Na Honua Mauli Ola: Hawai’I Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive Learning Environments

By Native Hawaiian Education Council in partnership with Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke’elikolani
Native Hawaiian Education Council and University of Hawai’i at Hilo (2002)

Review by Jurgita Antoine

This document contains cultural guidelines to foster a student- oriented, culturally relevant environment, grounded in the indigenous philosophy, language, and teachings of Hawaiian elders. It complements the Hawai’i State Content and Performance Standards.

There are 16 guidelines with suggested strategies for each of five groups—learners, educators, schools/institutions, families, and communities—and an action plan for their implementation. The guidelines are in both the Hawaiian and English languages, and throughout the document Hawaiian terms are used in cases where the English equivalent fails to show the complexity of Hawaiian thought. The document is appended with Hawaiian and English glossaries, as well as a list of references of Indigenous educational materials. This document is an informative resource for tribal colleges, educators, and communities seeking to create Indigenous-centered learning environments.

Jurgita Antoine, Ph.D. is a project director at Lakota Documentaries at Sinte Gleska University. She coordinates translations of Lakota oral narratives and production of educational materials.