Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 3, 1 April 2002 — He pūkoʻa e kani ai ka ʻāina [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He pūkoʻa e kani ai ka ʻāina

"A grain of coral eventually grows into lanel"

By Tino Ramirez Kamakakūokalani CHS In early January, more than 60 professors, counselors, admmis~ trators and students representing Hawaiian serving programs throughout the University of Hawai'i system met for three days at Mālaekahana, O'ahu, and formed Pūko'a, the UH System Native Hawaiian Council, The council's name, whieh was suggested by professor Larry Kimura of UH-Hilo's Ka Haka 'Ula o Ke'elikōlani, is a beautiful metaphor conveying Pūko'a's mission and its members' optimism. As the poetic saying goes: He pūko'a e kani ai ka 'āina (A grain of coral eventually grows into land). The impetus to form a statewide Native Hawaiian eouneil eame last fall, when UH President Evan Dobelle set aside $1.5 million to support Native Hawaiian academic excellence and access. Dobelle then mandated the university to develop a plan that will address Native Hawaiian curriculum, students and faculty, and asked that Hawaiians throughout the system initiate dis~ cussions. Since the Mālaekahana meetmg, Hawaiian Studies, Hawaiian

Language and Hawaiian student services programs have been drawing up five~year plans and budgets. Pūko'a hopes to bring more Hawaiian students to campuses, retain and graduate more Hawaiian students, create post~baccalaureate degree programs in Hawaiian Studies, Hawaiian Language and īndigenous Studies, and foster more Hawaiian scholars who will teach and conduct research at the university. Some of the discussion at Mālaekahana explored why Hawaiians are under-represented at the university and community college campuses. While Hawaiians make up 23 percent of Hawai'i's population, at UH-Mānoa, for example, only 10 percent of the students are Hawaiian, while only two percent of the faculty is Hawaiian. Some causes are a dearth of culturally appropriate student services, the laek of advanced degree programs in Hawaiian Language or Hawaiian Studies and few academic role models. One goal of the eouneil is to increase to 23 percent the number of Hawaiians enrolled, on faculty and in the administration. There was also discussion of rec~ ommendations set out in the Ka'ū Report, the seminal 1986 study of

Hawaiian Studies in the university system. Many of these goals have not been realized. The Ka'ū Report, for example, recommended a Hawaiian Studies facility on every campus. While Hawaiian Studies at UH-Mānoa has been housed in the Kamakakūokalani Building since 1997, Ka Haka 'Ula o Ke'elikōlani, the College of Hawaiian Language, at UH-Hilo does not yet have its own facility. The first college in the United States to offer a B.A. and M.A. in an indigenous language, Ka Haka 'Ula o Ke'elikōlani is a model for native educators worldwide, and deserves its own building. Laek of reliable, state-supported funding also is a shared problem. At Kapi'olani Comimmity College, for example, one permanent, full-time professor teaches both Hawaiian Studies and Pacific īsland Studies, Nearly 800 Hawaiian students are enrolled at Kapi'olani and as many as 10 sections of Hawaiian Studies 107 have been offered in one semester, And while the demand for Hawaiian Studies 107 remains high, the sections offered have been cut back for laek of facilities and positions. Along with creating a five-year plan and budget for the entire system, Pūko'a members also have started several initiatives. To increase Hawaiian enrollment at the university's O'ahu campuses, for example, Kamakakūokalani is partnering with Nā Pua No'eau in a high school outreach program. īn early March, with the goal of allowing students to transfer between campuses without losing credits,

Pūko'a members met at Mānoa to discuss the articulation of Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian Language courses throughout the system. While Pūko'a represents what is already the world's strongest, most dynamic system of indigenous education and scholarship, the future holds even more promise. Fully funded and fulfilled, Pūko'a's plans will create a seamless system for Hawaiian students from eommunity college through graduate school and professional positions in every field. Editor's note: KWO's periodic education eolumn is coordinated by Dr. David Kekaulike Sing, director of Nā Pua No 'eau. ■

Ho'onaAmao _n™n_

The neime "Pūko'a" (corcil) implies growth, einel cilso clescribes ein ecosystern einel environment where mciny eome together in co-existence einel mutucil support.