Nānā i ke kumu: returning to our ancestral wisdom

Abstract

Nānā i ke kumu refers to the Hawaiian practice of returning to traditional knowledge and resources to understand the underlying cultural roots of everyday words and actions used in contemporary Hawaiian settings. In this strengths-based research project, videotaped lessons in four classrooms at a Native Hawaiian-serving school were viewed and analyzed in an attempt to uncover the Hawaiian cultural roots of the classrooms' current teaching and learning practices. After viewing each of the videotapes, a focus group of five Hawaiian cultural experts commented on the Hawaiian teaching and learning practices that were evident in each of the lessons. The cultural experts then followed with suggestions for possible ways to enhance the Hawaiian cultural components of each of the existing lessons. It is my hope that the results of this study can inform future decisions made in regards to Native Hawaiian culturally based literacy education, both at this school and beyond.