Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 2, 1 February 1992 — Young Hawaiians learn basic aquaculture [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Young Hawaiians learn basic aquaculture

A new program teaching the basics of aquaculture and Hawaiian culture to lsland children of high school age has proved a success. The project recently completed its second year under the supervision of The Oeeanie Institute at Makapuu Point. It was sponsored by "Na Pua No'eau," the center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Educators nationwide have identified that native Americans are underrepresented in public school classes for gifted children. Surveys have also proven that many of these native American students have different gifts and talents than those traditionally tested for in schools.

For example, American-Indian children have far greater outdoor and craft skills than city ehildren. So is it the case with many native Hawaiian children, who have been brought up in a water-oriented environment and have proved to have exemplary skills in several areas of fishing, oceanography and aquaculture. For the past two years, The Oeeanie Institute of Hawaii has conducted a two-week aquaculture enrichment program at Keahuolu on Hawai'i for Hawai'i youth and their teachers. One of the program's goals is to give the children confidence in traditional classroom topics such as chemistry, biology, math and business.

To be accepted for the program students must be of Hawaiian ancestry and they must be incoming high school sophomores or juniors. A statewide technical advisory group of community experts reviewed all applications and made the final selections. The 22 students selected from the 65 who applied eame from all the islands in Hawai'i, and joined two juniors who had attended last year's program. The hands-on activities during eamp were intense, occupying the students for at least 10 hours every day. They were introduced to aqua-

culture, and taught several scientific tests and procedures important in today's technological world. The intention of these and other workshop activities was to awaken, develop and strengthen an interest in the sciences, particularly marine science and its applieahon in aquaculture.

They were also taught to learn from their Hawaiian ancestors, the on!y members of the Polynesian race practicing aquaculture centuries ago. The early Hawaiians built and operated several types of fishponds, and did this without the use of chemicals and feeds whieh today are eonsidered indispensable to fishpond breeding. The fishpond of old Hawai'i was a major eeonomie, political and social innovation. Hawaiian fishponds provided the link between traditional Hawaiian culture and aquaculture science. For

the students, the fishponds served as outdoor learning laboratories. The relationship of Hawaiian culture to water, in terms of navigation and freshwater conservation, was also emphasized.

When the eamp project was over, students had rediscovered skills for ancient Hawaiian aquaculture practices, and had learned many technical aspects of operating modern-day aquaculture projects. Efforts are currently underway to get this, or a similar aquaculture/Hawaiian science project, into the curriculums of several Hawai'i public and private schools. The Hawai'i House of Representatives issued a resolution praising this program for its innovative approach to educational enrichment for gifted students of Hawaiian ancestry.

' '■■■■>■■ «■■■» » ^3888888888838^ ''WKMkl Participants in the aquaculture project are: Front Row, left to right: Kalani Motta, Oeeanle lnstitute Counselor; Kaeo C. Jones, Pahoa, Hawai'i; Ikaika W.A. Green, Kailua, O'ahu; Jarrett S.L. Kodani, Keaau, Hawai'l; Leah W. Burrows, Hoolehua, Moloka'i; Julia K. Peleiholani, Pahoa, Hawai'i; lokepa K. Arlcayos, Klhei, Maul; Jackie L. Bernaldes,

Walmea, Kaua'i; Ellzabeth L. Demercer, Kapa'au, Hawai'i; Lu'ukla Padilla, Wailuku, Maui; (back row, left to rlght:) David Chai, Sarah Doudna, and Buddy Keala, of the lnstitute with lsaac Keohohina, Waimanalo, O'ahu and Gary Karr, Oeeanie lnstitute project coordinator.