Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 6, 1 June 2000 — Niʻihau School: Community empowerment and healing [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Niʻihau School: Community empowerment and healing

AS HAWAIIANS stmggle to find balance in these islands, a small, faithful community of Ni'ihauans is setting the course for healing and self-determination. They navigate by their na'au, by what they feel is proper, and most importantly, by Akua's guidance. The eanoe is the Ni'ihau School of Kekaha. The joumey: to empower the community and educate children with a balanced, bi-lingual education. The goal: to perpetuate the Ni'ihau dialect of Hawaiian and strengthen English proficiency so the children ean make informed decisions. On April 27, the Ni'ihau School secured from OHA a lease to the Kekaha Armory and created a paitnership with the Department of Education to develop a bilingual educational program. The Ni'ihau School families voyaged by traditional means. They prayed for guidance. They focused on their shining stars, their children. They leamed to navigate through the harsh winds and currents of OHA and state politics. Whenever the wind was taken out of their sails, the community took the initiative to paddle themselves in the right direction. The Ni'ihau School families' strength was

Akua, not politics; they focused on what was good for their children. Their example is the purest act of self-determination and community empowerment. It would do us all good to leam ffom their courage and good will. At the heart of the stmggle by the Ni'ihau School famihes is the education of children in their native voice, Ni'ihau

Hawaiian and English. Previously, they had only two choices: the DOE's full English system or complete immersion with 'Aha Punana Leo. Institutional ignorance and poor test scores swayed the families away ffom the DOE's English programs. Not surprisingly, Kekaha Elementary School initially told the Ni'ihau School that a bilingual program was impossible. The families were already participating in 'Aha Pūnana Leo's complete immersion program at the Kekaha Armory and felt it lacked the neeessary courses for English proficiency. The families voiced their concems hoping to enhanee their children's educational opportunities. 'Aha Pūnana Leo's response was embarrassing. APL threatened the families with expulsion ffom the Armory if they did not "fully support" APL's vision and philosophy. The famihes' concems were suppressed. They were given no ehoiee but to leave the Armory site and conduct classes in the park pavilion. Along with two Ni'ihau teachers, half the students did leave. The teachers have worked uncompensated. They teach for love and the hope that their investment in the children will result in a better-educat-

ed, successful Ni'ihau community. In tum, the children faithfully attend school at the pavilion without the privilege of the DOE's hot lunches, facilities or supplies. Yet, they are learning, growing and believing in their future. At the end of the day, these children leam mueh more than English and Hawaiian. They know how to empower themselves, be responsible and make choices in life that will be pono for everyone. Unity is their voice and aloha is their spirit. Now, a school and a community support their hard work with unconditional love. The Ni'ihau School's joumey is not over. Yet, the victory at OHA should be noted. The community used their voices to break down the barriers of government, politics and the stranglehold of a powerful corporation. In most cases they didn't have to speak; their silence so filled the halls of OHA you could hear nothing else. The voice of a community that has been silent for so long is now free. We look forward to hearing their melody. We pray for the day when all our people will stand proud as Hawaiians, heal their families and empower their community. Maybe then, we ean truly eall ourselves sovereign and independent. ■

V I C E CHAIRPERSON'S M ES S AG E

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