By Kamanamaikalani Beamer, PhD
Wēlina mai ke aloha i ka ʻāina. In March, my appointment as the incoming Dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge (HSHK) was finalized. It’s difficult for me to express the magnitude of this significant moment and the kuleana of becoming the next dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge. Let me start by saying I am deeply in love with our school.
Hawaiʻinuiākea has bettered the lives of so many ʻohana, community, haumāna, and ʻāina in ways that I believe will be generationally transformative. Hawaiʻinuiākea is truly a momi (jewel) – it is a vessel that can be like a hulu kupuna (beloved elder) for our people for all time. All our faculty, staff, and community partners have played a critical role in this hana koʻikoʻi (urgent work).
Hawaiʻinuiākea is unique and vital to the overall success of our lāhui – the ea (sovereignty) of our ʻāina, the ola (health) of our ʻōlelo, and the education of the nation. We are like the ʻōhiʻa seedling birthed in the ʻāʻā after struggle. Every lālā (branch) of our school is critical to our overall success and I intend to serve each of us as we ulu (increase) toward new and formative outgrowths. So that one day there will be a forest of Hawaiʻinuiākea.
I am piha with mahalo (filled with gratitude) to the selection committee and all of you who contributed to the process that led to this moment. I am incredibly honored to follow former deans Maenette Benham and Jonathan Osorio to become the third dean of Hawaiʻinuiākea, and the first dean to hold a degree from one of our programs.
I believe that even in these incredibly challenging times when many of our efforts and the hana koʻikoʻi of generations are under assault, if we kūlike (stand together), if we can recall the magneti o ke aloha ʻāina (magnetic pull in the heart of the patriot), we will emerge from the hihia (difficulty) stronger, with greater clarity and resolve, me ka wiwoʻole (with fearlessness).
I believe a critical part of ea in these times can be achieved by creating the most highly functional organization possible within the confines of the structures in which we are embedded. So that one day the generations will look back at these vile times, when our aliʻi trusts were under assault and our aquifers were poisoned with jet fuel, and not wallow in sorrow but stand proudly because those who were living through these times, i kēia au nei, stood together with the strength and sentiments of those who came before us.
I know that great things are to come for Hawaiian education, ʻāina, and community if we can kūkahi (stand together) for what is pono.
Students and their parents are now making decisions on college attendance. The decision on where to attend college is one of the most special and significant choices for ʻohana. I want you to know that Hawaiʻinuiākea is a place for you. We have a record of nurturing and challenging haumāna to understand tools for accessing ʻike Hawaiʻi that have grounded and enriched the development of thousands of our students, many of which can be seen as leaders serving communities across our islands.
Our faculty are incredibly multi-disciplinary and bring their wealth of knowledge and experience into the classroom with courses that range from Hawaiian genealogies to mahiʻai kalo (taro farming). Some are on the ʻāina in field schools that advance Hawaiian geography, marine resource management, archeology, and food sovereignty. Others teach through immersive experiences in ʻōlelo, mele, and in the performing arts.
We have an entire center focused on supporting ʻŌiwi student success and enrichment and even an immersive international exchange experience with “Hawaiian Youths Abroad,” that has enriched the education of our students, enabling them to experience places such as Japan, London, Paris, Tahiti, and more.
But what really makes us unique is the relentless commitment toward a better and more just future for our ʻāina and community.
I believe we are the best place to nurture haumāna to make a positive difference for our islands that is rooted in ancestral knowledge while moving toward pono and ea. We have a moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) that links us to some of our island’s most important researchers, scholars, and change-agents, and a dedication toward Hawaiʻi’s future, a hiki i ke aloha ʻāina hope loa.
For those that would like to know more about Dr. Kamana Beamer and his work to date visit kamanabeamer.com. Learn more about Hawaiʻinuiākea at manoa.hawaii.edu/hshk
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