Advancing Hawaiian Education

By the Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke Team

“ʻO Hawaiʻi ke kahua o ka hoʻonaʻauao – Hawaiʻi is the foundation of our learning.” – ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #1993

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is pleased to introduce Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke, the education and culture-based learning team within our new Strategy and Implementation Paia (department).

Grounded in the ʻōlelo noʻeau shared above, our team is developing tactics and strategies to support OHA’s enactment of its Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan and the mandates of HRS Chapter 10, with Kānaka ʻŌiwi values and worldviews as the foundation. Our core beliefs include:

• The historical foundations of success and excellence of Kānaka ʻŌiwi in education
• The importance of ʻohana, community, and ʻāina as our keiki’s first kumu
• The critical need for culturally sustaining, lifelong education opportunities that strengthen and heal our lāhui

Our goal is to create systemic change. To meet the needs of our beneficiaries, the Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke team is focused on:

• Leveraging OHA’s kuleana to create systemic change that values Kānaka ʻŌiwi definitions of success
• Collaborating with state and other education agencies to strengthen impact
• Building relationships with our kaiāulu to ensure community voices are heard

A key tactic is our ongoing support for Hawaiian-Focused Charter Schools and Hawaiian Language Medium Schools. Founded by grassroots community advocacy, our language- and culture-based schools are models for high quality education. OHA has provided funding and advocacy support for years, and can now offer even more kōkua with this new team.

Additionally, Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke will support Native Hawaiian students within the Department of Education (DOE) system. OHA recognizes that most Native Hawaiian students are in the DOE, and seeks to create opportunities and pathways to culture and readiness.

The team also emphasizes advocacy and community engagement, working with local communities, schools, and policymakers to promote sustainable futures for Native Hawaiians. OHA encourages collaboration to ensure that Native Hawaiian culture remains vibrant and integrated into modern life, creating opportunities for Native Hawaiians to thrive both culturally and professionally.

Our team brings a deep commitment to this work and our collective experience and networks span Hawaiian-focused charter and immersion, higher education, community partners, and cultural practitioners, offering perspectives based on lived experience, not just formal credentials. Over the last eight months, the team has collaborated with leadership from the Office of Hawaiian Education, Kamehameha Schools, the DOE, the UH system, the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaiian-focused charter schools, ʻAha Kau Leo, and other groups to align efforts and strategize.

In the upcoming months, the team will be working hard to generate educational resources grounded in ʻike Hawaiʻi and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, pilot programs that incorporate culture-based learning and workforce development, and shift policy and practice to move toward ea (self-determination).

For more information, reach out to our Hoʻokaʻa ʻIke team: Director Kuʻuleianuhea Awo-Chun (kuuleianuheaa@oha.org); Strategy Consultant Makiʻilei Ishihara (makiileii@oha.org); Strategy Consultant Chantelle Kapua Belay (chantellekb@oha.org) or email education@oha.org.