A CAMPUS HUAKA‘I: EXPLORING THE INTERTWINED GEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL, AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON THE UH MANOA CAMPUS

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) is striving to become a Native Hawaiian place of learning. As part of this effort, we developed a huaka‘i (fieldtrip) to explore the intertwined geological, historical, and cultural influences on the UHM campus: it examines the landscape and how it has been shaped by geologic processes, Native Hawaiians, and immigrants. Our purpose is two-fold: (1) to showcase an example of how science can be taught in ways that honor Hawaiian culture and history; and (2) to stimulate interest and collaborations among School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) faculty to develop additional place-based curricula offerings that draw connections between Hawaiian culture and Western science. This huaka‘i was inspired by Nā Moʻolelo o Mānoa, a campus tour led by Kaiwipuni Lipe (Native Hawaiian Affairs Program Officer), and Christina Higgins (Chair and Professor, Second Language Studies), both at UHM.

Pilot versions were tested with SOEST faculty and graduate students in Summer and Fall 2021. Survey respondents evaluated various aspects of the fieldtrip on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) and the results were very positive: Overall Usefulness (4.8), Overall Content (4.7), Discussion (4.6) and Handouts/Guides (4.6). Next, we asked for open-ended feedback. Several participants noted that the integration of Western science and Hawaiian cultural comments was not seamless. For example, one respondent wrote: “The geology tour was most interesting when it intersected with post-colonial and indigenous themes...I wonder if more local aspects of campus geology can be emphasized to strengthen these connections”. When we reflected on these comments, we realized that we needed to do a better job of drawing connections and demonstrating that Hawaiian culture is rooted in science. This led to considerable revision and, we believe, considerable improvement. This fieldtrip is currently being incorporated into various SOEST introductory geology classes in different formats (e.g., instructor-led, self-guided).