He Ha'awina Ka Mo'olelo

Presented by Dr. Stephanie H Kamai.

Professional learning communities offer a space for people to engage in discussions that are often related to a common area of interest. Educators use professional learning committees to gain a deeper understanding about assessment.

In Fall 2016 semester my colleagues at the University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu and I gathered in the hale to discuss ways in which we were going to roll out a state-mandated national assessment to the teacher candidates in the UHWO teacher education program. Over time we realized that our conversations were transformed from a focus on state-imposed policies and our disinterest in the process of developing relationships and imagining something different than what was expected.

We met monthly in Kuahuokala, a traditional native Hawaiian Hale which is located on our campus, and we found that it framed the nature of our practice. We grounded our perspectives and our practices from within Kuahuokala.

Recommended for ALL.

Small Villager, Big Voyager

Presented by Daisy Osy, Conference Co-Chair

Chances are you have never heard of Micronesia, but now is the time! This presentation will give you an overview of the history and culture of this Pacific island region but will focus mainly on one of the many islands which is Pohnpei. This presentation will also entail the lived experiences of an indigenous young lady from the island of Pohnpei and her journey across the Pacific Ocean to further her education.

Recommended for ALL.

The Importance of language and communication within Pacific Islander Solidarity

Presented by Jherica Raposa, Conference Co-Chair, and SOU Student.

Using my experience and education in Hawaiian culture and Communication Studies/Journalism, I will be discussing the importance of communication and the sharing of information amongst culture(s). I will be discussing the different types of communication: language (spoken, literature, story-telling, song), the interpretation of passed on knowledge through language, the absence of language (focusing on when 'ōlelo Hawaiʻi was forbidden), the effects of colonization, and where we are today.

Recommended for ALL.

Kākau Uhi

(The history of Hawaiian tattooing)

Presented by Michael Paʻa Alana, Kahu, Mea Kākau Uhi

Pāʻele ʻia: a Composition for understanding the reasons for the native Hawaiian practice, history, and traditions for tattooing in the Hawaiian islands. This talk is the culmination of over 9 years of concurrent research on the practice of Hawaiian tattooing. This presentation includes previously untranslated documentation of Hawaiian language accounts of this esteemed practice. These documents are compared to western accounts of Hawaiian tattooing, so we can gain a more robust understanding of tattooing. This talk is presented by Michael Paʻakū Alana. Paʻa is a kahu (Hawaiian priest), a genealogy researcher, and trained Mea Kākau Uhi (traditional Hawaiian tattooist). This is the first time a scholarly lecture on this topic is being presented by a trained tattooist.

Recommended for ALL.