who recognize that children deserve the truth and they tell it instead of focusing on what they can add to their resume or going along with the herd mentality that it's somehow "okay" to misrepresent the truth about Hawaiian history for their job security.
I would not be surprised if some teachers are still going along with the lies for job security. Props to all of the teachers who teach the truth to keiki. They are out there. Some even have to teach in code because they risk being reprimanded by some administrators when all they want to do is teach (the truth) which epitomize how some administrators advocate lying over telling the truth which is another tangent. If I had children in public schools in Hawai'i these days and they were Hawaiian/oiwi I would be afraid for them. I would prefer to have them either in private school or in charter school or homeschooled because chances are they would not be belittled for who they are and/or lied to but not all keiki are fortunate.
I did indeed attend public high school: Kalani for 9-10 and then Kaimuki for 11-12. I didn't have a "Modern Hawaiian History" class in 9th grade, I had one in the 7th grade at Kaimuki Middle. My teacher was a Haole named Mr.Domalavage from the continental u.s., but he admitted that he like all Haoles & Asians were settlers. He loved Hawaiian music, people, and culture and spent his time learning about the true Hawaiian history. That’s why when it came to teaching us, he threw out the DOE issues history textbooks and taught from a book written by a UH professor of History or Ethnic Studies I’m not sure but it’s likely Pauline King if not someone else very notable.
Anyways, he taught us that the overthrow was illegal and an essentially an act of war and that it wasn’t so much Hawaiians who wanted statehood as much as it was local businessmen. He called me by my Hawaiian name, Keahi and allowed everyone to go by the name they preferred. I knew just how different Mr.D. was by how much the other Asian & Haole students didn’t like him and thought the history we were learning was stupid & inappropriate, but really I think they didn’t like what Mr.D. taught because it was a history they weren’t familiar with or could relate to, so that made it difficult for them. I on the other hand grew up w/a mom who was lawyer and someone who was very politically active in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement in the 70’s-for me this wasn’t completely unfamiliar territory. For a Haole guy from the continent and for a public school teacher Mr.D. tried very hard to be different and teach the truth. Unfortunately, by the time I got to see Mr.D. again at my high school grad party he had been retired from Kaimuki for a few years.
I realize that my education was unique and I was very lucky because most public school kids don’t have a teacher like that. I also think that there is a huge difference in teachers and educational funding and opportunity when you grow up in the city and especially when you live and go to school in a working to upper middle class neighborhood like Kaimuki, like I did. Kaimuki middle school was a D.O.E. blue-ribbon award winning school and the parents and community were very involved w/the school, its fundraisers, and curriculum-I think we had special programs and books because we made so much money off of our recycling bin and our koala moa chicken fundraiser. I’m happy I got the education I did, but I know that I am one of the lucky ones and that most Hawaii public school kids don’t have this opportunity or teachers like Mr.D.
Replies
I graduated many years ago in 1967 and what little Hawaiian history we did have painted a very different picture of our Hawaiian history as I have come to know through years of pouring through older books and newspapers etc. When my children attended high school they had little Hawaiian history and the same "picture" was been taught. They graduated in the '90s. I discuss Hawaiian history with my grandchildren and try to impart to them what I have learned. They too still are learning essentially what I was taught back in the '50s and '60s.
Even modern books continue to perpetuate the same ideas as truth. I try to teach my grandchildren that sometimes what we read as "truth" is what some else wants us to believe as such and that while we would like to blame all that went wrong with Hawaii on the Haole, there were native Hawaiians as well who did not do us justice. It is the same with genealogy as it is with history. I say genealogy because for Hawaiians our history is tied to our genealogies. We tend not to question the genealogies handed down in history books. Most take these as fact. No one mentions the inconsistancies of some or that there may be more than one genealogy handed down through diffrent branches of the same family. We are told that there are no survivng Kamehamehas today but that as many have discovered is simply incorrect. We believe it because that is what history wanted us to believe. I think that in todayʻs world, our children can assimilate the truth for what it is given all the facts not just what someone else wants us to believe. Tell them our whole history, good and bad, Let them decide what is useful for them to carry forward but always give them all that we know and not hide any part of it.
Many today are beginning to realize the great injustices done to our people. These injustices came about because our na kupuna were trusting. Some took part in the injustice itself seeing a way to get land and power and that they did without regard to future generations. We are told that the Mahele was a great thing but it was the beginning of the end for Hawaiians owning any land. Of the lands given to the government in the Mahele, more than 70% were sold. Lands were awarded to a fraction of chiefs and they too sold these lands. Many chiefs received none. When it was time for the people to claim their lands, even these lands were taken rather than given and many by the chiefs who already had been given large land holdings.
I did not mean to get of the subject of school. I believe that it is time we rewrite our own history books or teach from the many other sources of our history be it from the old newspapers, journals etc. Let them see what the missionaries really thought about our people in their own words - some good and some not. Let us not make a single book the absolute authority on our history as we have done for far too long. Fornander, Kamakau, Malo, Kepelino, Ii and others added greatly to what we know but they had diffrences amongst each other and one should not be thought of as a better or absolute authority over the other. Each was a bit tainted with prejudices of their own island and individual beliefs. This is not a fault, just a reality as with all history. We owe much to them for their great effort and contribution.
If you want to change the curriculum then donʻt pick a single source to learn from (I have yet to find one that is of any value) and while it is easy to do, do not impose your own feelings and thoughts into the curriculum but let the students discover for themselves their own truth.
Mahalo,
Nohealani
However, that quarter of class was just AWESOME and at the same time intimidating and enlightening. My kumu was Marie McDonald.
Back then Mrs. McDonald was a very tall 6'2" Hawaiian lady who would study you. Years later my husband would meet her in the early 90's and say, "Yeah she hard head that girl"...lol
Back then I was introduced to "The Great Mahele" and the Royals...oh my those words seemed so sacred to say but Mrs. McDonald put great emphasis in we realizing as she would say, "Dammit this is like the Hawaiian Bible, you guys nevah heard of this before? Oh my goodness and you what's your name?" I shook in my seat for she was this tall towering lady with platinum grey hair, a stern look and my first kumu of color. In my mind back then, you either are white or japanese and you're a teacher. I was amazed to be in the presence of a hawaiian lady who was educated and a teacher...such presence she had. So Mrs. McDonald would give me ahard time because as the story goes she gave me a hard time from day one because I didn't pronounce my name correctly. Three times she said that is not your name by the 3rd time she slammed a ruler in front of me and made me cry. She said, "You don't even know who you are don't you?" I was pissed for she seemed to call me out to challenge but I didn't know what the game was about. The rest of the class looked scared wondering if she was pupule...lol She then explained about how my Naihe 'ohana was all apart of this Great Mahele...and so the story goes...two years later I seen her in the Waimea KTA grocery store. Still tall and towering but much older. She saw me and I said, "Aloha Mrs. McDonald, do you remember me? She said, "Ai, I do." ... and so I took out a business card with my nonprofit info and said, "I'm doing what I'm supposed to do in protecting lands in Kohala." She was happy to know I found my place in my calling and family and the look was, "You now know who you are now...Maika'i!" She smiled the entire time we were in conversation, so much different from the stern strict hawaiian woman she was back when I was 13 years old.
Hardhead
What they taught at Moloka'i High and Intermediate and Kamehameha Schools was different in my time. Hawaiian history talked about the alii at that time at KS. MHS - none I can remember, However my oldest daughter who graduated 3 years ago had a book that referenced Modern Hawaiian History. I examined the content and was disappointed of the limited information in there. I cited that book as a reference for my research, but found and used journals instead of text books.
Limited information,at most inaccurate. Nothing new or at least they are consistent of not providing the true history of our people.
I think that Modern Hawaiian History classes will vary depending on the teacher and the principals of each school. At Kaiser the textbook that I got, had a little about Kamehameha, less of each of his `ohana and the rest of our kings and queens. It seems that Hawai`i's history either started with us killing Cook, having sugar plantations with slave labor, the bombing of pearl harbor or statehood. The books written by haole not knowing the real history or wanting to expose it kept it biased and slanted for the benefit of white America.
When I went to Waimanalo Intermediate and Elementary, my seventh grade teacher was Mr. Keanini. He taught me a lot about Hawaiian History. I liked his class because until then the only bit of Hawaiian history or culture was in second grade with Kupuna Alapa`i and Kupuna Hale or Mama Hale. After that, there was very little Hawaiian history. He was a Hawaiian man who looked like me, teaching Hawaiian history that I missed from Kupuna Alapa`i and Hale, who even had a Hawaiian last name, a rare blend of teacher that I needed at that age. He even made it fun. We had a social studies contest that gave the first prize winners a turkey each. We won and I got to bring food back to my family.
I became a social studies teacher at Halau Lokahi Public Charter School. I have learned that the teacher needs to exemplify being a lifelong learner. If the teacher does not know it, the students will see right through them but with a positive, can do attitude and a willingness to learn alongside the students there will be benefits on both sides. It helps to have a supportive principal but there are ways to get curriculum that hits the standards, keeps your students interested and helps you too. Our school does not use any student textbook for modern Hawaiian history. We utilize texts written by kupuna, huaka`i that bring the mo`olelo to life, camps and trips to do things that a typical school day cannot provide, make partnerships with many different hui, schools, organizations, and businesses, and lastly we call upon our kumu, kupuna and other cultural practitioners that helped to guide us on our journey to be the makua we are today. It is these people who keep us in the loop of opportunities that may help us alaka`i the `opio of Hawai`i. So you see it isn't just one teacher or department in one school that has the kuleana to teach the children, it is all of our kuleana.
Please forward this 2008-2009 Alumni Survey to help Hawaiian-Focused Charter Schools (HFCS) find out about their graduates post-high experiences. We want to know what you have been up to, understand what helped you while attending a HFCS, and see what could be improved in the school you went to, from the perspective of a graduate.
You may skip questions, but please do your best to answer ALL the items. There are no "right" or "wrong" answers, so please take your time. This survey may take up to 30 minutes. You can find the survey at this link:
Click Here to take survey
We are happy to offer raffle drawing prizes to alumni participants who complete this survey:
One Grand Prize Winner: New 120 GB Apple iPod!!!
First Runner-Up: $50 Gift Card to iTunes!
Second Runner-Up: $25 Gift Card to iTunes!
Third Runner-Up: $25 Gift Card to iTunes!
Fourth Runner-Up: $15 Gift Card to iTunes!
(Winners will be drawn at random in August 2009).
A Focus Group related to this survey will be held later this year with the Kamehameha Schools. Please include your name and contact information if you'd be interested in the raffle or focus group. Your name will be used separately from your data, keeping your specific answers anonymous.
PLEASE forward this message on to graduates from the following schools:
Hakipu‘u Learning Center PCS
Hālau Kū Māna NCPCS
Hālau Lōkahi NCPCS
Kanu o ka ‘Āina NCPCS
Ke Ana La‘ahana PCS
Ke Kula Ni‘ihau o Kekaha Learning Center A Laboratory PCS
Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory PCS
Kua ‘o ka Lā PCS
Kula Aupuni Ni‘ihau a Kahelelani Aloha NCPCS
Mahalo for your thoughtful participation that will help the HFCS's with information gathering and the educating of future 'ōpio!
Me ka ʻoiaʻiʻo
naʻu Kealoha Fox
(kefox@ksbe.edu)
Are all teachers like this? Some are but in my experience not all are. Some actually teach the truth and choose to teach the truth over focusing on their resume.
For example my experience as a student at Lili'uokalani Elementary School epitomized irony of the truth. I was a little girl and I knew some people were hiding some information or as I call it nowadays "misrepresenting the truth in place of adding to their resume." My teachers there did not teach the truth. Instead they taught their version but not all teachers are like this. I have met some cool public school teachers who recognize that children deserve the truth and they tell it instead of focusing on what they can add to their resume or going along with the herd mentality that it's somehow "okay" to misrepresent the truth about Hawaiian history for their job security.
I would not be surprised if some teachers are still going along with the lies for job security. Props to all of the teachers who teach the truth to keiki. They are out there. Some even have to teach in code because they risk being reprimanded by some administrators when all they want to do is teach (the truth) which epitomize how some administrators advocate lying over telling the truth which is another tangent. If I had children in public schools in Hawai'i these days and they were Hawaiian/oiwi I would be afraid for them. I would prefer to have them either in private school or in charter school or homeschooled because chances are they would not be belittled for who they are and/or lied to but not all keiki are fortunate.
Aloha, L
Anyways, he taught us that the overthrow was illegal and an essentially an act of war and that it wasn’t so much Hawaiians who wanted statehood as much as it was local businessmen. He called me by my Hawaiian name, Keahi and allowed everyone to go by the name they preferred. I knew just how different Mr.D. was by how much the other Asian & Haole students didn’t like him and thought the history we were learning was stupid & inappropriate, but really I think they didn’t like what Mr.D. taught because it was a history they weren’t familiar with or could relate to, so that made it difficult for them. I on the other hand grew up w/a mom who was lawyer and someone who was very politically active in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement in the 70’s-for me this wasn’t completely unfamiliar territory. For a Haole guy from the continent and for a public school teacher Mr.D. tried very hard to be different and teach the truth. Unfortunately, by the time I got to see Mr.D. again at my high school grad party he had been retired from Kaimuki for a few years.
I realize that my education was unique and I was very lucky because most public school kids don’t have a teacher like that. I also think that there is a huge difference in teachers and educational funding and opportunity when you grow up in the city and especially when you live and go to school in a working to upper middle class neighborhood like Kaimuki, like I did. Kaimuki middle school was a D.O.E. blue-ribbon award winning school and the parents and community were very involved w/the school, its fundraisers, and curriculum-I think we had special programs and books because we made so much money off of our recycling bin and our koala moa chicken fundraiser. I’m happy I got the education I did, but I know that I am one of the lucky ones and that most Hawaii public school kids don’t have this opportunity or teachers like Mr.D.
-kEAHI^^)
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