Education is a high priority for Native Hawaiian families today, even while many Native Hawaiian children are identified for remedial or special education. But there was a period in Hawaiian history when the literacy rates for Native Hawaiians, both children and adults, was higher than that of the United States. What happened and what can we learn from that situation in addressing the education needs of Native Hawaiians today? In A‘o Malcolm Nāea Chun takes the reader through the fascinating story of how Native Hawaiians learned, why learning and knowledge were prized in traditional society, and how two systems—native and foreign—combined to achieve one of the highest literacy rates in the world. A‘o offers traditional and historical examples that provide insights into the practices of learning and teaching in a native society, bringing together cultural and educational perspectives to help parents, teachers, and administrators develop new ways of learning that are relevant to a culturally based native community.

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Written by Malcolm Nāea Chun

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paperback   |   36 pages   |   6" x 9"   |   B&W