Toward a Framework for ʻĀina-Based Pedagogies: A Hawaiʻi Approach to Indigenous Land-Based Education

• In Event: Accepting Educational Responsibility: Reaffirming the Roles of Indigenous Languages and Practices

Abstract

Kanaka ʻŌiwi and indigenous scholars assert the need to claim indigenous identities, research, language, schooling, and systems to make positive differences in their lives. ʻĀina-based pedagogies are processes of learning and teaching which emphasize reciprocal relationship between people and place. They draw upon place-specific intergenerational knowledge systems, language, and customary practices to frame curricula. ʻĀina-based initiatives are not only proliferating in Hawaiʻi communities, but also in academic institutions where interest in place-based education, sustainability education, and STEM has increased. The research findings offer a conceptual framework for community leaders, scholars, educators, and practitioners to discuss the intricacies of ʻāina-based education. Such discussions may help communities evaluate the impact of their programming and lead to further improvement of their ʻāina-based initiatives.

Author

• Summer Maunakea, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa