Hawaiian Epistemology and Education - Revision history

WikiSysop: /* INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION */

2005-11-05T00:06:12Z

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION

WikiSysop: /* INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION */

2005-11-05T00:05:35Z

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION

WikiSysop: /* INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION */

2005-11-04T07:18:56Z

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION

WikiSysop: /* INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION */

2005-11-04T07:06:36Z

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION

WikiSysop: /* INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION */

2005-11-04T07:06:11Z

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION

WikiSysop: /* Comment by Dr. Ken Conklin */

2005-11-04T06:52:26Z

Comment by Dr. Ken Conklin

WikiSysop: /* INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION */

2005-11-04T06:52:00Z

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, HAWAIIAN EPISTEMOLOGY, AND HAWAIIAN EDUCATION

WikiSysop at 06:51, 4 November 2005

2005-11-04T06:51:08Z

Show changes

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 Her clear goal is to establish that ethnic Hawaiians have a unique style of experiencing the world through a lens of cultural practices and family relationships; and that ethnic Hawaiians have a unique style of learning which makes it essential that they have a unique educational system which only they can properly design and implement. Professor Meyer seems to believe that Hawaiian ancestral wisdom is somehow passed genetically and spiritually from the ancestors to today's Hawaiians, as well as being passed through cultural upbringing. Hawaiian religious beliefs are an important part of her theory.
-Also important in Meyer's theory is the concept that indigenous knowledge is a product of the interactions among the members of the community living in close relationship with the land. Therefore, indigenous knowledge is owned by the group as a whole, and by the land and the gods. Individuals must seek group approval or validation for their knowledge, and must obtain group permission before sharing or giving away important knowledge. For a discussion of claims to indigenous intellectual property rights and collective ownership in the context of Hawai'i, see: [[Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights -- The General Theory, and Why It Does Not Apply in Hawai’i]]
+Also important in Meyer's theory is the concept that indigenous knowledge is a product of the interactions among the members of the community living in close relationship with the land. Therefore, indigenous knowledge is owned by the group as a whole, and by the land and the gods. Individuals must seek group approval or validation for their knowledge, and must obtain group permission before sharing or giving away important knowledge. For a discussion of claims to indigenous intellectual property rights and collective ownership in the context of Hawai'i, see: [[Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights - The General Theory, and Why It Does Not Apply in Hawai’i]]
 Meyer’s theory of Hawaiian epistemology is valid for individual ethnic Hawaiians only to the extent that those individuals follow a distinctively unique Hawaiian cultural upbringing in accord with the cultural patterns described by the elders who talked with Ms. Meyer; but very few ethnic Hawaiians today have that sort of upbringing exclusively. Indeed, there is a continuum of Hawaiian-style upbringing ranging from a small number of children brought up exclusively in traditional ways (minus human sacrifice and brother-sister incest), to a vast majority of ethnic Hawaiians whose upbringing might include some elements of traditional lifestyle. There are an increasing number of ethnic Hawaiians raised in foster homes or raised in families who simply don’t care about tradition. There are also an increasing number of children with no native ancestry who are influenced by elements of traditional Hawaiian culture simply because those cultural elements are the core of Hawai’i’s multiracial rainbow society -- things like hula, Hawaiian language, taro cultivation, and heiau restoration. Important questions must be raised about the meanings of terms that are central to Dr. Meyer’s work. Words like “Hawaiian culture”, “Native Hawaiian”, and “oral history” are very hard to pin down. Even prior to the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778, there were vast differences in “Hawaiian culture” from one island to the next, and even in different ahupua’a on the same island. The language had significantly different dialects. The well-known two-volume book about Hawaiian culture “Nana I Ke Kumu” by Mary Kawena Pukui includes disclaimers that her description of “Hawaiian culture” is based on what she remembers from growing up in Ka’u, a remote district of the “big Island of Hawai’i” where the lifestyle was probably quite different from other areas. David Malo, a native historian whose parents grew up before Captain Cook arrived, wrote that the oral transmission of songs, chants, and genealogies resulted in great distortions and variations, some of which were probably done intentionally for political purposes. Increasingly today, terms like “Hawaiian culture,” “Native Hawaiian,” and “oral history” are being tossed around by people who do not define them or use them in any consistent way, and who intentionally capitalize on their vagueness to carry meanings from one context into other contexts where those meanings may be inappropriate. As an example, see an analysis by Honolulu attorney Paul Sullivan showing how the poor definition and possibly intentional misuse of these three concepts has affected a particularly important issue (a draft environmental impact statement for a NASA telescope project on Mauna Kea):

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 Her clear goal is to establish that ethnic Hawaiians have a unique style of experiencing the world through a lens of cultural practices and family relationships; and that ethnic Hawaiians have a unique style of learning which makes it essential that they have a unique educational system which only they can properly design and implement. Professor Meyer seems to believe that Hawaiian ancestral wisdom is somehow passed genetically and spiritually from the ancestors to today's Hawaiians, as well as being passed through cultural upbringing. Hawaiian religious beliefs are an important part of her theory.
-Also important in Meyer's theory is the concept that indigenous knowledge is a product of the interactions among the members of the community living in close relationship with the land. Therefore, indigenous knowledge is owned by the group as a whole, and by the land and the gods. Individuals must seek group approval or validation for their knowledge, and must obtain group permission before sharing or giving away important knowledge. For a discussion of claims to indigenous intellectual property rights and collective ownership in the context of Hawai'i, see: http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/indigenousintellproprts.html
+Also important in Meyer's theory is the concept that indigenous knowledge is a product of the interactions among the members of the community living in close relationship with the land. Therefore, indigenous knowledge is owned by the group as a whole, and by the land and the gods. Individuals must seek group approval or validation for their knowledge, and must obtain group permission before sharing or giving away important knowledge. For a discussion of claims to indigenous intellectual property rights and collective ownership in the context of Hawai'i, see: [[Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights -- The General Theory, and Why It Does Not Apply in Hawai’i]]
 Meyer’s theory of Hawaiian epistemology is valid for individual ethnic Hawaiians only to the extent that those individuals follow a distinctively unique Hawaiian cultural upbringing in accord with the cultural patterns described by the elders who talked with Ms. Meyer; but very few ethnic Hawaiians today have that sort of upbringing exclusively. Indeed, there is a continuum of Hawaiian-style upbringing ranging from a small number of children brought up exclusively in traditional ways (minus human sacrifice and brother-sister incest), to a vast majority of ethnic Hawaiians whose upbringing might include some elements of traditional lifestyle. There are an increasing number of ethnic Hawaiians raised in foster homes or raised in families who simply don’t care about tradition. There are also an increasing number of children with no native ancestry who are influenced by elements of traditional Hawaiian culture simply because those cultural elements are the core of Hawai’i’s multiracial rainbow society -- things like hula, Hawaiian language, taro cultivation, and heiau restoration. Important questions must be raised about the meanings of terms that are central to Dr. Meyer’s work. Words like “Hawaiian culture”, “Native Hawaiian”, and “oral history” are very hard to pin down. Even prior to the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778, there were vast differences in “Hawaiian culture” from one island to the next, and even in different ahupua’a on the same island. The language had significantly different dialects. The well-known two-volume book about Hawaiian culture “Nana I Ke Kumu” by Mary Kawena Pukui includes disclaimers that her description of “Hawaiian culture” is based on what she remembers from growing up in Ka’u, a remote district of the “big Island of Hawai’i” where the lifestyle was probably quite different from other areas. David Malo, a native historian whose parents grew up before Captain Cook arrived, wrote that the oral transmission of songs, chants, and genealogies resulted in great distortions and variations, some of which were probably done intentionally for political purposes. Increasingly today, terms like “Hawaiian culture,” “Native Hawaiian,” and “oral history” are being tossed around by people who do not define them or use them in any consistent way, and who intentionally capitalize on their vagueness to carry meanings from one context into other contexts where those meanings may be inappropriate. As an example, see an analysis by Honolulu attorney Paul Sullivan showing how the poor definition and possibly intentional misuse of these three concepts has affected a particularly important issue (a draft environmental impact statement for a NASA telescope project on Mauna Kea):

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 Meyer firmly believes that she and all other ethnic Hawaiians are "indigenous." That belief can be disputed; see: [[Are kanaka maoli indigenous to Hawai'i?]]
-Meyer believes that all indigenous peoples have a close, family relationship with the gods and the lands of their indigenous homelands. The Hawaiian creation legend "Kumulipo" describes how the gods mated and gave birth to the Hawaiian islands as living beings; later the gods mated and gave birth to the ancestor of all "Native Hawaiians." Thus the gods and the Hawaiian islands and the ethnic Hawaiians are all related as members of a family in a relationship of ongoing love and mutual support; but anyone lacking a drop of native ancestry is forever outside that family circle. The spirits of the ancestors, and the gods, are constantly present in the environment and provide help and inspiration to the current and future generations. This religious theory is used to justify a political claim to racial supremacy, that ethnic Hawaiians are the rightful "owners" of all the lands of Hawai'i and are also the rightful owners of political power in Hawai'i. Ethnic Hawaiians are the hosts, and everyone else is merely a guest with no legal or moral standing. For a further explanation of this religious theory and its implications for Hawaiian sovereignty, see: http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/religion.html
+Meyer believes that all indigenous peoples have a close, family relationship with the gods and the lands of their indigenous homelands. The Hawaiian creation legend "Kumulipo" describes how the gods mated and gave birth to the Hawaiian islands as living beings; later the gods mated and gave birth to the ancestor of all "Native Hawaiians." Thus the gods and the Hawaiian islands and the ethnic Hawaiians are all related as members of a family in a relationship of ongoing love and mutual support; but anyone lacking a drop of native ancestry is forever outside that family circle. The spirits of the ancestors, and the gods, are constantly present in the environment and provide help and inspiration to the current and future generations. This religious theory is used to justify a political claim to racial supremacy, that ethnic Hawaiians are the rightful "owners" of all the lands of Hawai'i and are also the rightful owners of political power in Hawai'i. Ethnic Hawaiians are the hosts, and everyone else is merely a guest with no legal or moral standing. For a further explanation of this religious theory and its implications for Hawaiian sovereignty, see: [[Religion and Zealotry in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement]]
 In developing her theory of epistemology, Meyer did not follow the usual procedure of starting with the theories of historically recognized philosophers or inventing something on her own. Instead, she adopted what she considers an "indigenous" methodology. Knowledge is created in the context of relationships among individuals, the environment, and the social community. The elders in an indigenous society are regarded as the repository of cultural wisdom and the authorities on what is valid. Therefore Meyer begins by asking respected ethnic Hawaiian elders to describe how they get knowledge, where knowledge comes from, how they know whether something is true or false, etc. She develops a list of types of knowledge and authority, illustrated by examples given by specific elders. The end result is her theory of Hawaiian epistemology.

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 Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer, teaches teacher-education at a branch campus of the University of Hawai'i in Hilo. Professor Meyer is a dynamic, inspirational speaker who easily impresses audiences with her use of academic jargon and her frequent naming of noted philosophers whose theories she cites. Her work is focused on epistemology: the branch of philosophy that examines how we get knowledge, and how we know whether our beliefs are true. That branch of philosophy has a special, very important relevance to the analysis of school curriculum and methods of teaching. Professor Meyer's first book was a mimeographed copy of portions of her Ed.D. dissertation, distributed through a bookstore in Honolulu owned by her sister. Her second book is also self-published, but very nicely produced, and includes portions of her dissertation as well as articles she wrote as student term-papers or for publication since then. Professor Meyer tries to synthesize an eclectic philosophical viewpoint mainly drawing from empiricism and the contextualist theories of Pragmatist philosopher John Dewey.
-Meyer firmly believes that she and all other ethnic Hawaiians are "indigenous." That belief can be disputed; see: [[Are kanaka maoli indigenous?]]
+Meyer firmly believes that she and all other ethnic Hawaiians are "indigenous." That belief can be disputed; see: [[Are kanaka maoli indigenous to Hawai'i?]]
 Meyer believes that all indigenous peoples have a close, family relationship with the gods and the lands of their indigenous homelands. The Hawaiian creation legend "Kumulipo" describes how the gods mated and gave birth to the Hawaiian islands as living beings; later the gods mated and gave birth to the ancestor of all "Native Hawaiians." Thus the gods and the Hawaiian islands and the ethnic Hawaiians are all related as members of a family in a relationship of ongoing love and mutual support; but anyone lacking a drop of native ancestry is forever outside that family circle. The spirits of the ancestors, and the gods, are constantly present in the environment and provide help and inspiration to the current and future generations. This religious theory is used to justify a political claim to racial supremacy, that ethnic Hawaiians are the rightful "owners" of all the lands of Hawai'i and are also the rightful owners of political power in Hawai'i. Ethnic Hawaiians are the hosts, and everyone else is merely a guest with no legal or moral standing. For a further explanation of this religious theory and its implications for Hawaiian sovereignty, see: http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/religion.html

@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer, teaches teacher-education at a branch campus of the University of Hawai'i in Hilo. Professor Meyer is a dynamic, inspirational speaker who easily impresses audiences with her use of academic jargon and her frequent naming of noted philosophers whose theories she cites. Her work is focused on epistemology: the branch of philosophy that examines how we get knowledge, and how we know whether our beliefs are true. That branch of philosophy has a special, very important relevance to the analysis of school curriculum and methods of teaching. Professor Meyer's first book was a mimeographed copy of portions of her Ed.D. dissertation, distributed through a bookstore in Honolulu owned by her sister. Her second book is also self-published, but very nicely produced, and includes portions of her dissertation as well as articles she wrote as student term-papers or for publication since then. Professor Meyer tries to synthesize an eclectic philosophical viewpoint mainly drawing from empiricism and the contextualist theories of Pragmatist philosopher John Dewey.
-Meyer firmly believes that she and all other ethnic Hawaiians are "indigenous." That belief can be disputed; see: http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/indigenous.html
+Meyer firmly believes that she and all other ethnic Hawaiians are "indigenous." That belief can be disputed; see: [[Are kanaka maoli indigenous?]]
 Meyer believes that all indigenous peoples have a close, family relationship with the gods and the lands of their indigenous homelands. The Hawaiian creation legend "Kumulipo" describes how the gods mated and gave birth to the Hawaiian islands as living beings; later the gods mated and gave birth to the ancestor of all "Native Hawaiians." Thus the gods and the Hawaiian islands and the ethnic Hawaiians are all related as members of a family in a relationship of ongoing love and mutual support; but anyone lacking a drop of native ancestry is forever outside that family circle. The spirits of the ancestors, and the gods, are constantly present in the environment and provide help and inspiration to the current and future generations. This religious theory is used to justify a political claim to racial supremacy, that ethnic Hawaiians are the rightful "owners" of all the lands of Hawai'i and are also the rightful owners of political power in Hawai'i. Ethnic Hawaiians are the hosts, and everyone else is merely a guest with no legal or moral standing. For a further explanation of this religious theory and its implications for Hawaiian sovereignty, see: http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/religion.html

@@ Line 138: / Line 138: @@
 "There it is. How do we educate our youth for the challenges of the next millennium? We surround them with our community, we give them meaningful experiences that highlight their ability to be responsible, intelligent, and kind. We watch for their gifts, we shape assessment to reflect mastery that is accomplished in real time, not false. We laugh more, plant everything, and harvest the hope of aloha. We help each other, we listen more, we trust in one another again. We find our Hawaiian essence reflected in both process and product of our efforts. That is Hawaiian education, and understanding our Hawaiian epistemology is our foundation, our kumupa'a. So, let it be said and let it be known: We have what we need. We are who we need."
-=Comment by Dr. Ken Conklin=
+==Comment by Dr. Ken Conklin==
 One example of a claim to collective racial ownership of a concept is "Polynesian" voyaging. Hokule'a was created in 1975 primarily for the purpose of reasserting ethnic pride. But the project was conceived and headed by a white man; and numerous whites also participated in designing the canoe, constructing it, and serving as crew mwmbers. The result was ethnic Hawaiian prejudice and racial hate-crimes against the whites, to the extent that the head of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (a white man) resigned, along with the master Micronesian navigator who had trained a Hawaiian navigator. Several Hawaiian crew members endangered the entire crew by refusing to perform their assigned responsibilities on the open ocean. The second voyage was racially exclusionary, with none of the original leaders or crew being asked for advice or participation; the canoe capsized and a life was lost. Clearly, the ethnic Hawaiians felt then, as they feel now thirty years later, that ethnic Hawaiians must be the leaders of the organization, the captain and the steersman, and a majority of the crew. After all, it would be hard to claim that Polynesian voyaging is truly Polynesian unless Polynesians are in charge. One might say it's a matter of enforcing informal indigenous copyright over the concept of “Polynesian voyaging.” Furthermore, there's the issue of authenticity of design, materials, and ceremony. In what sense can a canoe made of modern materials be called "Polynesian"? And how can modern people "remember" ancient ceremonies or designs which have been forgotten for centuries? The claim to authenticity is based a belief in a collective racial memory of a deep culture which is carried in the genes even when someone has only “one drop” of native blood. See: [[Book Review - "Sailing in the Wake of the Ancestors: Reviving Polynesian Voyaging"]]

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 [[Media:SullivanHawnCultureMaunaKea.pdf|PDF of Paul M. Sullivan's comments]]
-The State of Hawai'i has been providing taxpayer dollars for about 20 years to support a public school Hawaiian language immersion program. It was feared that Hawaiian language was dying out, because few elders remained alive who had grown up speaking Hawaiian as their first language and few children were learning the language. Therefore groups of dedicated volunteer families pledged that the parents would learn Hawaiian at night school while their children would grow up speaking Hawaiian at home and would attend schools where Hawaiian was the language of instruction for all subjects. Since year 2000 Hawai'i began experimenting with charter schools. Half of all the public charter schools are designated as "host culture" Hawaiian culture-immersion schools, where the curriculum and instructional methods are focused on Hawaiian culture and where the Hawaiian language is used perhaps most of the time. Since 2002 there has been a bill in the Legislature seeking to give official recognition to the consortium of "host culture" charter schools as a separate non-contiguous school district empowered to grant charters to additional schools and to certify teachers. Thus, an apartheid public school system is gradually being established, and is being used as a vehicle for ethnic nation-building. For an exploration of the Hawaiian language immersion program, the "Host culture" charter schools, and the use of education for ethnic nation-building in Hawai'i, see:
+The State of Hawai'i has been providing taxpayer dollars for about 20 years to support a public school Hawaiian language immersion program. It was feared that Hawaiian language was dying out, because few elders remained alive who had grown up speaking Hawaiian as their first language and few children were learning the language. Therefore groups of dedicated volunteer families pledged that the parents would learn Hawaiian at night school while their children would grow up speaking Hawaiian at home and would attend schools where Hawaiian was the language of instruction for all subjects. Since year 2000 Hawai'i began experimenting with charter schools. Half of all the public charter schools are designated as "host culture" Hawaiian culture-immersion schools, where the curriculum and instructional methods are focused on Hawaiian culture and where the Hawaiian language is used perhaps most of the time. Since 2002 there has been a bill in the Legislature seeking to give official recognition to the consortium of "host culture" charter schools as a separate non-contiguous school district empowered to grant charters to additional schools and to certify teachers. Thus, an apartheid public school system is gradually being established, and is being used as a vehicle for ethnic nation-building. For an exploration of the Hawaiian language immersion program, the "Host culture" charter schools, and the use of education for ethnic nation-building in Hawai'i, see: [[Public Education for Ethnic Nation-Building in Hawai'i]]
 Dr. Meyer's theory of Hawaiian epistemology provides the "scholarly" justification for empowering ethnic Hawaiians to operate their own separate public school system. The appearance of scholarliness and intellectual depth in Dr. Meyer's work, and the receptiveness of Hawai'i's politicians, gives hope to other ethnic groups outside Hawai’i that they too might be able to dream up a rationale and create their own ethnocentric public school systems funded at taxpayer expense. Thus the balkanization of America increases. That's what the UCLA conference on October 16, 2004 is intended to facilitate.