The Kuleana Curriculum

Part of "What is Kuleana Homesteading?"​

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E mālama ‘ia nā pono o ka ‘āina e na ‘ōpio.

(The traditions of the land are perpetuated by its youth.)

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“I ulu no ka lālā i ke kumu”  -ʻŌlelo Noeau 1261

(The branches grow because of the trunk. 

Meaning: We are guided by kūpuna — those who have passed and those still with us.)

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An important intention of kuleana homesteading is to find ways to pass down your knowledge and provide encouragement to the next generation so that they may understand their own kuleana. 

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The Kuleana Curriculum lifts up the work of those who help younger generations gain knowledge through doing actions on the land. Experience is gained by evoking personal experiences and activity-based learning similar to how our kūpuna did when they were young. 

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Ma ka hana ka ‘ike. 

(In the task is the knowledge.)

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When part of one's kuleana is to help train the next generation, that training is imparted in "learning by doing."  Some examples include:

 

  - A young person learns from kūpuna how and when to harvest kalo, and what parts of the kalo (in their Hawaiian names) to put back in the lo‘i.

 

  - A Hawaiian-owned small business sends its young employees on a Volunteer Day to clear rivers and streams so that water flows freely through a taro farmer's auwai.

 

  - An oli is taught to young leaders so that they may speak to the land and ask permission to enter it .

 

  - Young people join in as their elders acknowledge, express gratitude and invite everyone who worked on a project to return to celebrate the project's completion. In this process youth learn through visible results and protocol the real life meaning of laulima.

 

Whether the result of hana is a better waterflow in a river, an oli that echoes through a valley for an instant, or a celebration of gratitude and acknowledgement by kūpuna for all who gave kōkua to a project, each is of these is a practice of mālama that is witnessed, felt and passed down through generations. 

 

This way of teaching, learning and carrying on the tradition into the next generation binds all generations together throughout time. Passing along knowledge – ‘ike and mana – is passing down legacy.

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This Course segment shows you a small sample of the inspirational efforts of many farmers, teachers and community leaders across Hawai‘i who are sharing their knowledge with the next generation. 

 

You are encouraged to learn more about any of these multigenerational projects, follow their links, offer them kōkua, and apply their teaching methods to create your legacy on your own homestead.  

 

Included here is also a video of a heartfelt collaborative performance from Project KULEANA and Kamehameha Publishing of Kaulana Nā Pua, a Hawaiian anthem that begins with:

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Kaulana nā pua aʻo Hawaiʻi,

Kūpaʻa ma hope o ka ʻāina

(Famous are the children of Hawai‘i, 

Ever loyal to the land)