Hauʻoli mākou ʻo ka Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance me ko mākou pakanā hoʻomohala ʻo ka Hale Kuamoʻo e kaʻana aku i mau ʻōpaʻa haʻawina hou no ka ʻEpekema ma nā Papa 6-12. Ua hoʻomohala ʻia ua mau ʻōpaʻa nei ma o ka ʻike kuʻuna Hawaiʻi a kia hoʻi ma nā kumuhana kūikawā o ka hoʻomaluō. He mau kumuwaiwai manuahi kēia no ke kumu a me nā haumāna ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi e ʻimi ana i ʻikepili hou no loko a waho o ka lumi papa. No ka hoʻohana ʻana i kēia mau kumuwaiwai manuahi, e kele aku i nā loulou ma lalo iho nei. E ola a mau loa aku ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ka hoʻomaluō. 

Na wai hoʻi ka ʻole o ke akamai, he alahele i maʻa i ka hele ʻia e oʻu mau mākua. Centuries ago, Kamehameha II Liholiho described wisdom as a pathway well-traversed by our predecessors. Centuries later, this timeless ʻōlelo noʻeau continues to ring true. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian language, is an official language of the state of Hawaiʻi and is increasingly recognized as vital in shaping how we experience, understand, and care for Hawaiʻi’s unique natural environment. While important progress has been made to revitalize ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi across the pae ʻāina, there remains a need to engage learners of different age groups across disciplines including the natural sciences. 

The Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance in partnership with the Hale Kuamoʻo Hawaiian Language Center at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo are pleased to release a new set of science curriculum units for Hawaiian language medium students and teachers in grades 6-12. The six curriculum units focus on prominent topics of relevance to environmental stewardship in Hawaiʻi, in particular information including cultural perspectives on native species and ecosystems initially shared at the 2022 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference. The units are presented solely in the Hawaiian language, providing an important pathway to meaningfully support Hawaiian language medium learners and instructors as we collectively advance the ways we care for our island home. 

Download the units for free below: 

Kāhuli Hou i ke Ao: Endemic Land Snail Conservation 

ʻO Nāpuʻu, He ʻĀina Aloha: Place-Based ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Research for Perspective on Everchanging ʻĀina

Ka Noʻeau Kilo Kau a Kau: Exploring the Huli ʻIa Process for Deepened Relationship to ʻĀina and Kai 

E ʻAi i Kekahi, E Kāpī i Kekahi: Limu Conservation 

ʻĀina Momona: Soil Science as a Pathway to ʻĀina Momona 

I Ola ka ʻĀina, I Ola ke Konohiki: Conservation Insights from Konohiki Traditions 

This curriculum project is the latest in a series of efforts by the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance focused on culturally-grounded conservation efforts. For more information, please visit https://www.hawaiiconservation.org/our-approach/culturally-grounded-conservation/  

He leo mahalo. We extend our gratitude to the many individuals involved in informing, developing, reviewing, refining, and sharing these resources: K. Irwin, K. Ahuna, P. Iaea, M. Kobashigawa, ʻI. Nāhuewai, K. Stoleson, U. Chong, M. Heimuli, K. Poepoe, P. Ravey, J. Silva, D. Sischo, A. Anderson, K. Davis, S.ʻO. Gon, K. Kong, K. Sagum, K. Seto, K. Tanaka, K. Winter, P. Pascua, N. Kurashima, N. Whitehead and the Kamehameha Schools ʻĀina Pauahi Group.