Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 2, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 1985 — Simple Answer Given for Hawaiian Studies [ARTICLE]

Simple Answer Given for Hawaiian Studies

Hawaiian Studies is a subject matter most often discussed today, especially in Hawaii's universities and public and private schools. Just what is Hawaiian Studies? The answer is simple enough. It is the study of Hawaii — the physical location and geological formation; native and introduced flora and fauna; natural environment; and, the cultural heritage of this land whieh has been evolving from the time of the earliest Polynesian explorers and settlers down to the present time. Students study the host Hawaiian culture as it developed in the isolated Pacific environment and also the numerous other cultural inf!uences whieh has become a part of Hawaii's modern loeal culture, certainly unique in the world. The goal of the Hawaiian Studies program is to help all students, Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian, in grades K- 12 develop knowledge, understanding, appreciation and internalization of fundamental aspects of Hawaiian cuiture, including values, concepts, practices, history and language whieh will be of value to people trying to live happy, productive and culturally enriched lives in harmony with our island environment. In order to achieve this goal in the elementary grades, curriculum guides have been developed for grades K- 1 and eaeh of the succeeding grade levels. Foundation Program Objectives (FPOs) most critically addressed by the program include developing:

• Positive self-concept. • Decision-making and problem-solving skills. • Physical and emotional health. • A continually growing phi!osophy that reflects responsibility to self as well as to others. • Creative potential and aesthetic sensitivity. The main focus of eaeh unit and the subject areas into whieh the thematic Hawaiian studies instruction is integrated is identified it the Hawaiian Studies Program Guide. As an example, the unit focus for grades K-1 are "Self and Immediate Environment" for Unit I and "Self in the 'Ohana' " for Unit II and so on up through Grade 6. Children in the lower elementary grades leam about Hawaiian culture as it has survived into this modern age around us. Since many of these children in grades K-3 cannot differentiate between events taking plaee in a time frame of 200 years ago and those of a year or two ago, it was decided to delay the study of early Hawaiian life until their sense of chronology and history reached a certain level of development. Therefore, it is not until the fourth grade that Hawaiian culture of the pre-European contact era is studied in great detail. This is consistent with the social studies of curriculum for that grade level and serves to lessen any disruption to the established curriculum that the introduction of the integrated Hawaiian Studies curriculum might pose. The guide was written in response to the 1978 Constitutional Amendment whieh mandates that "the State shall promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language." (Article X, Section 4.)